Head of Operations

University of Glasgow; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 59,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in Scotland is seeking a Head of Operations for the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre. This pivotal role ensures effective, sustainable operations, leads financial management, and fosters a high-performance culture in a cutting-edge research environment. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership skills, a background in operations management, and the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse partners. This position is full-time and permanent, offering competitive salary within the range of £59,966 - £67,468 annually.

Qualifications

• Experience in managing operations in a research or technical environment.
• Ability to foster a high-performance culture.
• Proven track record of effective collaboration with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Ensure effective and sustainable operations of the JWNC.
• Lead business planning and financial management efforts.
• Foster partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

Strong leadership

People management

Financial management

Business planning

Operational systems knowledge

Job description

College of Science & Engineering

James Watt School of Engineering

Head of Operations

Vacancy Reference: 190353

Salary: Grade 9, £59,966 - £67,468 per annum.

The James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (JWNC) conducts fundamental, applied, and commercial research, driving development, prototyping, and pilot production using advanced nanofabrication techniques. The Centre collaborates with over 90 national and international universities and research institutes and partners across 28 countries. Its key capabilities include plasma processing, electron beam lithography, photolithography, thin film deposition, and metrology.

The University of Glasgow has over 45 years’ experience of delivering micro- and nano-fabrication (and in particular electron-beam lithography) to develop solutions in processing, nanotechnology, nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, mm-wave & terahertz, bioengineering, biotechnology, lab-on-a-chip, cleantech & energy, photovoltaics, security & defence and a host of other applications.

The JWNC presently has over £70+M of active research grants undertaking micro- and nano-fabrication. The Centre works closely with the University’s wholly owned subsidiary, Kelvin Nanotechnology Ltd (KNT). KNT provides commercial access to the Centre’s facilities and expertise for industry, governments, institutes and other universities. KNT has worked with more than 250 companies from 20 countries since its inception in 1998.

In this role, the Head of Operations ensures the effective, sustainable and strategically aligned operation of the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (JWNC), enabling world‑class research and innovation. This role leads business planning, financial management, facilities operation and infrastructure development to optimise facility performance and support long‑term growth.

Through strong leadership and people management, the postholder fosters a high‑performance culture, identifies opportunities for commercialisation and strategic advancement and builds effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders. Working closely with the Head of Engineering and Process, the successful candidate will ensure the JWNC is a safe, efficient and innovative environment, underpinned by robust operational systems and resources that support the Centre’s technical and research excellence.

For informal enquiries please contact Martin Weides Professor of Quantum Technologies in the first instance on [e-mail].

This post is full time (35 hours per week) and is offered on an open ended (permanent) basis.