Technical Operations & Safety Manager

Imperial Enterprise; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

43 days’ annual leave

Generous pension schemes

Flexible working policy from day one

On-site leisure facilities

Cycle-to-work scheme

Interest-free season ticket loan

Job summary

Imperial College London’s Dyson School of Design Engineering is seeking a Technical Operations and Safety Manager to lead the safe, forward-looking operation of its prototyping and manufacturing workshop facilities at South Kensington.

You will manage a team of technical specialists, oversee machining and additive manufacturing, and act as Departmental Safety Officer to drive continuous improvement across safety, compliance and facilities strategy.

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing engineering workshops, laboratories or technical facilities.
• Strong people and project management skills with a safety focus.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operation of the Prototyping and Manufacturing Workshop and wider technical services.
• Develop and support a team of technical staff to deliver outstanding service to students, researchers and staff.
• Oversee workshop budgets, procurement activities and resource allocation.
• Develop a strategic roadmap for workshop facilities and identify investment opportunities.
• Coordinate technical support across taught programmes, research activities and consultancy projects.
• Ensure workshop procedures, training records, risk assessments and compliance documentation are maintained.
• Act as Departmental Safety Officer and lead health and safety policy implementation.
• Manage safety systems, audits, inspections, incident reporting and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Deliver health and safety training and promote safe working practices.

Skills

People management

Project management

Health & safety

Stakeholder management

Workshop leadership

Education

BTEC/HNC or equivalent

NEBOSH or equivalent safety qualification

Job description

Join Imperial College London’s Dyson School of Design Engineering as our Technical Operations and Safety Manager, leading the safe, effective and forward-looking operation of our multidisciplinary prototyping and manufacturing workshop facilities at South Kensington. This senior technical management role combines engineering workshop leadership, health and safety management, facilities development and technical team management, supporting innovative teaching, research and student project activity. You will manage a team of technical specialists, oversee manual and other machining, additive manufacturing, CAD/CAM-enabled production and wider design-and-manufacturing processes, while acting as Departmental Safety Officer. You will lead risk assessment, COSHH, training, equipment compliance, workshop access, incident reporting and continuous improvement, and help shape the department’s long-term technical facilities strategy.

We are looking for an experienced engineering or workshop professional with significant knowledge of multidisciplinary prototyping environments, strong people and project management skills, and a sound understanding of UK Health & Safety Executive workplace practices; a relevant qualification such as BTEC/HNC or equivalent professional experience is essential, while a NEBOSH or comparable safety qualification is desirable. This is a full-time, open-ended, campus-based opportunity for someone who wants to enable outstanding engineering education and research through safe, inclusive and technically excellent facilities.

What you would be doing

• Leading the day-to-day operation of the School's Prototyping and Manufacturing Workshop and wider technical services.
• Managing, developing and supporting a team of technical staff to deliver an outstanding service to students, researchers and staff.
• Overseeing workshop budgets, procurement activities and resource allocation.
• Developing a strategic roadmap for workshop facilities, identifying future investment opportunities and emerging capability needs.
• Coordinating technical support across taught programmes, research activities and consultancy projects.
• Ensuring workshop procedures, training records, risk assessments and compliance documentation are effectively maintained.
• Acting as Departmental Safety Officer and leading the implementation of health and safety policies across the School.
• Managing safety systems, audits, inspections, incident reporting and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Delivering health and safety training and promoting a strong culture of safe working practices.
• Collaborating with academic, technical and professional services colleagues across Imperial and with external suppliers, contractors and partners.

What we are looking for

We are looking for a confident technical leader with substantial experience managing engineering workshops, laboratories or technical facilities, alongside a strong commitment to operational excellence and safety.

You should bring:

• A relevant technical, engineering, safety or management qualification, or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience of multidisciplinary engineering, manufacturing, design and prototyping environments.
• Strong practical knowledge of workshop machinery, CNC equipment and additive manufacturing technologies.
• Experience managing facilities, technical projects, budgets and operational resources.
• Proven success leading and developing multidisciplinary technical teams.
• A thorough understanding of health and safety regulations and their application within workshop or laboratory environments.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage both technical and non-technical audiences.
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset and a passion for supporting education, research and innovation.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to lead and shape technical services within one of the world's leading universities.
• A highly varied role combining technical leadership, operational management and strategic development.
• The chance to work alongside leading academics, researchers, technical specialists and students.
• Access to advanced manufacturing, prototyping and design facilities.
• A collaborative and inclusive working environment committed to excellence, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Ongoing opportunities for professional development and skills enhancement.
• A role with significant impact on the student experience, research capability and future growth of the School.
• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to use science for humanity.
• Benefit from a sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 43 days’ annual leave and generous pension schemes).
• Access to a range of workplace benefits including a flexible working policy from day one, generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities and cycle-to-work scheme.
• Interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel.
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing .

Further information

This is a full-time, open-ended position based predominantly on Imperial's South Kensington campus and associated Design Engineering facilities. Due to the operational requirements of the role, it is not eligible for hybrid working. The post-holder is expected to support teaching activities throughout the academic year and should not normally take annual leave during teaching terms.

Imperial is committed to creating an inclusive culture that values and celebrates diversity. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates and are proud of our values of Respect, Collaboration, Excellence, Integrity and Innovation.

If you have any questions about this role, please contact Dr Natalia Goehring via [e-mail].

Planned start date: January 2027 and onwards

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

If you have any general queries about this vacancy, please contact the hiring manager listed in the ‘Further Information’ section. Alternatively, you can contact the Recruitment Hub at [e-mail], and we will be happy to assist you.

If you experience any technical issues that prevent you from submitting an application, please contact our Technical Support team at [e-mail] , who will be able to help resolve the issue.

About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top-ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial College London.

Our Culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, eliminating discrimination, and creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our web pages .

Proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. We welcome applications from the Armed Forces community.

Our values are at the root of everything we do, and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.