Apprentice Technical Coordinator (Permanent) in Stockport

We are working with an established coatings business within the Speciality Coatings sector. Following internal change and continued growth within NPD and compliance functions, they are seeking a Senior Technical Service Manager to provide clear direction, strong people leadership, and technical service delivery within their laboratories. This role has a strong people-management focus and will suit someone who can hit the balance of being a people leader and also driving results. The Technical Services team is experienced and hard-working and will benefit from consistent leadership, structured prioritisation, and empathetic/pastoral support from management.

What you'll do:

• Reporting into the NPD Director, you will lead and coordinate technical service activities alongside short-term, customer-driven NPD projects.
• You will act as a key interface between customers, sales, NPD, and supply chain, ensuring technical priorities are realistic, achievable, and aligned with business needs.
• Working within a small, established team, your responsibilities will include:

• Line management of the Technical Services team (2 direct reports and 1 apprentice), with a strong focus on coaching, pastoral care, and capability development.
• Creating structure around workload planning and prioritisation in a fast-paced, customer-led environment.
• Managing and prioritising technical service requests and short-term NPD activity to give an order and prioritisation that works for all stakeholders.
• Challenging stakeholders constructively where required to ensure the right outcomes for the team and the business.
• Acting as a customer-facing technical lead and relationship builder, supporting issue resolution and expectation management internally and externally.
• Supporting and delivering customer-specific NPD work alongside longer-term development activity.
• Ensuring laboratory testing is completed to agreed standards and aligned with customer and regulatory requirements.
• Maintaining KPI performance and driving continuous improvement across technical services.
• Ensuring safe working practices, compliance, and training requirements are met at all times.
• Supporting production and customer trials as required.

You will work closely with the NPD Director, Supply Chain, Sales, and other Technical Managers, helping to manage upwards as well as across the business to ensure technical delivery remains realistic and sustainable in the right timeframes.

Your background:

We are seeking someone with a strong scientific background and proven experience in laboratory-based technical services, R&D, or QC environments, who is equally comfortable leading people and engaging with stakeholders. The ideal candidate will bring:

• A degree (or higher) in a science-based discipline.
• Solid experience in laboratory testing, R&D, QC, or technical services.
• Proven people management experience, with the ability to lead sensitively through change.
• A tenacious and assertive approach when required, balanced with empathy and strong communication.
• Experience prioritising and delegating work in a fast-moving, customer-driven environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with attention to data quality and process improvement.
• The ability to write, follow, and improve SOPs.
• Confidence managing customer relationships and working cross-functionally across the business.
• Experience with design of experiments, basic statistical analysis, or formal project management methodologies would be advantageous but is not essential.

Package & working pattern:

• Salary budget flexible but indicated in the £50,000s upwardly negotiable for exceptional candidates.
• Strong pension offer.
• Private healthcare.
• Profit-related pay.
• Flexible working hours with the ability to bank up to 13 additional days per year.
• Hybrid working, with up to one day per week from home (typically Fridays).

This is an opportunity to join a highly experienced, long-standing workforce within an employee-owned business where feedback is listened to, safety is championed, and employees are actively involved in shaping the working environment.