Engineering Capability Lead - Carbon Fibre Pilot Line (Northwich)

National Composites Centre; Northwich; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Pension contribution up to 12.5%

Honorary staff status at University of

Bristol

Job summary

National Composites Centre is seeking an Engineering Capability Lead to oversee a carbon fibre pilot line in Northwich. The role focuses on day-to-day leadership of engineers and technicians, coordinating resources, and delivering safe, high-quality experimental programmes.

You will drive planning, scheduling and technical understanding to operate credibly within a carbon fibre R&D environment, with on-site responsibility and limited hybrid flexibility.

Qualifications

• Degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering or related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• Proven experience in pilot plant, chemical processing, materials science or laboratory-based research.
• Demonstrable experience of supervising, coordinating or line managing engineers, technicians or other technical personnel.
• Experience of planning and scheduling technical work involving multiple people, activities and competing priorities.
• Ability to understand and develop technical requirements, experimental plans, operating procedures and engineering documentation without supervision.
• Experience of working within formal health, safety and environmental requirements e.g. risk assessment, safe systems of work and control of hazards in an engineering environment.
• Willingness to promote a positive safety culture and ensure lessons from incidents, near misses and experimental activities are acted upon.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day operational leadership, coordination and work scheduling for a multidisciplinary team of engineers and technicians undertaking R&D activities on a new carbon fibre pilot line.
• Ensure that people, equipment and technical resources are effectively coordinated to deliver safe, efficient and high-quality experimental programmes.
• Lead the development of carbon fibre pilot line strategies and oversee execution to meet milestones and safety standards.

Skills

Pilot plant experience

Team leadership

Scheduling capability

Technical documentation

Safety compliance

Education

Degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering or related discipline

Job description

Engineering Capability lead - Carbon Fibre Pilot Line

Northwich based - predominantly on site with limited hybrid working.

Location - co-located at Cygnet Texkimp, Northwich, CW96GG

Salary: £58,341 - £73,057 per annum experience dependent, plus up to 12.5% employer pension contribution and private medical insurance.

Help build the future of UK carbon fibre capability

This is a rare opportunity to lead the development of a new carbon fibre pilot line and play a key role in strengthening the UK's capability in advanced materials manufacturing. Joining NCC at an exciting stage of growth, you will help establish a nationally significant facility from the ground up, leading a specialist multidisciplinary team and shaping the technologies, processes and people that will drive future innovation.

Role purpose

To provide day-to-day operational leadership, coordination and work scheduling for a multidisciplinary team of engineers and technicians undertaking research and development activities on a new carbon fibre pilot line.

You will be responsible for ensuring that people, equipment and technical resources are effectively coordinated to deliver safe, efficient and high-quality experimental programmes.

Knowledge and Skills Requirements

• Degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering or related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• Proven experience in pilot plant, chemical processing, materials science or laboratory-based research.
• Demonstrable experience of supervising, coordinating or line managing engineers, technicians or other technical personnel.
• Experience of planning and scheduling technical work involving multiple people, activities and competing priorities.
• Ability to understand and develop technical requirements, experimental plans, operating procedures and engineering documentation without supervision.
• Experience of working within formal health, safety and environmental requirements e.g. risk assessment, safe systems of work and control of hazards in an engineering environment.
• Willingness to promote a positive safety culture and ensure lessons from incidents, near misses and experimental activities are acted upon. Ability to recognise unsafe conditions and intervene when necessary.

The ideal candidate will combine strong people leadership and practical scheduling capability with sufficient engineering and technical understanding to operate credibly within a carbon fibre R&D environment You do not necessarily need to be the deepest technical specialist in every aspect of carbon fibre manufacture; however you must be able to understand the work, challenge constructively, allocate resources intelligently and ensure that the team can safely and effectively deliver the pilot-line programme.

Please see the attached job description for more details.

Closing date for applications

23:59 on Thursday 17th September.

Please don't wait for the closing deadline if you are interested in this role as we retain the right to close the applications process early depending on the volume of candidates applying.

What we offer in return

Annual salary reviews, company paid private medical insurance, up to 12.5% employer pension contribution, great people, honorary staff status at the University of Bristol. With a genuine focus on wellbeing, EDI and learning and development this is a chance to continue to build your career in a thriving R&D facility with a bright future.