Head of Technical Services – UK

Jobtailor; Reading; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor seeks an experienced Engineering Operations Leader in the UK to drive the Technical Services team and ensure safe, efficient operation of cryogenic labs, workshops and machining facilities in Reading. You will steward maintenance, budgets and cross-functional projects, reporting to senior stakeholders.

You will lead complex initiatives, optimise supplier relationships and align milestones with the Operations roadmap while delivering clear accountability across teams.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading engineering or operational teams in manufacturing, engineering or scientific settings.
• Proven project leadership in complex technical or operational environments.
• Experience managing external partners and assessing supplier value for money.
• Strong operational reporting and presentation skills, including communication with senior leaders and technical teams.
• Solid budgetary control, forecasting and delivery management abilities.
• Excellent stakeholder, supplier and relationship management with cross-organisational influence.
• Pragmatic leadership style focused on clear priorities and team motivation.
• Degree or equivalent in Engineering or Manufacturing discipline.
• Experience forecasting and managing annual operational budgets (£2m–£6m range is a nice-to-have).
• Lean management and risk management familiarity would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop and motivate the Technical Services team, including technicians, machinists and supervisors.
• Own safe, reliable operation of UK technical spaces including cryogenic labs, assembly workshops and machining facilities.
• Oversee maintenance schedules, internal work orders and performance with reporting metrics.
• Manage external supplier relationships, assessing value for money and partnering with Supply Chain, Purchasing and Legal on contracts.
• Lead cross-functional projects and improvement initiatives.
• Manage technical space expenditure, longer-term budgets and delivery timelines.
• Report clearly to senior stakeholders.
• Execute Engineering Operations roadmap priorities and ensure accountability through delivery.

Skills

Engineering Leadership

Project Leadership

Supplier Management

Operational Reporting

Budget Control

Stakeholder Management

Leadership with Pragmatism

Degree in Engineering

Budget Forecasting

Lean Management

Education

Engineering degree or equivalent

Tools

Lean Management

Risk Management

Project Forecasting

Job description

• Lead, develop and motivate the Technical Services team, including technicians, machinists and supervisors
• Own the safe, reliable and effective operation of OQC's UK technical spaces, including cryogenic laboratories, assembly workshops and machining facilities
• Oversee maintenance schedules, internal work orders and operational performance using reporting and metrics
• Manage external supplier relationships, assessing value for money and partnering with Supply Chain, Purchasing and Legal on contracts and services
• Lead cross-functional projects and improvement initiatives
• Manage technical space expenditure, longer‑term budget forecasts and delivery timelines
• Report clearly to senior stakeholders
• Execute Engineering Operations roadmap priorities, align stakeholders around milestones and ensure accountability through delivery

Requirements

• Significant experience leading engineering or operational teams within a manufacturing, engineering or scientific environment
• Proven project leadership experience within complex technical or operational environments
• Experience managing external partners and assessing supplier performance and value for money
• Strong operational reporting and presentation capability, including communicating effectively with senior leaders, customers and technical teams
• Strong budgetary control, project forecasting and delivery management skills
• Excellent stakeholder, supplier and relationship management capability, with the confidence to influence across organisational boundaries
• Pragmatic leadership style, with the ability to turn complex objectives into clear priorities, motivate teams and escal…
• Degree or equivalent experience in an Engineering or Manufacturing discipline
• Experience forecasting and managing significant annual operational budgets, particularly in the region of £2m–£6m (nice-to-have)
• Experience applying Lean management and risk management methodologies (nice-to-have)
• Strong negotiation and mediation skills (nice-to-have)
• Leadership qualification or training (nice-to-have)
• Health & Safety qualification or training (nice-to-have)

Core Competencies

Demonstrates strong leadership in managing engineering and operational teams within manufacturing or scientific environments, with a focus on budget management, stakeholder communication, and project delivery. Proficient in operational reporting, supplier relationship management, and applying Lean methodologies to drive improvements.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Engineering Team Leadership
• Operational Reporting
• Budget Management
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Project Leadership

Hard Skills

• Project Forecasting
• Lean Management
• Risk Management
• Budget Control
• Technical Space Management

Soft Skills

• Stakeholder Management
• Negotiation Skills
• Mediation Skills
• Motivational Leadership
• Effective Communication

Certifications & Qualifications

• Health & Safety Qualification
• Leadership Qualification

Industry Keywords

• Manufacturing Environment
• Engineering Environment
• Scientific Environment
• Operational Performance
• Cross-Functional Projects