Chief Operating Officer (Biotech)

Location: Cambridge, England, United Kingdom; based at Melbourn Science Park, 10 miles south of Cambridge.

Company

Cellular Origins develops cell and gene therapy manufacturing systems designed to increase manufacturing scale.

What you will do

• Lead the transfer of systems from product development into manufacturing, supply chain, shipping, installation, and GMP customer environments.
• Build manufacturing and industrialisation capabilities, increasing capacity while reducing cost and improving yield.
• Own supply chain, procurement, supplier strategy, inventory, long-lead planning, and make-versus-buy decisions.
• Run integrated S&OP, coordinating build, supply, installation, and customer commitments.
• Develop installation, commissioning, validation, field service, spares, and lifecycle-support models across the UK, US, and Europe.
• Oversee sustaining engineering, facilities, specialist laboratories, health and safety, and operational IT while building a culture of safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Senior operational leadership experience in a regulated or highly controlled environment such as medtech, bioprocessing, biotech automation, semiconductor, advanced industrial automation, or a similar setting.
• Direct experience installing, commissioning, and providing lifecycle support for high-value capital manufacturing systems across multiple customer sites and countries.
• A strong track record translating innovative engineering into repeatable, documented, field-ready operations.
• Understanding of production environments where quality, safety, and compliance are non-negotiable, and of capital equipment performance in those conditions.
• Ability to operate across network design and capital allocation as well as detailed installation execution.

Nice to have

• Direct GMP cell therapy manufacturing experience.
• Experience building operations teams across manufacturing, supply chain, procurement, logistics, field service, and customer support.
• Experience using ERP and QMS systems to improve visibility, decision-making, and accountability.
• Experience running S&OP and making scalable supplier and make-versus-buy decisions.
• Experience working with customers, partners, and regulators to align expectations, manage risk, and deliver long-term value.

Culture & Benefits

• Entrepreneurial and collaborative environment with freedom to shape operations as the business moves from development toward commercial scale.
• Modern office, laboratory, and engineering spaces at Melbourn Science Park.
• Annual bonus, 25 days of holiday, and a 10% employer pension contribution.
• Private medical insurance, enhanced family-friendly leave, and life insurance worth six times salary.
• Subsidised lunches, electric car leasing, cycle-to-work scheme, and season ticket loan.