Central Support Manager New Abingdon, UK

Ready to make a massive impact with microscopic magic? Are you an experienced Central Support Manager who can act as the hub between field teams, applications, engineering, and manufacturing? Can you ensure that complex issues are not only solved quickly but also translated into long‑term product and process improvements? If so, read on… This is a high‑impact leadership role requiring strong technical depth, operational discipline, and the ability to build scalable support infrastructure in a fast‑moving deep‑tech environment.

Reward and Benefits

• £65,000 to £79,000 (depending on experience)
• 25 days annual leave, death in service and private health care benefits, personal pension contributions of 4% with salary sacrifice and a generous EMI Share scheme

Based in Abingdon, Oxford, UK we are a highly calibre team of 100 plus people and we are growing fast. We are backed by global financial and industry investors including Applied Ventures, the strategic venture arm of the industry leading equipment company.

About the role

This role will manage a multidisciplinary team including Technical Support Specialists (Hardware & Control Systems) and Manufacturing Development Engineers, providing deep technical support across system hardware, control systems, and manufacturing integration.

A typical day for a Central Support Manager could look like this:

• Leading, mentoring and uplifting a high‑performing, customer‑focused Central Support Team
• Creating clarity by defining roles, responsibilities and expectations across the team
• Encouraging strong cross‑team collaboration across technical and operational groups
• Owning technical escalations from Field Service, Applications and Manufacturing with calm confidence
• Streamlining escalation processes for faster, more thoughtful resolution
• Guiding prioritisation and resource allocation so high‑impact issues get the attention they need

System‑Level Problem Solving

• Overseeing root‑cause analysis for complex challenges across hardware and control systems
• Offering supportive technical guidance to the team when they need direction
• Partnering with Quality to ensure corrective and preventive actions are thorough and sustainable

Knowledge Management & Training

• Collaborating with the Global Customer Support Director to drive training needs across the business
• Working closely with the Knowledge Manager to build a well‑structured internal knowledge base
• Capturing field issues, solutions and learnings so the knowledge base stays rich and accessible
• Supporting the design, development and rollout of training plans for internal teams and customers, coordinating across technical groups

Manufacturing and Integration Support

• Partnering with cross‑functional teams to plan and deliver manufacturing development activities
• Supporting troubleshooting and issue resolution during assembly and commissioning

Reliability & Scaling

• Driving continuous improvement across system performance, reliability and serviceability
• Analysing field data and trends to uncover systemic themes, preparing clear management‑level insights that shape decision‑making
• Influencing the product roadmap and design choices using real‑world performance feedback
• Creating scalable processes, tools and infrastructure to support a growing global install base

Cross‑Functional Alignment

• Providing clear, warm and constructive communication on technical issues and priorities
• Translating field and manufacturing challenges into actionable engineering improvements

Who we are looking for

• Extensive background in complex precision instrumentation, semiconductor equipment or advanced scientific systems – (Eg. laser industry, medical devices, aerospace)
• High level understanding of system‑level interactions across hardware, controls systems and software.
• Leading, motivating and developing high impact multidisciplinary teams.
• Proven capability in diagnosing and resolving complex equipment/instrumentation issues.
• Ability to manage ambiguity and drive clarity in complex technical situations.
• Willingness to travel internationally when required (escalation management).
• Motivated to lead company wide and customer focused training initiatives.
• Ownership mindset – drives accountability for outcomes.
• Hands‑on problem solver who thrives in highly technical environments.

Nice to have

• Manufacturing or integration of complex semiconductor capital equipment.
• Familiarity with wafer handling systems, Equipment Front End Modules (EFEM), robotics, and automated semiconductor tool architectures.
• Equipment integration for semiconductor fabs or advanced process tools.

Education / Qualifications

• Either a Physics or Engineering degree or similar, or a clear equivalent path through relevant apprenticeship or accumulated experience.
• Minimum 7 years’ experience in a relevant industry, at least 3 years leadership experience.

We look for these attributes for our team

• Self‑management: Able to work independently, setting priorities for own work based upon the company goals and targets.
• Teamwork: Engages with other members of the company to bring the best solutions to the problem.
• Impact and Influence: Establishes themselves as the knowledge centre in their own field.
• Ownership & Initiative: React and address both short‑ and medium‑term issues and proactively takes action to solve them.
• Results Orientation: Focus on the company goal, avoid distraction, making timely decisions to achieve the target.

A bit about us

Infinitesima is a privately owned company founded in 2001, as a spin‑out of the University of Bristol, by CTO Professor Andrew Humphris. Our dynamic team of scientists and engineers is focussed on enabling the next generation of semiconductor devices through delivery of innovative products to customers around the world. Our strength lies in the varied perspectives that come from different cultures, experiences, and identities. We believe that true innovation is fuelled by collaboration, locally and globally. We strive to foster an environment where everyone can contribute meaningfully and thrive.

If you require adjustments to take part in the recruitment process, please let us know, we’ll do our best to support you.

A note on how we run interviews

We use AI only to transcribe our interviews so we can focus fully on you instead of scribbling notes. The AI does not take part in any decision making at any stage. All hiring decisions are made by real humans based on the conversation we have with you.

Note to recruitment agencies: Infinitesima Ltd only works with approved agencies and does not accept unsolicited agency CVs. Please do not submit candidate details in response to this advert, or to any Infinitesima Ltd employees. Infinitesima Ltd is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited CVs.