Senior Manufacturing Leader – Advanced Materials & NPI

Smart4 Sciences; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Smart4Sciences in Cambridge is seeking a Manufacturing Manager to lead a large, high-value production operation. You will drive safety, quality and operational performance, mentor 50+ staff, and oversee process improvements from R&D through to full production.

You will work closely with R&D, engineering and commercial teams to deliver on ambitious schedules, introduce new products, and optimize capacity while upholding stringent safety standards and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Degree qualified in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or related field.
• Proven leadership of production teams in chemical/materials manufacturing.
• Experience managing KPIs, production planning and OTIF targets.
• Strong problem solving and decision making skills.
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma or continuous improvement.
• Cross-functional collaboration with engineering, maintenance and quality.

Responsibilities

• Lead a manufacturing operation delivering products to schedules and standards.
• Mentor a team of 50+ operators, supervisors and technical staff.
• Own site safety performance and ensure compliance with legislation.
• Develop and execute annual production plans to meet objectives.
• Drive performance across productivity, quality, cost, delivery and inventory.
• Lead Lean/Six Sigma/Kaizen and root-cause analysis efforts.
• Manage quality investigations and corrective actions.
• Support new product introductions and tech transfers to production.
• Collaborate with R&D to support product development and sampling.

Skills

Manufacturing Leadership

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

KPIs & Production Planning

Team Leadership

Safety & EHS

Cross-functional Collaboration

Education

Degree in Chemistry / Chemical Engineering / related

Tools

Minitab

Excel

Job description

Smart4Sciences in Cambridge is seeking a Manufacturing Manager to lead a large, high-value production operation. You will drive safety, quality and operational performance, mentor 50+ staff, and oversee process improvements from R&D through to full production.

You will work closely with R&D, engineering and commercial teams to deliver on ambitious schedules, introduce new products, and optimize capacity while upholding stringent safety standards and regulatory compliance.