When former British Army sergeant Pete Whittenbury walks through the doors of Jaguar Land Rover’s immense Solihull manufacturing plant each morning, he brings with him the same focus and discipline that sustained him through a 24-year military career. He’s not alone.
Across JLR’s UK operations, hundreds of ex-servicemen and women are applying battlefield-honed skills to the business of building vehicles. Jaguar Land Rover has quietly become a standout example of how military veterans can thrive in civilian operations and lean management roles, to the benefit of both the individuals and the company.
From military service to manufacturing leadership
JLR marked the 10th anniversary of signing the Armed Forces Covenant in 2024, having hired an average of 150 veterans each year since 2014. In total, over 1,500 former service personnel have joined the company in the past decade, filling positions from the assembly line to the boardroom. This includes veterans of the British Army, Royal Navy and RAF who have transitioned into civilian roles within the company’s production, logistics, engineering and continuous improvement teams. JLR holds the Ministry of Defence’s employer recognition scheme gold award and maintains a dedicated armed forces engagement programme to mentor and recruit ex-forces talent.
One key initiative has been a bespoke training course called Inspiring Tomorrow’s Workforce: Military Programme. In one six-week pilot, 10 early service leavers from the army were given hands-on exposure to JLR’s manufacturing processes and lean production principles. Every participant successfully secured a job at the Solihull plant’s new production facility on completion of the programme.
“All I have known is the infantry and it’s daunting to find another career in the civilian world,” said 19-year-old former private Michael Connolly. “The course gave me great insight into manufacturing, and I now have the skills and experience I need to work in this industry. I am really excited to have secured a job with Jaguar Land Rover and I hope this will be the start of a new and fulfilling second career.”
Veterans on the shop floor and beyond
Walk into JLR’s manufacturing hubs in Solihull or Halewood and you’ll find ex-forces personnel in a variety of operational roles. Many gravitate to the structured, team-focused environment of the factory floor, where their background in following standard operating procedures and maintaining equipment under pressure serves them well. In 2014 alone, JLR hired over 100 ex-military staff – the majority into its Solihull operations department – and aimed for 150-plus in subsequent years. Today veterans at JLR hold titles ranging from production supervisor and logistics coordinator to senior manager.
Some examples of current roles include:
- A former RAF supply specialist now working as an operational risk manager, drawing on her military logistics experience to anticipate and mitigate risks in JLR’s supply chain
- A major from the Royal Logistics Corps who now serves as a leadership development manager, guiding teams and improving processes
- An ex-infantry NCO from The Rifles now working as a senior customer success lead
- A Royal Navy weapons engineer officer now serving as a platform lead engineer in product development
- A former Royal Tank Regiment captain now working as a virtual vehicle coordinator, orchestrating complex vehicle testing schedules
These veterans often credit JLR’s supportive culture for enabling their success. Pete Whittenbury, the former army sergeant, joined after a full career in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Today, he plays a key role in JLR’s electric vehicle programme, managing environmental testing for new electric Range Rover models.
“It was through one of the careers events that JLR attends that I managed to get my role, and I’ve never looked back,” says Pete. The company, he notes, has embraced his military background and allows him the flexibility to continue serving as an army reservist alongside his engineering job.
“I’ve got the best of both worlds with the added understanding from my employer,” he adds. Having worn the uniform for 24 years, Pete finds familiar purpose in ensuring JLR’s high-tech kit is ready for extreme conditions: “I prepare vehicles for extreme conditions now, just as I prepared my troops and equipment then.”
Military precision meets lean manufacturing
JLR’s veteran hires are more than a feel-good story – they are a strategic asset in the company’s drive for operational excellence. Automotive manufacturing is all about process, precision and continuous improvement – principles that align closely with military training. Every day on a car assembly line involves coordinating teams, adhering to safety protocols, and solving problems in real time to prevent delays. Ex-soldiers, with their ingrained sense of duty and methodical approach, tend to excel in this environment.
According to JLR’s armed forces engagement manager Stephen Lees, veterans often bring exceptional leadership and organisational qualities on top of their technical skills. “As well as the technical skills many service leavers have, we also recognise the exceptional project management, leadership and organisational qualities and unique experience military candidates bring,” he says.
In an operational context, that translates to employees who show up on time, respect safety rules, and take ownership of meeting production targets. These are exactly the traits many employers struggle to find.
Lean manufacturing, in particular, has been a natural fit for many of JLR’s ex-forces staff. Lean is all about eliminating waste and continuously improving processes – something any junior NCO who has had to “do more with less” on deployment can relate to. Veterans are adept at spotting inefficiencies and have the confidence to propose solutions, honed by years of troubleshooting vehicles, supply issues or personnel challenges in the field.
“Ex-military staff have valuable skills that can be directly transferred to the automotive industry,” says Alan Volkaerts, JLR’s operations director at Solihull. “By working with ex-military staff and helping them strengthen their employability skills and relevant work experience, we can make a positive contribution to society as well as increase the talent pool for our growing business.”
A covenant of support and shared values
JLR’s success with veteran employees is the product of deliberate policy and a culture that values service. Since first signing the Armed Forces Covenant in 2014, the company has continually renewed and strengthened its pledge. It has also established an internal armed forces community network to ensure new veteran hires find camaraderie and mentorship from those who’ve gone before.
The company’s HR policies include an additional two weeks of paid leave for reservists to attend annual training or deployments, ensuring no one has to choose between serving their country and keeping their civilian job. JLR also works closely with the Career Transition Partnership and service charities like Mission Motorsport to identify and train promising service leavers for roles in the automotive sector.
JLR regularly sends recruiting teams to military career fairs and insight days, translating military skills into language hiring managers can understand. In the past year alone, the company engaged with over 500 service leavers and hired 180 of them into roles across the business.
For soldiers in their resettlement phase, Jaguar Land Rover’s example offers a hopeful message. Operational and lean management roles may not grab headlines, but they’re critical to keeping the UK’s biggest manufacturers running – and they are eminently attainable for ex-forces personnel.
The army teaches you to lead people, maintain equipment, follow process and adapt under pressure. JLR and companies like it need those capabilities on their factory floors and in their distribution centres. With veteran-friendly employers actively seeking military talent, initiatives like the Armed Forces Covenant in place, and training pathways for qualifications like Six Sigma or NEBOSH widely available, the transition from uniform to industry is smoother than ever.
As JLR’s experience shows, when veterans swap camo overalls for JLR coveralls, it’s a win-win. The individuals find a new mission and steady employment with prospects for advancement, while the company gains resilient, loyal team members dedicated to continuous improvement.
“We aim to be an employer of choice for military leavers,” says Alan Volkaerts. “Ex-military staff bring skills that can directly be transferred to our industry.” From the barracks to the production line, Britain’s veterans are proving to be just the right calibre to drive operational excellence in the civilian sector – and Jaguar Land Rover’s roaring production output is living proof.
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