FDM Production Manager; 3D Printing

FDM Production Manager (3D Printing)

North East London | £40,000–£60,000 | Monday–Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm

(If you are looking for a salary above this range but have strong FDM print-farm management experience, please still apply. There may be flexibility for the right person.)

We’re working with a leading UK additive manufacturing business that is launching a brand-new FDM production capability, supported by a growing farm of industrial 3D printers.

They’re looking for an experienced FDM Production Manager to take ownership of the new department, lead its technicians and build the processes, standards and structure required to scale.

This is a hands-on role for someone with strong practical FDM experience who understands how to run multiple printers efficiently, solve production problems and consistently deliver high-quality parts.

You’ll play a central role in the company’s ambition to create one of the largest FDM print farms in the UK.

• Leading the day-to-day FDM operation and managing the production technicians.
• Establishing the structure, standards and ways of working for the new department.
• Supporting the installation and commissioning of additional printers as the farm grows.
• Planning production across multiple machines to maximise capacity and meet customer deadlines.
• Managing the full production process, including printing, part removal, post-processing, inspection, packing and dispatch.
• Reviewing files, slicing models, selecting materials and preparing printer profiles.
• Qualifying new materials, settings and production processes before release.
• Monitoring print performance and resolving machine, material and quality issues.
• Taking ownership of machine uptime, calibration, routine servicing and preventative maintenance.
• Managing material and consumable stock, traceability, storage and reordering.
• Creating clear operating procedures, quality documentation and training materials.
• Tracking utilisation, print success rates, delivery performance, waste and productivity.
• Improving throughput, labour efficiency, workflow and cost per part.
• Working closely with Sales, Engineering and Production on quoting, applications and manufacturability.

• Practical experience operating multiple FDM printers, ideally within a print farm or production environment.
• Experience leading technicians or managing a production, workshop or manufacturing team.
• Strong knowledge of slicing, build orientation, materials and common FDM quality issues.
• Confidence troubleshooting printers and resolving production problems.
• A good understanding of production planning, capacity, utilisation and on-time delivery.
• Experience improving machine uptime, throughput and production efficiency.
• Confidence using production software, spreadsheets and reporting tools.
• Commercial awareness of how machine failures, labour, materials and waste affect cost and margin.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to remain calm in a busy production environment.
• A proactive, practical and improvement-focused approach.

This is a rare opportunity to build and lead a new FDM production capability from the ground up.

You’ll have the autonomy to establish the team, processes and performance standards while helping to create one of the UK’s largest and most scalable FDM print farms.

If you’re an experienced FDM professional ready to take ownership of a growing production environment,