Technical Operations / Production Manager – Materials Science

Mase Consulting Ltd; Leeds; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Pension

Open to discussion on benefits

Autonomy and influence

Job summary

Mase Consulting Ltd is seeking a Technical Operations / Production Manager for a materials science/analytical instruments environment in the UK. The role combines hands-on technical leadership with strategic process improvement, driving production control, traceability and cross‑department collaboration.

You will lead a small team of engineers and technicians, own production planning and lead root-cause investigations, while shaping scalable manufacturing processes for future growth.

Qualifications

• Senior hands-on post with related technology experience.
• Experience in analytical instrument field (e.g., spectroscopy, microscopy, deposition).
• Ability to lead small teams and coordinate across departments.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate a team of technical experts across diagnosis, build control, testing and release.
• Own production planning, scheduling and capacity planning for efficient delivery.
• Improve traceability, documentation, and build records.
• Drive production performance, quality and on-time delivery.
• Develop SOPs and scalable manufacturing systems.

Skills

Production management

Process improvement

Root cause analysis

Cross-functional communication

Documentation and SOPs

Education

Physics degree

Job description

Technical Operations / Production Manager - Materials Science

Do you have proven success and knowledge within the materials science sector and thrive in a hands-on role where you can work alongside engineers and technicians to improve processes, solve problems, and help deliver world-class specialist products?

If so, this could be the opportunity you’ve been looking for.

My client is receptive to individuals from both industry and academia should they hold a senior hands-on post and possess the related technology experience.

Why This Company?

This company is a specialist manufacturer operating within the scientific instrumentation sector, producing technically advanced products for a global customer base. Its work demands precision, technical expertise, strong process discipline, and an unwavering commitment to quality.

Following continued growth, the business is looking to strengthen its operational structure by appointing a hands-on Technical Operations / Production Manager who can improve production control, enhance communication across departments, and help build scalable systems that support future success.

• £60K - £90K Basic (starting salary depends on experience)
• Bonus
• Pension
• Overall package and benefits open to discussion
• A varied, hands-on role with genuine autonomy and influence
• Opportunity to shape production processes and drive continuous improvement

About The Role

As a Technical Operations / Production Manager you will be responsible for:

• Leading and coordinating a small team of technical experts operating across technical diagnosis, build control, inspection, testing, conditioning, failure analysis, documentation and release.
• Leading operations and production activities taking ownership of production issues.
• Improving:
• Production planning, scheduling and prioritisation to ensure efficient delivery.
• Traceability across parts, assemblies, testing and final product release.
• Documentation and build records.
• Realistic lead times and capacity plans.
• Repeatability and yield.
• Increasing visibility of work-in-progress and improve communication between production, engineering and management teams.
• Driving accountability for production performance, quality and delivery.
• Introducing and strengthening production systems, documentation and controlled processes.
• Leading root cause investigations and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Developing and maintaining SOPs, work instructions and build documentation.
• Helping create a scalable manufacturing environment capable of supporting future business growth

About You

You’ll be a technically credible individual who has operated at a senior level. You are likely to have come from an education within a physics discipline and enjoys being close to the manufacturing and technology.

You will be:

• A natural problem solver with a logical approach to tackling technical and operational challenges.
• Experienced within the analytical instrument field within areas such as thin film deposition, microscopy, spectroscopy, particle acceleration or affiliated
• Calm, practical, organised and confident working with experienced engineers and technicians as well as the senior leadership team.
• A process improver, introducing structure and helping specialist teams deliver consistently high standards.

My client is receptive to individuals from both industry and academia should they hold a senior hands-on post and possess the related technology experience.

Job Ref: 169-0631-LI

Technical Operations / Production Manager - Materials Science / Analytical Instruments

Location: Must be based in Yorkshire or willing to relocate to the area

Keywords: Technical Manager, Operations Manager, Production Manager, Manufacturing Manager, Scientific Instrumentation, Analytical Instrumentation, Vacuum Technology, Spectroscopy, Spectrometry, Mass Spectrometry, FTIR, FIB, Raman Spectroscopy, Thermal Analysis, Particle Characterisation, Texture Analysis, Surface Analysis, Materials Testing, Uv-Vis, NIR, NMR, Material Science, Materials Analysis, Thin Film Deposition, Particle Accelerators, Materials Characterisation, UHV Spectroscopy, Ultra-High Vacuum, Scanning Probe Microscopy, Electron Microscopy, SEM, TEM, XRD, XRF, TGA, Tomography, XPS, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectrometers, Auger Electron Spectrometers, AES, SIMS, Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometers, Scanning Tunnelling Microscopes, STM, AFM, Atomic Force Microscope, Photoemission Spectroscopy, Surface Science, Manufacturing Engineering, Process Improvement, Low Volume Manufacturing, High Value Manufacturing, Engineering Manager, Technical Production Lead, Continuous Improvement, Root Cause Analysis, Precision Manufacturing, Semiconductor, Inspection, Metrology, Cryogenic Systems, Plasma, Synchrotron, Beamline