Overview

Our client is a pioneering cleantech business delivering decarbonised liquid fuel solutions, supported by leading climate-focused investors. Their proprietary technology platform provides scalable and flexible routes to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Renewable Diesel (RD) from diverse renewable feedstocks including municipal solid waste, woody biomass, biogas, and green hydrogen. With proven commercial performance and a compact, highly efficient reactor design, they hold a unique competitive edge in accelerating the energy transition. Operating across the UK and US, with ambitious global growth on the horizon, their mission is to decarbonise aviation and heavy transport worldwide.

The Role The Director, Manufacturing & Reactor Design will sit at the heart of our client’s operations, providing both technical leadership and strategic execution. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, this individual will lead the transition of proprietary reactor core manufacturing to third-party partners, while ensuring that quality, safety, and delivery standards are never compromised.

This is a senior leadership role requiring a blend of deep engineering expertise and strong strategic capability. You’ll be responsible for driving reactor design improvements, overseeing outsourced manufacturing, and ensuring seamless collaboration between engineering, technology, operations, and commercial teams.

Responsibilities

• Acting as a subject matter expert for reactor design (materials, welding, structural and fluid analysis, modelling, compliance).
• Leading the Engineering Change Request (ECR) process for design enhancements.
• Managing all aspects of product design, manufacturing excellence, and compliance with ASME and other relevant standards.
• Transitioning proprietary manufacturing to external partners and managing long-term delivery through third parties.
• Negotiating technical and commercial agreements with external manufacturers.
• Driving continuous improvements in cost, quality, and efficiency.
• Leading collaboration with both internal teams and external suppliers to ensure programme execution.

About You

• Degree in Mechanical, Materials, or related Engineering discipline.
• You’ve built a strong foundation in mechanical thermal and structural design as well as manufacturing requirements and quality control, with an emphasis in high temperature and heavy equipment products such as pressure vessels.
• Deep knowledge of welding requirements, GD&T, CAD/FEA tools (e.g. Creo/ANSYS).
• Experience working with ASTM, ANSI, ASME or equivalent international codes.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, able to influence across technical and commercial stakeholders.
• Proven ability to deliver results across complex projects.
• Experience outsourcing technical manufacturing to external partners.
• Track record of managing budgets, timelines, and multi-disciplinary engineering programmes.
• Familiarity with modular plant design and integration, ideally in Fischer Tropsch or chemical process systems.
• Passion for sustainable fuels, decarbonisation, and enabling the energy transition.

Seniority level

• Director

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Industries: Oil and Gas, Services for Renewable Energy, and Chemical Manufacturing