Partner Network Manager

We  hiring:
Partner Network Manager — based in Manchester

Fractory is changing the way manufacturing works, and our Manufacturing Partner network is the engine behind it. As we grow, we  expanding the resource into a dedicated role to lead the strength, quality, and growth of that network - the partners who turn our customers  designs into finished parts.

We  looking for someone to take that ownership into one seat. By reporting directly to the Head of Partner Network you  build and manage the relationships with our Manufacturing Partners in your region, guide how the network develops, and make sure Fractory always has the right capability and capacity to deliver for our customers - while keeping partner data and ways of working reliable as we scale.

• Based in Manchester and happy to work hybrid, with regular travel to partners across the network on a rolling schedule
• A solid technical grounding in mechanical engineering — degree or equivalent hands‑on industry experience — you can read a drawing, understand tolerances and materials, and judge manufacturability
• Working knowledge of Fractory  core processes (laser cutting, bending, CNC machining, welding, surface treatment and coating, assembly) — enough to judge partner suitability on process fit, not just price
• Commercial instincts and real negotiation experience — price, lead time, invoicing terms — and the judgement to know when to push, when to switch, and when to invest in a partner
• Comfort with operational data — you can look at partner performance views and turn them into add, cut, and expand decisions
• Strong relationship-management instincts — you build trust-based, long‑term partnerships while holding partners accountable to our standards, including the hard conversations
• Structured, self‑directed and accountable — clear KPI ownership, not a lot of hand‑holding

• Have worked at a contract manufacturer, fabrication shop, job shop, or metal/engineering service provider — you know the partner-side view first‑hand
• Have sat in strategic sourcing, category management, partner development, or supply‑base management within mechanical engineering, metal fabrication, or distributed manufacturing
• Are familiar with quality management systems (ISO 9001, AS9100) and partner quality auditing
• Can evaluate technical quotes and specs and spot mispriced complexity, unrealistic lead times, or capability mismatches before they become delivery problems
• Have worked in a scale‑up, marketplace, or digital manufacturing platform before

You  own the Manufacturing Partner network end to end — its composition, its performance, and its commercial terms. You  be the escalation point and strategic counterpart to our Regional Sourcing Managers, who run order-level execution in their regions, and you  work closely with Sales, Project Engineering, and our Manufacturing Partner Engineer to keep the network performing at the level our operations require.

• Owning the end-to-end relationship with each partner in your portfolio, with monthly performance-and-feedback reviews wherever cadence allows
• Visiting partners on a rolling basis to represent Fractory as a customer, run audits, and give direct feedback on performance
• Acting as the single point of contact for serious partner issues above day-to-day execution
• Negotiating the best achievable terms on cost, lead time, and invoicing
• Reviewing network and partner performance data to confirm we hold the right network — in both capability variety and capacity — to execute our critical business functions
• Deciding when to add, when to remove, and where to expand — combining performance statistics with the qualitative signals raised by Regional Sourcing…