Preparation Manager at Cawood

Bracknell, England, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

03 May, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

02 Feb, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Leadership, Communication, Coaching, Performance Management, Resource Planning, Technical Troubleshooting, Continuous Improvement, Data Integrity, Customer Engagement, Quality Compliance, Health & Safety, Laboratory Standards, Team Development, ISO Standards, UKAS Accreditation, Laboratory Information Management System

Industry

Environmental Services

Description

Cawood is the largest independent provider of analytical laboratory testing and sampling services for the land-based industries in the UK. With 15 sites around the country specialising in different types of analysis, we are always looking for skilled and talented individuals to join our teams. This is an exciting time to join Cawood. The business is growing and there are plenty of opportunities for people who want to work hard, have fun and be part of our success. Job Description: We are looking for an experienced and people‑focused Preparation Manager to lead our busy operations team at NRM Bracknell. This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic leader who thrives in a fast‑paced laboratory environment and is passionate about driving performance, engagement, and continuous improvement. As the Preparation Manager, you will oversee a team of 10–20 colleagues, ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient day‑to‑day operations while maintaining the highest standards of quality and service. What You’ll Be Doing People Leadership Lead, coach, and develop your team to drive high performance and engagement Conduct regular 1:1s, feedback sessions, performance reviews, and development planning Manage recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing staff training Ensure training records, competence, and performance standards are fully maintained Foster a positive, collaborative culture aligned with our values and People Leader expectations Operational Delivery Oversee workflow, resource planning, and staff allocation to meet turnaround times Ensure all processes, equipment, and documentation meet UKAS and ISO/IEC 17025 standards Troubleshoot technical issues and support method development alongside the Technical Team Maintain data integrity, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement using EBOS tools Support implementation and effective use of the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) Customer & Stakeholder Engagement Work closely with Customer Services, Business Development and Technical Services Support client meetings and maintain excellent customer relationships Communicate operational updates clearly and professionally across teams Quality, Safety & Compliance Ensure full compliance with Health & Safety, COSHH, SOPs, and accreditation requirements Oversee non-conforming work investigations and corrective actions Maintain a safe, clean, audit‑ready laboratory environment Act as Fire Marshal, First Aider, Internal Auditor or Key Holder when required What You’ll Bring Essential Strong understanding of ISO, UKAS, and audit requirements Excellent leadership, communication, and coaching skills Ability to manage multiple priorities with strong attention to detail Self‑motivated, collaborative, and confident in driving team performance Hands-on approach with the ability to influence and motivate others Desirable Experience working in a laboratory environment with good operational knowledge Experience within a UKAS‑accredited laboratory Knowledge of food/feed or chemistry-based laboratory techniques Why Join Us? A key leadership role within a respected and growing organisation Opportunity to shape team culture and drive operational excellence Training, development, and internal progression opportunities Work in a collaborative environment where your ideas and leadership matter Ready to Apply? If you are an engaging leader with strong laboratory knowledge and a passion for driving people and performance, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now and be part of a team that values quality, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Cawood is the UK’s leading scientific group, recognised for its technical capability and value-added service to customers. We provide laboratory analysis to the agriculture, food and environmental sectors, as well as contract research to GLP standards to support the development of agrochemicals, biocides and other chemicals. Our field services team offers measurement and monitoring for water, construction and ecology across the UK. Cawood is the largest independent provider of analytical laboratory testing and sampling services for the land-based industries in the UK. With 15 sites around the country specialising in different types of analysis, we are always looking for skilled and talented individuals to join our teams. Our values of PRIDE underpin our approach: Partnership, Responsiveness, Innovation, Decency and Expertise. You can read about our values and how they make a difference to our people and our customers here. Our people make Cawood what it is. No matter how technically advanced and sophisticated our equipment, it is our people who keep our customers satisfied. Accuracy across a high number of tests and continually looking for ways to innovate and improve are key to our future. This is an exciting time to join Cawood. The business is growing and there are plenty of opportunities for people who want to work hard, have fun and be part of our success. We spend a lot of our lives at work, so it’s important to us to make Cawood a place our people enjoy working. Cawood is a flexible employer, offering flextime, overtime and time off in lieu to help colleagues manage their work in a way that suits them as well as the business. We believe in working together to find the best outcome for all and we foster a culture of friendliness and family within our teams. Why do people enjoy working at Cawood? Here’s what our colleagues say: “The people we work with are fun and supportive, even during the more difficult days” “The flexibility that is offered, especially when you have worked in other laboratory environments” “The GOAL, the growth plans and opportunities for development in a range of skills” “The new leadership team and their ambition to invest in people” This year’s People Plan builds upon this fun, flexible and family feel to make Cawood one of the best places to work. Russell Vaughan Russell joined Cawood shortly after leaving university in our Mambo-Tox laboratory and has worked on the majority of our studies, from basic lab experiments to full-sized field studies. He has been integral to new method development over his many years with the company, and is a key contributor to our reputation for clear, accurate reporting that can go straight into a dossier. After taking time out to complete his PhD in plant molecular biology, he returned to the business in 2005 and now leads our team of study directors at Mambo-Tox. Russell enjoys working at Cawood because of our excellent team of people and our mission to support agriculture in meeting the needs of society whilst reducing its environmental impact. Sean Stevenson Sean joined Cawood as a biochemistry graduate to work in the NRM soil analysis laboratory. Over the last 19 years he has worked his way up through sales and business development roles and is now Divisional Managing Director for Cawood Agriculture. Sean is responsible for creating commercial strategies which support and accelerate our growth. Having worked at all the different levels in the company, Sean is a firm believer in making the business a place where people can thrive. At the heart of Cawood is NRM, the UK’s leading agricultural laboratory, founded in 1990. The Cawood group was formed in 2006 with the acquisition of the animal feed testing business, Sciantec. Since then, we have grown rapidly through our strong relationships with customers, our ongoing investment in people and equipment, and the acquisition of businesses that complement or expand our services. This development has allowed us to increase our range of services and extend our reach into global markets. In 2021, Cawood was acquired by US corporation Ensign-Bickford Industries (EBI), becoming a member of its Agriculture and Environmental Diagnostics Group. Watch the video below to learn more about EBI.

Responsibilities

The Preparation Manager will lead a team of 10-20 colleagues, ensuring safe and efficient laboratory operations while maintaining high standards of quality. Responsibilities include overseeing workflow, managing staff training, and ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations.