Automation Project Manager

Story Terrace Inc.; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

SAVA is building advanced biosensing technology to access bodily information in real time, with a mission to deliver affordable health insights. The Automation Project Manager will own end-to-end delivery of automation equipment for scaling from pilot to full commercial production, coordinating multi-vendor and multi-workstream activities on-site and off-site.

You will lead planning, supplier communications, risk mitigation, and cross-functional collaboration to keep the production line on

Qualifications

• Engineering background in automation or mechanical engineering.
• Experience as a project manager for automation projects.
• Strong coordination and planning skills with ability to identify dependencies and risks.
• Strong communication skills.
• Resilience in the face of complex challenges and commitment to seeing tasks through.

Responsibilities

• Plan and sequence all automation projects.
• Manage external vendors and ensure timely design, ordering and installation.
• Coordinate internally with stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
• Maintain big-picture view including capacity ramp-up and pilot-to-production transitions.

Skills

Automation

Project management

Vendor management

Planning & scheduling

Communication

Job description

About SAVA

All the health information we need is within us. Just below the skin. SAVA is redefining the way people interact with their health by developing the most advanced biosensing technology science has to offer, capable of accessing bodily information in a painless, real-time and affordable way.

The Role

We're building our manufacturing capacity from pilot-scale to full commercial production. The Automation Project Manager will be instrumental in ensuring we get the critical equipment we need, when we need it, owning the end to end process through design, quoting, ordering, and installation, across both on-site and off-site execution.

This is a delivery-focused role for someone who can hold a complex, multi-vendor, multi-workstream programme in their head: knowing what needs to happen when, who owns it, where the risks sit, and what has to move next to keep the line on schedule.

What You’ll Do

Plan and sequence all automation projects

• Develop a comprehensive, real-time overview of all automation projects, clearly mapping out equipment status, design progress, and critical timelines.
• Work backwards from critical company milestones to determine when each piece of new equipment needs to be designed, ordered, and installed.
• Identify and aggressively track project blockers, developing mitigation strategies to keep initiatives moving forward.

Manage external vendors

• Build a strong relationship with external vendors ensuring strong communication of risks and blockers.
• Proactively manage vendor timelines and deliverables to prevent delays.

Coordinate internally

• Lead internal alignment meetings, chasing actions and identifying risks internally.
• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with internal teams, particularly AutoEQ.
• Clearly and concisely communicate project status, risks, and needs to stakeholders across the organization.

Manage the bigger picture

• Support strategic decision making including capacity ramp up plan and where to duplicate or redesign equipment to move from pilot to commercial volumes.

What We’re Looking For

• An engineering background, ideally in automation or mechanical engineering.
• Experience as a project manager for automation projects.
• Strong coordination and planning skills, with a natural ability to see dependencies and risks before they become problems.
• Strong communication skills
• Resilience in the face of complex challenges and a commitment to seeing tasks through.

Bonus Points For

• Experience managing external vendors and equipment suppliers.
• Experience ramping production from pilot to fully commercial automated manufacturing.

• PMP/Prince 2 certification.

Why Sava

This is a high-ownership, high-responsibility role in a company that’s building something complex, meaningful, and fast. The expectations are high, the learning curve is steep, and the work is often messy, but the impact is real. You can directly shape how a novel medical device reaches people.

We don't have room for egos or passengers. What we do have is a team of thoughtful, driven, and mission-aligned people committed to building something better and doing it with urgency and integrity.