Laboratory Team Lead

Elix Sourcing Solutions; Exeter; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

21 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays

Healthcare Package

Life Assurance

Job summary

Elix Sourcing Solutions is seeking a Laboratory Team Lead in Exeter to manage and mentor a dedicated lab team. You will balance people leadership with hands-on delivery, ensuring testing schedules are met and acting as a technical focal point.

The role requires a degree in a relevant field and strong experience in non-metallic materials testing, with composites preferred. The position is based on-site in Exeter, with a focus on maintaining high standards and timely project completion.

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified in Materials Science, Aerospace, Mechanical, or Manufacturing Engineering (or equivalent industrial experience).
• Proven people management or team-leading experience.
• Strong background in non-metallic materials testing, with composite materials experience preferred.
• Planning and organization skills; comfortable coordinating changing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Provide full line management for engineers and technicians, including PDRs, objective setting, and performance tracking.
• Plan, schedule, and allocate daily testing workloads across static, fatigue, and thermal analysis equipment to meet project timescales.
• Support team members with technical problem-solving on complex or difficult non-metallic and composite testing activities.
• Ensure testing activities comply with international quality and testing standards (BS EN ISO, ASTM).
• Oversee accuracy in test data collection, failure analysis, and client report delivery.
• Drive team engagement, development, and high standards across the laboratory.

Skills

Leadership Experience

Planning & Organization

Materials Testing

Education

Degree in Materials Science / Aerospace / Mechanical / Manufacturing Engineering

Job description

Laboratory Team Lead

Exeter

£40,000-£50,000

Monday - Friday days

21 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays

Healthcare Package

Life Assurance

The Role & Team Impact

You will lead, mentor, and organize a dedicated team within a fast-paced laboratory environment. Balancing people management with operational delivery, you will ensure test schedules are met while acting as a key technical focal point for the team.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Provide full line management for engineers and technicians, including PDRs, objective setting, and performance tracking.
• Plan, schedule, and allocate daily testing workloads across static, fatigue, and thermal analysis equipment to ensure project timescales are met.
• Support team members with technical problem-solving on complex or difficult non-metallic and composite testing activities.
• Ensure all testing activities comply with international quality and testing standards (BS EN ISO, ASTM).
• Oversee accuracy in test data collection, failure analysis, and client report delivery.
• Drive team engagement, development, and high standards across the laboratory.

What We're Looking For

• Technical Qualification (Essential): Degree qualified (minimum) in Materials Science, Aerospace, Mechanical, or Manufacturing Engineering (or equivalent industrial experience).
• Leadership Experience: Demonstrable people management, supervisory, or team leading experience with a genuine passion for leading and developing people (deputising or supervisory experience considered).
• Materials Expertise: Strong background in non-metallic materials testing, with experience in composite materials strongly preferred.
• Planning & Organization: Proven capability to plan workloads, coordinate technical projects, and handle changing operational priorities.
• Location: Must live within a reasonable commute of Honiton, Devon.

Please be aware that we will only accept applications from candidates that have a valid work permit to work in the UK. By applying to this job you are confirming that you do not hold a criminal record and that you know of no legal reason why you would be ineligible for employment.