Technical Operations & Safety Manager

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.

• 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.

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…