Laboratory Manager in Chippenham

Mission
The Laboratory Manager ensures reliable, compliant, and high‑quality testing services to support product development, manufacturing, and customer requirements. The role safeguards the technical integrity and accreditation of the Engineering Laboratory while continuously advancing its capabilities, methods, and overall performance. By aligning laboratory operations with engineering priorities, market needs, and regulatory standards, the Laboratory Manager contributes directly to product excellence and the sustainable success of the business.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Engineering Laboratory, including team coordination, workload planning, and resource allocation.
• Ensure delivery of reliable, high‑quality testing services in line with engineering projects, customer requirements, and business priorities.
• Take overall responsibility for laboratory operations, technical integrity, and the quality and approval of all test results and reports.
• Ensure compliance with relevant standards and accreditations (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 17025) and maintain relationships with external authorities and laboratories.
• Develop and maintain laboratory capabilities, test methods, and equipment to support R&D, manufacturing, and customer needs.
• Act as key interface to internal stakeholders and customers, providing technical guidance on testing, standards, and product performance.
• Manage laboratory budget, investments, and operational efficiency.
• Ensure a safe working environment and continuous development of team capabilities.

Skills and attributes

• Proven leadership and team management experience in a technical or laboratory environment.
• Strong organizational, planning, and prioritization skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills across internal teams, customers, and external partners.
• Solid understanding of product testing, validation methods, and technical compliance.
• Experience with standards and accreditation frameworks (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO/IEC 17025).
• High level of accountability, integrity, and attention to quality and detail.
• Ability to drive continuous improvement and introduce modern technical and management practices.
• Experience in budget planning and operational cost control.

Education

• Degree in Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline.
• Fluency in English; fluency in any other language is an advantage.

At Schneider Electric, Diversity & Inclusion is at the heart of our organisation, it’s an integral part of our history, culture, and identity. We recognise that embracing diversity unlocks innovation and creativity and fosters collaboration. We want our employees to reflect the diversity of our communities and the customers we serve. As a result, our teams are stronger to drive the company's future. Schneider Electric aspires to be the most inclusive and caring company in the world, by providing equitable opportunities to everyone, everywhere, and ensuring all employees feel uniquely valued and safe to contribute their best. We mirror the diversity of the communities in which we operate, and ‘inclusion’ is one of our core values. We believe our differences make us stronger as a company and as individuals and we are committed to championing inclusivity in everything we do. Trust Charter is our Code of Conduct and demonstrates our commitment to ethics, safety, sustainability, quality and cybersecurity, underpinning every aspect of our business and our willingness to behave and respond respectfully and in good faith to all our stakeholders. Schneider Electric is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities in recruiting, hiring, training, transferring, and promoting all qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, color, gender, disability, national origin, ancestry, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status or any other legally protected characteristic or conduct.