At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and improve manufacturing operations in a high-tech environment.
- Company: Join Novanta, a global leader in advanced manufacturing and robotics.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career growth, and a culture of innovation.
- Other info: Collaborative team environment with opportunities for international growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on technology that transforms lives.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in operations leadership with a focus on continuous improvement.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
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At Novanta, our innovations power technology products that are transforming healthcare and advanced manufacturing—improving productivity, enhancing people’s lives and redefining what’s possible. We create for our global customers engineered components and sub-systems that deliver extreme precision and performance for a range of mission-critical applications—from minimally invasive surgery to robotics to 3D metal printing.
We are now looking for an experienced Operations Manager to lead manufacturing operations for our Robotics & Automation Inductive Encoder product line in Cambridge. This is a highly visible leadership role with the opportunity to directly influence performance, culture, and scalability in a complex, high-tech environment.
The opportunity
This role offers the chance to take ownership of day-to-day manufacturing operations, ensuring delivery across safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost objectives—while driving ongoing improvement in how we operate. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including engineering, quality, supply chain, and commercial functions, to solve real operational challenges and continuously improve performance.
This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys:
- Leading from the front in a hands-on operational environment
- Driving continuous improvement and lean initiatives
- Building strong, accountable, and high-performing teams
- Working on precision products with real-world impact
What you will be doing
- Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, coach, and develop production teams
- Create a high-performance culture focused on accountability and engagement
- Ensure effective staffing, training, and capability building
- Operational Excellence
- Manage daily manufacturing operations in a high-mix, engineered products environment
- Deliver against key metrics across safety, quality, delivery, inventory, productivity, and cost
- Ensure production plans align with capacity, materials, and customer demand
- Continuous Improvement
- Drive improvement initiatives using the Novanta Growth System and lean principles
- Improve workflow, reduce waste, and enhance productivity and quality
- Use data and metrics to identify gaps and implement sustainable solutions
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with engineering, supply chain, planning, and quality teams
- Remove operational barriers and improve end-to-end flow
- Support problem-solving across the value chain
- Supply Chain & Risk Management
- Support material availability and inventory optimisation
- Identify and mitigate operational and supply risks impacting delivery
What we are looking for
- Proven experience in operations or manufacturing leadership (typically 7+ years)
- Experience leading teams in high-mix or engineered product environments
- Strong understanding of operational KPIs across quality, delivery, and cost
- Demonstrated success with lean, continuous improvement, or business system frameworks
- A collaborative mindset with the ability to influence across functions
- Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills
- Experience in precision engineering, electronics, or electromechanical manufacturing would be highly advantageous.
Why join Novanta?
- Work on technologies that make a real impact on people’s lives
- Be part of a global, innovative organisation at the forefront of advanced manufacturing
- Lead meaningful change in an environment that values continuous improvement and ideas
- Collaborate with talented teams across engineering, operations, and commercial functions
- Opportunity for career growth across international markets
If you are an experienced operations leader looking to take ownership in a high-tech, fast-evolving manufacturing environment, we would love to hear from you.
Novanta is proud to be an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action workplace. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, military and veteran status, disability, genetics, or any other category protected by federal law or Novanta policy.
Operations Manager in Cambridge employer: Novanta Inc.
At Novanta Inc., we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a collaborative work culture that fosters innovation and professional growth. Our employees benefit from comprehensive training programs, competitive compensation, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the healthcare and advanced manufacturing sectors. Located in a vibrant area, our team enjoys a dynamic environment that encourages creativity and teamwork, making it an ideal place for those looking to advance their careers while contributing to transformative projects.
