Operations Manager

Operations Manager – Robotics & Automation

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Build a career powered by innovations that matter! 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. Novanta is one global team with over 26 offices located in The Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Looking for a great place to work? You have found it with a culture that embraces teamwork, collaboration and empowerment. Come explore Novanta.

Help build the technologies that are transforming our world. At Novanta, our innovations power cutting-edge advances in robotics, medical technology, and advanced manufacturing - improving lives and enabling the next generation of precision-engineered solutions. As a trusted global technology partner, we design and deliver high-performance components used in mission-critical applications, from minimally invasive surgery to 3D 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.

• 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

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.

Please call if you need a disability accommodation for any part of the employment process.

Solving complex challenges, delivering innovations that matter! Novanta is a leading global supplier of core technology solutions that give medical, life science, and advanced industrial original equipment manufacturers a competitive advantage. We combine deep proprietary expertise and competencies in precision medicine, precision manufacturing, robotics and automation, and advanced surgery with a proven ability to solve complex technical challenges. This enables Novanta to engineer proprietary technology solutions that deliver extreme precision and performance, tailored to our customers' demanding applications.

The driving force behind our growth is the team of innovative professionals who share a commitment to innovation, the Novanta Growth System, and our customers' success. Novanta's common shares are quoted on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "NOVT".

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