6:24 am, July 31, 2026
Jaguar Land Rover is said to be preparing to cut hundreds of jobs as the British car maker continues to reshape its business following last year’s damaging cyber attack.
JLR has launched what it described as a ‘limited redeployment and displacement programme’, with fewer than 300 employees expected to leave the company, the BBC reported.
The changes are understood to affect salaried and management roles rather than production-line workers.
In a statement issued to the broadcaster, JLR said: ‘Impacted colleagues will be supported to find alternative roles wherever possible, alongside the option of voluntary early exit.’
The car maker added: ‘As we evolve our operating model to accelerate the growth of our house of brands and deliver our next-generation vehicles, we are transforming our business to improve decision-making and performance.
‘As part of our ongoing transformation initiatives, we have launched a limited redeployment and displacement programme.’
JLR employs around 30,000 people in the UK, with its global headquarters at Whitley and manufacturing operations in Solihull, Wolverhampton and Halewood.
The cuts come less than a year after a major cyber attack forced JLR to halt manufacturing for several weeks, bringing production across its UK factories to a standstill.
The disruption contributed to a 27% fall in production, while the overall cost of the attack and subsequent manufacturing shutdown has been estimated at £1.9bn.
JLR said in June that it planned to remove around £1.7bn of costs from the business over the coming years, with savings expected to come from areas including materials, warranty expenditure and fixed costs.
Mangement changes
It comes as JLR also reshuffles its senior UK leadership team ahead of several major model launches and the continued ‘reinvention of Jaguar’.
Patrick McGillycuddy is stepping down as managing director of JLR UK to become global managing director of Defender.
He will be replaced by Cian O’Brien (above), currently JLR UK’s market and business operations director, who will take charge of the company’s relationship with its UK retail network during what JLR described as a ‘pivotal period’.
O’Brien previously held senior roles within Volkswagen Group, including managing director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles UK and chief operating officer of Audi of America.
He will oversee the UK business as JLR prepares to launch new Range Rover Electric products and reveal Jaguar’s Type 01 later this year.
O’Brien said: ‘I am honoured to succeed Patrick and build on the strong foundations he has established.
‘The UK remains a critically important market for JLR, and we have a tremendous opportunity ahead of us.
‘With exciting new Range Rover products coming to market and the continued evolution of Jaguar, this is a defining moment for our business. Working closely with our teams and retail partners, I look forward to taking JLR UK from strength to strength and continuing to deliver exceptional experiences for our clients.’
McGillycuddy said: ‘It has been a privilege to have held this role over the past three years and to lead a business, our Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar brands and wider retail network that I care deeply about.
‘Together, with our partners we have navigated significant headwinds and changing market conditions, and I am incredibly proud of the way our teams across the network have pulled together to deliver for our exceptional brands and clients.
‘The strength, resilience and commitment shown across the business has positioned JLR UK strongly for the future, and I look forward to seeing the organisation continue to thrive under Cian’s leadership.’
Mark Cameron, the current global managing director of Defender, has meanwhile been appointed chief executive of JLR’s North American business in a newly created role.