Product Compliance & Manufacturing Manager

Job description

The Micro:bit Educational Foundation is seeking an outstanding Product Compliance and Manufacturing Manager to lead product compliance, quality, and manufacturing oversight. This role works cross-functionally with internal teams and external partners to deliver safe, high-quality, and legally compliant products.

The role is responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance, maintaining accurate product records, and supporting sustainability objectives within manufacturing processes. It also plays a key role in strengthening supply chain resilience by overseeing efficient, cost-effective manufacturing and ensuring robust risk management and business continuity practices.

This role requires:

• Strong analytical skills: The ability to assess data and identify trends to support informed decision-making.
• Strategic thinking: Experience developing and implementing long-term asset lifecycle and manufacturing strategies.
• Attention to detail: A rigorous approach to compliance, record-keeping, and risk identification.
• Organisational capability: The ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.

The successful candidate will bring expertise in product compliance, quality, and manufacturing processes, combined with the ability to coordinate and communicate effectively across multidisciplinary teams and with external partners.

This role is 3 days a week or 0.6 FTE and we are able to offer significant flexibility in delivering the role. We expect the role to be remote with travel to the Oxford office and some travel to UK and international partners.

Key Responsibilities

Product Compliance

• Lead and manage all product compliance activities, ensuring adherence to relevant international and local regulations (e.g., CE, UKCA, RoHS, REACH, FCC, ISO standards) for all micro:bit products
• Develop, maintain, and update technical documentation, declarations of conformity, and certification files
• Work with partners to ensure this certification is available to those requiring it for shipping and distribution
• Monitor and analyse regulatory changes and proactively update internal policies and processes
• Liaise with external testing labs, certification bodies, and regulatory agencies
• Provide input to design and engineering teams to embed compliance requirements early in product development
• Support information gathering regarding ESG
• ensure accurate and full documentation is maintained and accessible to teams to support products in market

Manufacturing Oversight

• Work with partners to understand and support manufacturing operations to ensure quality and output targets are met whilst seeking to reduce costs
• Ensure excellent relationships with our distribution and manufacturing partners
• Works to ensure the manufacturing output plans are delivered strategically, meeting key output requirements
• Develop and implement manufacturing process improvements for efficiency and sustainability
• Support supplier selection and qualification, ensuring vendors meet compliance and quality requirements
• Lead or participate in audits of manufacturing facilities and suppliers
• Work with manufacturing partners and where appropriate directly negotiate with suppliers to obtain the best prices for necessary equipment, materials, and services
• Implement market scanning to anticipate future component shortages and issues

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Provide up to date information to the CEO, Commercial, Engineering and Operations team regarding manufacturing and compliance progress and KPIs
• Support new product introductions (NPI) by coordinating compliance approvals and readiness for manufacturing
• Work with external partners and project teams to organise and ensure the supply of micro:bit manufactured items to projects

Requirements

• Proven experience in product compliance, regulatory affairs, or quality assurance within a manufacturing environment
• Proven experience with and understanding of commercial environments (supply chain and distribution)
• Knowledge of working with CEMs
• Strong understanding of relevant regulatory frameworks and product safety standards
• Experience with international markets and multi-regional compliance (e.g., North America, EU, Asia)
• Experience in risk management and business continuity processes
• Experience managing manufacturing processes, production planning, or supplier relationships
• Excellent attention to detail and documentation skills
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams
• Experience working with third-party testing and certification bodies
• Degree in Engineering (electrical or mechanical), Manufacturing, Quality assurance, Business administration or reg affairs, or equivalent work experience.

• Knowledge of sustainability standards and environmental compliance
• Familiarity with ERP or manufacturing management systems

If you don't feel you have all of the required skills and experience we are looking for, we would still be keen to hear from you, we would be looking to develop the…