S

SWARCO

Provides traffic management and signal systems

Factory / Production Manager-Electrical / Mechanical Products

Full-Time
No salary listed
Expert
Melsonby, Richmond, UK
In Person
Manufacturing & Production Operations

About the job

Requirements
  • Proven experience in a Production Manager or senior production leadership role.
  • An electro-mechanical or engineering-based manufacturing background.
  • Experience leading, developing, and motivating production teams.
  • Experience in a low-volume, high-mix manufacturing environment.
  • A strong understanding of technical drawings and manufacturing information.
  • Experience improving production performance and resolving problems using root-cause analysis.
  • Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, 5S, and continuous improvement.
  • Experience using ERP systems, ideally SAP.
  • Good Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel.
  • Be visible and approachable on the shop floor.
  • Take the time to understand the team, products, and challenges they face.
  • Listen, build trust, and create a positive team culture.
  • Get involved when problems arise and focus on practical solutions.
  • Balance people, quality, production, and commercial priorities.
  • Set clear expectations and hold people accountable fairly.
  • Enjoy developing people and building capability within the team.
  • Candidates must have the right to work in the UK and be able to commit to a long-term permanent role.
Responsibilities
  • Lead production teams across two manufacturing facilities in Melsonby, with regular shop-floor engagement.
  • Take overall responsibility for the day-to-day operation of production across both facilities, working with Production, Engineering, and wider teams to manufacture safely, efficiently, on time, and to required quality standards.
  • Provide visible leadership across both facilities and spend time on the shop floor.
  • Lead, develop, and motivate production teams.
  • Build relationships with employees and understand their challenges, ideas, and concerns.
  • Develop a strong understanding of products and manufacturing processes.
  • Identify production issues and work with the team to find practical solutions.
  • Plan production schedules and capacity, ensuring labour, equipment, and materials are used effectively.
  • Monitor production performance, key performance indicators, quality, and delivery targets.
  • Ensure products are manufactured to specification and required quality standards.
  • Work closely with Engineering to improve processes and support Design for Manufacture.
  • Investigate quality issues and drive appropriate corrective actions.
  • Drive continuous improvement, Lean Manufacturing, and 5S.
  • Manage production resources to support productivity, delivery, and cost control.
  • Work with internal teams to manage priorities, delivery schedules, and overdue orders.
  • Ensure Health & Safety standards are maintained and risks are proactively managed.
  • Support recruitment, performance, absence management, training, and workforce development.
  • Coach and mentor team members and build future capability within the production function.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience using ERP systems, ideally SAP.

About the company

SWARCO develops traffic management and road-safety solutions, starting with reflective glass beads for better night visibility and expanding to traffic lights, signs, paints, and ITS software. It combines passive safety materials with active control systems to provide end-to-end solutions for highways, tunnels, and urban areas. The company differentiates itself through a large, diversified portfolio and strategic acquisitions (such as Dynniq Mobility and LACROIX’s traffic division) that broaden capabilities and geographic reach. As a family-owned Austrian company, its goal is to improve road safety and traffic efficiency with globally scalable technology and services.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Marktgemeinde Wattens, Austria

Founded

1969

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • SWARCO closed Hi-Way Services on 30 June 2026, deepening UK road-marking scale.
  • PTC3 launched in 2026 and is already being trialled by UK local authorities.
  • SWARCO won a five-year Dutch tunnel maintenance contract, anchoring recurring revenue.

What critics are saying

  • The 2026 divestiture review includes a possible ITS sale, disrupting leadership and retention.
  • Chainzone and other rivals keep challenging SWARCO patents; appeals can still erode protection.
  • Public-sector procurement and tight budgets delay upgrades, especially for tunnels and UK councils.

What makes SWARCO unique

  • SWARCO combines road markings, signals, software, and tunnel systems across one stack.
  • Its 2026 split creates focused RMS and ITS businesses with clearer strategies.
  • SWARCO’s EP 2 643 717 survived Paris UPC nullity proceedings on 25 June 2026.

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Benefits

  • Paid Vacation
  • Commuter Benefits
  • Profit Sharing

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

22%

1 year growth

24%

2 year growth

24%
The Registry
Sep 3rd, 2026
Swarco buys 70,000 SQFT vista industrial building for $21.7MM.

Swarco buys 70,000 SQFT vista industrial building for $21.7MM. Traffic-technology firm Swarco has acquired a 70,253-square-foot industrial building at 2365 Oak Rid Signup for news and special announcements! Discover more Access Online Encyclopedias Commercial Leasing Services

Highways News
Jul 3rd, 2026
SWARCO's road marking systems division acquires Hi-Way Services Ltd.

SWARCO's road marking systems division acquires Hi-Way Services Ltd. With signing and closing effective 30 June 2026, SWARCO has acquired 100% of the family-owned company Hi-Way Services Ltd, a provider of road and car park marking services. Based in Hersden near Canterbury in Kent, Hi-Way Services was founded in 1993 by Andy O"Reilly and currently employs around 60 staff, generating annual revenues of approximately £10.8 million. Operating from three depots across the South East and South of the UK, the company specialises in road marking services, including highway and off-highway road markings, high-friction surfacing and road stud installation. Its customers include public sector bodies, National Highways, county and city councils, Tier 1 and Tier 2 main contractors, civil engineering companies and other private sector clients. SWARCO CEO Michael Schuch (pictured second right) said: "With the acquisition of Hi-Way Services, we are taking another targeted step to strengthen our market position in the United Kingdom. We are very pleased to welcome to the SWARCO Group an established, family-run company with a professional setup, qualified personnel, and more than 30 years of business experience. Together, we are laying the foundation for sustainable growth and creating additional value for our customers in the UK market." Andy O'Reilly (pictured third right), founder of Hi-Way Services, commented on the transaction: "After more than 30 years of building Hi-Way Services, this marks an important milestone for our business, our employees and our customers. We are proud of the company we have created and the reputation we have established across the UK. Joining SWARCO provides the scale, investment and long-term opportunities needed to support the next stage of Hi-Way Services, while preserving the values and customer focus that have always been at the heart of our business. I would like to thank our employees, customers and supply chain partners for their loyalty and contribution over the years, and I look forward to seeing the business continue to thrive as part of the SWARCO Group." Danny O'Reilly (pictured second left), Managing Director of Hi-Way Services Ltd, added: "My father started Hi-Way Services more than 30 years ago with a simple focus on doing good work, looking after customers and supporting the people in the business. Those principles remain at the heart of our business today. Becoming part of SWARCO represents a fantastic opportunity for our employees and customers alike, providing the support and scale needed to continue growing while maintaining the culture and values that have made Hi-Way Services successful. As Managing Director, I am excited to lead the business into its next chapter and continue building on the legacy that has been created." (Picture: SWARCO/Hi-Way Services) Popular this month. June 11, 2026 June 18, 2026 June 9, 2026 June 5, 2026 June 4, 2026 June 8, 2026 June 5, 2026 June 8, 2026

Highways News
Jun 24th, 2026
Collaboration, innovation and funding challenges under the spotlight on Highways Voices from the SWARCO User Group.

Collaboration, innovation and funding challenges under the spotlight on Highways Voices from the SWARCO User Group. How can the highways sector deliver innovation faster while navigating tight budgets, procurement hurdles and increasing demands on road networks? That's the question explored in the latest episode of the Highways Voices podcast, recorded at SWARCO's User Group meeting in Coventry last week. Host Paul Hutton is joined by Derek McLean, Head of Product and Solutions at SWARCO, his colleague, SWARCO's Urban Systems Manager Andrea Newman, Richard Ling, Head of Parking and Traffic Management at Cambridgeshire County Council, and Peter Eccleson, Managing Director of smartmicro UK. Together they discuss how the industry's growing focus on collaboration is helping suppliers, local authorities and technology partners tackle common challenges and deliver better outcomes for road users. The panel examines the ongoing difficulties surrounding revenue funding, procurement regulations and asset renewal, while also highlighting opportunities created by emerging technologies. Richard Ling explains how authorities can make the case for investment by focusing on long-term savings, while Peter Eccleson argues that the sector must become quicker at embracing innovations that can improve network management and unlock the value of data. The discussion also explores how suppliers are responding to changing customer expectations. Derek McLean and Andrea Newman describe how SWARCO is working more closely with customers and partners to develop solutions that integrate with existing infrastructure, making it easier for authorities to adopt new technologies without major capital expenditure. Looking ahead, the conversation turns to artificial intelligence, data-driven decision making and the need for an industry-wide approach to innovation. Despite the challenges, all four guests strike an optimistic tone, arguing that stronger collaboration, open communication and a shared focus on solving customer problems are creating plenty of reasons to be positive about the future of highways and traffic management. Listen to the full episode now on Highways Voices. Highways Voices is brought to you with its podcast partners the Transport Technology Forum, LCRIG, ITS UK and ADEPT. (Picture L-R: Paul Hutton, Peter Eccleson, Richard Ling, Andrea Newman, Derek McLean, courtesy SWARCO)

Fuel Cell Systems
Mar 23rd, 2026
Fuel Cell Systems powers first ever fuel cell installation on National Highways network.

Fuel Cell Systems powers first ever fuel cell installation on National Highways network. Fuel Cell Systems, a leading UK-based hydrogen refuelling and fuel cell engineering company, has supported SWARCO UK & Ireland Ltd to install the first fuel cell powered traffic management equipment on the National Highways network. The deployment of the low emission fuel cell technology eliminates the need for polluting forms of reliable off grid power and marks a significant step towards more sustainable transport infrastructure in the UK.

ITS International
Feb 4th, 2026
PTC3 traffic controller gets green light from Swarco

PTC3 traffic controller gets green light from Swarco. Based on the PTC1 series, new controller also features the same physical dimensions Swarco UK & Ireland has launched its PTC3 traffic controller series. Based on the PTC1 Controller, the PTC3 series is TOPAS 2500B-approved and fully compatible with existing configurations, the Austria-headquartered manufacturer says. It is designed to support new adaptive and AI-driven traffic management strategies, such as Swarco ImFlow and Smart AI, which will enable local authorities to use real-time intelligence and data to optimise city-wide traffic flows, rapidly respond to traffic incidents and future-proof their networks. "More than just a traffic controller, the PTC3, which is already being trialled by a number of local authorities throughout the UK, is a platform for the next generation of intelligent mobility," says John Pickworth, MD at Swarco UK & Ireland. "By pairing energy efficiency with data-driven control and resilient design, it empowers local authorities and operators to manage traffic more sustainably, efficiently and intelligently." The PTC3 has been designed with operational efficiency at its core, Swarco insist. The controller provides direct monitoring of ultra-low power LED units (down to 1W), reducing energy consumption, lowering operating costs and expanding equipment life. There is an optional uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to ensure continuous network operation - even during power outages. The PTC3 series also features Swarco's ITC-3 hardware platform, already deployed in more than 50 countries worldwide, and enhanced processing power to allow faster analytics, the firm says. Available in both small and large cabinets, the PTC3 Controller series features the same physical dimensions as the PTC1 series, which means upgrades do not require replacement of the controller plinth.