Laboratory Manager

Overview

In this role you lead the Wallingford laboratory as a strategic business unit, aligning commercial performance with operational delivery, safety, and quality. You shape the lab’s future by managing capacity, people, and client relationships while driving growth and capability. You act as the business leader, ensuring sustainable operation today and building the infrastructure for future success. You will work with cross-functional teams to balance client needs, governance, and technical excellence while pursuing continuous improvement.

Pay / Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Contributory pension scheme
• Private medical insurance
• Health cash plan
• Group life assurance
• Cycle to work scheme

Responsibilities

• Own the laboratory’s overall operation with focus on commercial performance, operational excellence and sustainable growth
• Manage P&L and budget, ensuring safe, on-time, quality-delivery of work
• Assess workload, capacity and utilisation; deploy people, equipment and resources accordingly
• Identify revenue, efficiency and performance improvement opportunities
• Lead and develop the senior laboratory management team
• Build capability through succession planning and structured organisation
• Maintain strong client relationships and high service levels
• Support major bids and new business development
• Ensure technical governance and ISO 17025 accreditation maintenance
• Maintain health, safety, quality and operational risk focus
• Develop investment plans for equipment, facilities, technology and people
• Drive continuous improvement, including automation and digitalisation
• Develop longer-term strategy to meet changing business and customer needs

Key requirements

• Senior operations or business leadership experience in a complex technical environment
• Proven responsibility for P&L, budgets and commercial performance
• Experience leading managers and multidisciplinary teams
• Background in a laboratory environment essential
• Soil laboratory experience preferred but not required
• Strong resource, workload and capacity planning skills
• Experience in customer engagement and commercial growth
• Understanding of quality, governance, safety and regulatory requirements
• Track record of improving or transforming operations
• Ability to balance immediate operational demands with strategic priorities
• Strong communication, trust-building and accountability across an organization
• Knowledge of ISO 17025 is valuable
• Master’s degree, MBA, Chartered Engineer or Chartered Geologist status, or IOSH/NEBOSH qualifications would be advantageous

• Strong communication
• Leadership and people development
• Commercial acumen
• ISO 17025 knowledge
• Quality governance and safety management
• Operational planning and capacity management

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