Head of Systems Engineering

Cellular Origins; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A biotechnology company in Cambridge seeks a Head of Systems Engineering to define processes and lead systems development. You will bridge executive strategies and practical implementation, ensuring integration of complex systems while meeting customer needs. Ideal candidates have a background in factory automation and strong leadership skills. The role offers comprehensive benefits including an annual bonus and private medical insurance.

Benefits

Annual profit-related bonus

25 days holiday

10% employer pension contribution

Free lunch and refreshments

Private medical insurance for employees and dependants

Enhanced family leave policies

Life insurance (6x salary)

Electric car leasing scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Season ticket loan

Community and activity funds for social activities

Discounts for local sports and entertainment facilities

Qualifications

• Experienced, collaborative systems leader.
• Understanding of complex, multidisciplinary systems.
• Strong influencing skills to inspire teams.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement systems engineering strategy.
• Lead development of the systems engineering team.
• Integrate customer needs and regulatory requirements.

Skills

Systems engineering lifecycle experience

Leadership and team management

Stakeholder engagement

Collaboration across disciplines

Job description

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As Head of Systems Engineering at Cellular Origins, you’ll be an integral part of our senior leadership team. Reporting to our CTO and collaborating closely with our executive leadership team, development teams, and customers, you'll be the crucial link between our vision and its realization. You’ll be responsible for defining Cellular Origins’ processes for systems engineering at the company level and leading the development of its system definition.

This role is pivotal in ensuring the development of our scalable manufacturing system meets customer and Cellular Origins’ goals. You’ll ensure the seamless integration of complex subsystems and deliver on ambitious project timelines, providing robust and efficiently managed technical solutions.

Responsibilities

You’ll demonstrate strategic leadership by defining and implementing a comprehensive systems engineering strategy aligned with Cellular Origins’ business objectives and platform roadmap. This strategy will integrate customer and regulatory requirements with our modular architecture to deliver tailored solutions that scale cell therapy processes for our customers.

You’ll lead and develop the systems engineering team in systems definition, requirements engineering, system architecture, and managing modular interfaces.

Working closely with cross-functional departments—including hardware, software, robotics, and quality—you’ll make trade-offs across disciplines to meet system and company goals while ensuring regulatory compliance.

You’ll maintain a customer-focused approach by understanding and addressing their needs, translating user requirements into scalable automation platforms, managing expectations, and aligning with business goals. You’ll participate in verification tests and strategies to ensure requirements are met, proactively managing technical risks associated with system development and deployment.

Qualifications

You should be an experienced, collaborative systems leader with a deep understanding of systems engineering and the development of complex, multidisciplinary systems with modular architectures, especially in factory or pharmaceutical automation.

You’ll possess strong influencing skills, capable of inspiring diverse teams to excel, and effectively engaging stakeholders to ensure project success.

• Experience across the entire systems engineering lifecycle, ideally within factory automation or pharmaceutical settings.
• Experience delivering factory automation systems from requirements to site acceptance and customer validation.
• Expertise in systems engineering, with a thorough understanding of mechanical, electrical, software, and automation systems, preferably with cross-disciplinary experience impacting biology, chemistry, or related fields.
• Experience creating technical documentation for regulated industries such as GMP.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with a track record of developing high-performing teams.

Additional Information

Cellular Origins is part of TTP Group, an employee-owned business located on the TTP Campus near Cambridge, with sustainable offices and labs. TTP Group has over 20 years of leadership in bioprocess automation, fostering a culture of entrepreneurship, collaboration, and innovation.

Our benefits include:

• Annual profit-related bonus
• 25 days holiday
• 10% employer pension contribution
• Free lunch and refreshments
• Private medical insurance for employees and dependants
• Enhanced family leave policies
• Life insurance (6x salary)
• Electric car leasing scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Season ticket loan
• Community and activity funds for social activities
• Discounts for local sports and entertainment facilities