Hartley People

Manufacturing Recruitment

Manufacturing Recruitment Ireland, Built Around Your Plant | Hartley People

Manufacturing Recruitment

Manufacturing Hiring, Built Around Your Operation

Hartley People recruiters meeting around a table in the Waterford office

The right manufacturing hire can lift output, protect quality and keep every shift running to plan. The wrong hire can cost you downtime, scrap and team trust.

Hartley People partners with manufacturers across Ireland to recruit production, operations and technical professionals who fit the role, the site and the way your operation runs.

  • Production Managers
  • Operations Managers
  • Shift Managers
  • Maintenance Technicians
  • Plant Managers
25+
Years recruiting in Irish manufacturing
50+
Professionals across our team
150,000+
Strong candidate network
32
Counties covered nationwide

Manufacturing Recruitment Expertise

Manufacturing roles can look similar on paper while requiring very different people.

Batch vs. high-volume

A supervisor running high-speed, high-volume lines needs a different skill set from one managing batch production in a regulated cleanroom.

Technical vs. people-led

Keeping equipment running requires a different profile from leading forty operators across a shift.

Leadership & strategy

Recruiting a Plant Manager requires us to understand safety, cost, capacity, people and site performance as much as production know-how.

We recruit across:

Across every major manufacturing sector and at every level of seniority.

Talk to a Manufacturing Specialist

Our Manufacturing Team

You're hiring a service delivered by people. Meet the recruiters who could be working your search.

Recruiting for Lean, Automated Production

As Irish manufacturers invest in automation, data and lean ways of working, the people running the floor need more than production experience. We understand the language of modern manufacturing — OEE and downtime, 5S and standard work, Kaizen and root-cause problem solving, MES and ERP systems.

Two Hartley People colleagues smiling during a meeting at a white table in a glass-walled office
  • Supervisors & Team Leaders

  • Production Managers

  • Shift Managers

  • Maintenance Technicians

  • Lean & CI Specialists

  • Quality Engineers & Managers

  • Plant Managers / Site Leaders

Our 3E Approach

Our manufacturing recruitment model is built around three principles that guide every search we run.

Hartley People consultants in the Waterford office

Experience

For over 25 years, Hartley People has recruited for businesses across Ireland — giving us an understanding of different industries, production environments and the people behind high-performing operations.

Hartley People and Burton Sinclair consultants in the Waterford boardroom

Expertise

Our team of 50+ professionals is supported by 2 dedicated Strategic Sourcing Specialists, combining recruitment expertise, manufacturing market knowledge and an advanced suite of sourcing technology.

Hartley People consultants in an open client conversation

Ethics

A successful manufacturing hire needs to work for both sides. We represent your site, shift pattern and expectations accurately and assess candidate motivation carefully, so candidates know exactly what they're joining.

The Right Manufacturing Hire May Not Be Applying

Experienced manufacturing professionals are usually already employed, trusted with a line, a shift or a site, and rarely browsing job boards. Waiting for them to apply is not enough. Our search can combine:

150,000+ Candidate network
  • Direct candidate sourcing
  • Passive candidate engagement
  • LinkedIn Recruiter
  • Advanced sourcing technology
  • Market mapping
  • Referral networks
  • Targeted advertising & leading job boards

Our two Strategic Sourcing Specialists work alongside our recruiters to identify relevant professionals and create routes into candidate markets beyond traditional job advertising.

We Look Beyond the CV

Manufacturing performance needs context. When assessing a candidate, we want to understand:

What environments have they worked in?

How have they led people on the floor?

Which KPIs have they owned?

What technical capability do they bring?

What lean or CI tools have they applied?

How do they approach safety and quality?

How reliable is their track record?

Which systems have they used?

How do they solve problems?

Why are they considering their next move?

This helps your hiring team spend time interviewing candidates with genuine relevance to your operational requirement.

Talk to a Manufacturing Specialist

Every Manufacturing Search Is Different

You might need someone to:

We don’t start with a standard search. We start with what you need the person to achieve — and build the recruitment approach from there.

  1. Run a production line or shift
  2. Lead day-to-day operations
  3. Keep equipment running
  4. Raise quality and drive CI
  5. Plan production to demand
  6. Lead your plant or site
  7. Fill a hard-to-fill operational role

Your Manufacturing Team, Supported by Ours

Three Hartley People colleagues seated in armchairs around a round glass coffee table in the office
Pierre Fetat Damien McCleane Fergal Hartley

With offices in Dublin and Waterford, Hartley People supports businesses recruiting manufacturing talent across Ireland.

  • Dublin
  • Waterford

You understand your products, processes and production targets. We understand how to search, engage and qualify the people who can help you achieve them.

— The Hartley People Manufacturing Team

Manufacturing Recruitment Questions, Answered

A few of the questions employers ask us most often about hiring manufacturing talent in Ireland.

What manufacturing roles do you recruit for?

We recruit across production, operations, maintenance, quality, continuous improvement and planning — from Team Leaders, Supervisors and Maintenance Technicians through to Production Managers, Operations Managers, Plant Managers and Site Leaders. We cover pharma, medtech, food and drink, and general manufacturing.

Do you recruit for manufacturing roles outside Dublin?

Yes. With offices in Waterford and Dublin, we recruit manufacturing talent across Ireland, not just in the capital — including regional plants, shift-based roles and multi-site positions.

How do you find manufacturing candidates who aren't job hunting?

Most experienced production and operations people are already employed and keeping a line or site running, so we don't rely on job ads alone. Our two Strategic Sourcing Specialists use direct sourcing, LinkedIn Recruiter, market mapping and our 150,000+ candidate network to reach passive candidates who fit your specific requirement.

How do you assess a manufacturing candidate beyond their CV?

We look at the production environments they've worked in, the KPIs they've owned, their safety and quality record, their lean or CI exposure and how they lead people on the floor — not just job titles. This helps your hiring team spend time only with candidates who have genuine relevance to your operational requirement.

Can you recruit for shift-based and regulated sites?

Yes. We recruit Shift Managers, Supervisors, Team Leaders and Maintenance Technicians for days, two-shift, 24/7 and continental rosters — and for sites working to GMP, ISO 9001, ISO 13485, BRCGS or HACCP standards.

How long does a manufacturing recruitment search take?

It depends on the seniority of the role and how niche the requirement is — a Production Supervisor search moves faster than a Plant Manager search requiring specific regulated-site experience. We'll give you a realistic timeline once we understand what you need the hire to achieve.

What does it cost to use Hartley People for manufacturing recruitment?

Fees depend on the seniority and complexity of the role. Get in touch and we'll talk you through pricing for your specific requirement — no obligation.

Who Does Your Manufacturing Operation Need Next?

Tell us about the role and what you need that person to deliver. We'll talk you through the market, the search and how we can support your hiring team.

  • 25+ years recruiting manufacturing talent in Ireland
  • Access to a 150,000+ candidate network, active and passive
  • A search built around what your hire needs to achieve

Request More Information

Fill in a few details and a member of our manufacturing recruitment team will be in touch.

We'll only use your details to respond to your enquiry. No spam, ever.

Talk to a Manufacturing Specialist
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