Technical Laboratory Manager

Avantor; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Avantor is seeking a Technical Laboratory Manager to oversee multiple laboratories in Cambridge, balancing hands-on work with strategic coordination. The role emphasizes health, safety, and compliance across sites with ongoing support for users and teams.

Ideal candidates will have a chemistry background, strong HSE expertise, and experience supporting several labs within a research or pharmaceutical setting, driving continuous improvement and efficient operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree or higher in Chemistry, Chemical Sciences or related field.
• Experience managing or supporting laboratory operations in a scientific setting.
• Strong knowledge of health, safety, risk management and compliance requirements.
• Experience coordinating multiple laboratories and working with diverse stakeholders.
• Hands-on approach with a focus on supporting laboratory users and scientific teams.
• Excellent organisational, communication and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day operation of multiple laboratories across the site.
• Act as main point of contact for laboratory users, providing practical guidance.
• Drive a strong culture of HSE compliance in laboratory spaces.
• Lead laboratory safety activities, risk assessments and corrective actions.
• Coordinate equipment maintenance, servicing, calibration and lifecycle planning.
• Collaborate with scientists, facilities teams, contractors and suppliers to ensure operations run smoothly.
• Deliver laboratory inductions, training and ongoing support to users.
• Manage laboratory consumables and cold storage areas.
• Lead sustainability and continuous improvement initiatives within laboratories.
• Support space planning, utilisation and optimisation projects.

Skills

Lab operations

HSE compliance

Stakeholder management

Hands-on

Communication

Education

Degree in Chemistry or related

Job description

The Opportunity: Technical Laboratory Manager, Cambridge, UK, Permanent

We are looking for a Technical Laboratory Manager to support multiple research laboratories within a dynamic scientific environment in Cambridge.

This is a highly hands‑on role, with approximately 50-60% of your time spent in laboratories working directly with scientists and scientific support services, ensuring facilities, equipment, safety, and laboratory operations run smoothly and efficiently.

We're particularly interested in candidates with a strong chemistry background, excellent health & safety expertise, and previous experience supporting multiple laboratories within a research, pharmaceutical, or scientific setting.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the day‑to‑day operation of multiple laboratories across the site.
• Act as the main point of contact for laboratory users, providing practical support and guidance.
• Drive a strong culture of Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) compliance across laboratory spaces.
• Lead laboratory safety activities, inspections, risk assessments, and corrective actions.
• Coordinate laboratory equipment maintenance, servicing, calibration, and lifecycle planning.
• Partner with scientists, facilities teams, contractors, and suppliers to ensure uninterrupted laboratory operations.
• Deliver laboratory inductions, training, and ongoing support to laboratory users.
• Manage laboratory consumables, cold storage areas, and operational processes.
• Lead sustainability and continuous improvement initiatives within the laboratories.
• Support laboratory space planning, utilisation, and optimisation projects.

What We're Looking For

Essential

• Degree in Chemistry, Chemical Sciences, or a related scientific discipline.
• Previous experience managing or supporting laboratory operations in a scientific environment.
• Strong knowledge of laboratory Health & Safety, risk management, and compliance requirements.
• Experience supporting multiple laboratories and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Hands‑on approach with a genuine interest in working closely with laboratory users and scientific teams.
• Excellent organisational, communication, and problem‑solving skills.

Desirable

• IOSH certification or equivalent Health & Safety qualification.
• Experience within pharmaceutical, biotechnology, research, or life sciences environments.
• Knowledge of equipment qualification processes (IQ/OQ/PQ).
• Experience with continuous improvement or process optimisation initiatives.

Why Avantor?

Dare to go further in your career. Join our global team of 14,000+ associates whose passion for discovery and determination to overcome challenges relentlessly advances life‑changing science. The work we do changes people's lives for the better. It brings new patient treatments and therapies to market, giving a cancer survivor the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle. It enables medical devices that help a little boy hear his mom's voice for the first time. Outcomes such as these create unlimited opportunities for you to contribute your talents, learn new skills and grow your career at Avantor. We are committed to helping you on this journey through our diverse, equitable and inclusive culture which includes learning experiences to support your career growth and success. At Avantor, dare to go further and see how the impact of your contributions set science in motion to create a better world.

EEO Statement

We are an Equal Employment/Affirmative Action employer and VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province, or local law.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case‑by‑case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

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3rd Party Non‑Solicitation Policy

By submitting candidates without having been formally assigned on and contracted for a specific job requisition by Avantor, or by failing to comply with the Avantor recruitment process, you forfeit any fee on the submitted candidates, regardless of your usual terms and conditions. Avantor works with a preferred supplier list and will take the initiative to engage with recruitment agencies based on its needs and will not be accepting any form of solicitation.

Company Profile

Avantor, a Fortune 500 company, is a leading global provider of mission‑critical products and services to customers in the biopharma, healthcare, education & government, and advanced technologies & applied materials industries. Our portfolio is used in virtually every stage of the most important research, development and production activities in the industries we serve. One of our greatest strengths comes from having a global infrastructure that is strategically located to support the needs of our customers. Our global footprint enables us to serve more than 225,000 customer locations and gives us extensive access to research laboratories and scientists in more than 180 countries. We set science in motion to create a better world.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of employees assigned to this position.