Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer Application Deadline: 9 August 2026

Department: Operations

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Bristol

Do you want to help build a company with the capacity to disrupt whole industries and take on environmental issues on a global scale?

Do you want to join a purpose-driven engineering team tackling some of the world's most critical challenges?

Matter. is a VC backed Cleantech scale-up and we have an opportunity for a commercially astute and execution-focused Chief Operating Officer to shape the long-term operational backbone of the business. This role will deliver the international expansion to service markets across South Asia to meet the challenge of global micro pollution head on.

Job Title: Chief Operating Officer

Location: Central Bristol - hybrid - up to 30% international travel

Salary Range: On Application

We are a rapidly scaling UK headquartered engineering business specialising in the design and production of large, engineered industrial water filtration systems. Having completed successful technology development and early customer deployments, we are now transitioning into full commercialisation and preparing for significant growth over the next 12 months.

This role is pivotal in transforming our ability to deliver complex, industrial scale water filtration systems across international markets, particularly within textile manufacturing hubs in South Asia.

To support this expansion, Matter is seeking an experienced and strategic Chief Operating Officer to build our operational infrastructure, establish manufacturing partnerships, develop resilient supply chains, and lead the company toward scalable, high quality production.

This C suite role will build out our manufacturing capability, bringing operational rigour, pace and process to a fast growing organisation, ensuring our operational capability meets business goals.

You will have end to end operational leadership, taking full ownership of all operations following contract award, ensuring successful project execution through to commissioning and handover. You will ensure seamless delivery from supply chain and manufacturing through to on site installation, commissioning, and long term servicing-while building the infrastructure, partnerships, and in country capabilities required to support sustained global growth.

Key Responsibilities Operational Strategy & Leadership

• Translate business strategy into scalable operational capability and execution plans aligned with rapid commercial expansion to support customer base largely in Asia but also Europe, the Americas and Middle East.
• Take full ownership of all operations following contract award, ensuring successful project execution through to commissioning, handover and ongoing customer support.
• Lead end to end operations including production planning, procurement, supply chain, logistics, and quality assurance.
• Build and manage an operations organisation capable of supporting manufacture of large filtration systems in the 100's per year manufacturing in 12-18 months.
• Work closely with the executive team to drive operational KPIs, efficiencies, and performance improvements.
• Act as a key member of the executive leadership team.

Manufacturing Scale Up

• Identify, evaluate, and secure manufacturing partners in the UK, Asia and other regions as required with strong engineering capabilities and capacity for large industrial systems.
• Oversee technology transfer, ensuring manufacturing partners can produce systems to specification, cost, and quality targets.
• Establish scalable assembly, testing and QA workflows suitable for regional and customer requirements.

Supply Chain Development

• Build a global supply chain strategy optimised for cost, lead time, reliability, and risk management.
• Oversee manufacturing strategy, ensuring quality, efficiency and scalability.
• Own sourcing and supplier qualification for critical components, including mechanical assemblies, filtration elements, structural components and instrumentation.
• Implement supplier performance management processes, audits and quality control mechanisms.
• Develop redundancy and dual sourcing strategies to identify and mitigate supply chain risks that will support growth in Asia while maintaining UK operational security.

In Country Operational Capability

• Build and scale local operational presence in target markets (partners, teams, service capability).
• Establish regional hubs or partnerships to support installation, maintenance and after sales service.
• Navigate local regulatory, cultural and commercial environments effectively.

Commercialisation & Product Readiness

• Translate engineering designs into commercially manufacturable products with clear documentation, BOMs and workflows.
• Support product standardisation and modularisation to reduce manufacturing complexity and cost.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to resolve manufacturability issues and drive continuous improvement.
• Develop a global service and maintenance model to support installed systems.
• Build recurring revenue streams through service contracts and upgrades.
• Ensure long term system performance and customer satisfaction.

Operations Management

• Establish operational framework, systems, tools and processes including ERP/MRP, inventory management, logistics and quality management systems.
• Manage UK operational activities including pilot manufacturing, warehousing and supply chain operations.
• Oversee international logistics including shipping, customs, compliance and distribution into Asian markets.

Team Building & Leadership

• Recruit and lead a high performing operations team across procurement, production engineering, supply chain and quality.
• Create a culture of accountability, safety, continuous improvement and cross functional collaboration.
• Provide strong leadership to support the company's growth trajectory and evolving organisational structure.

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Own and implement best in class health, safety and environmental standards across all operations.
• Ensure compliance with UK and international regulations, including site specific requirements.
• Lead on building a strong safety culture across internal teams and partners.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise Required

• Proven experience in a senior operations leadership role within industrial engineering, water treatment, filtration, or complex manufactured equipment.
• Demonstrated track record of scaling international operations from low volume to commercial production.
• Strong expertise in managing manufacturing partners, supply chains and complex assemblies.
• Experience building supply chains and vendor networks including in Asia.
• Deep understanding of quality systems, compliance, safety and industrial manufacturing best practices.
• Ability to translate high level engineering concepts into repeatable, scalable manufacturing processes.
• Excellent leadership, strong commercial/financial acumen and stakeholder management skills.
• Willingness to travel internationally 20%-30%.

Desirable

• Experience commercialising engineered industrial equipment from prototype to full rollout.
• Knowledge of water treatment or process engineering industries.
• Experience implementing ERP/MRP systems for scaling organisations.
• Background working with both SMEs and large manufacturing partners.

Benefits

• Flexible working environment, with core hours of 09 00 and hybrid working available, based at our central Bristol HQ.
• Annual Leave - 26 days + public holidays + entitlement will increase with length of service, 1 day for every year up to 32 days pa.
• 1 extra day of leave to celebrate you on your birthday.
• Ability to swap up to 3 Bank Holidays in a year for days of cultural or religious significance.
• Enhanced family leave (maternity & paternity) - 13 weeks full pay (maternity) or 4 weeks full pay (paternity) - available for those who have worked continuously for 26 weeks by the end of the Qualifying Week.
• Sick Pay - Short Term Sickness is full pay for 10 days in any 12 month rolling period / Long Term Sickness is full pay for any instance of a consecutive period of sickness longer than a week (7 consecutive days) up to 13 weeks.
• Pension scheme (Aviva) - 5% employer contribution.
• Private Medical Insurance (BUPA) - you and your family (Level 1 cover).
• Medical Cash Plan (SimplyHealth) - you and your family (Level 1 cover).
• Critical Illness Cover (Zurich) - after 13 weeks of Illness 75% of wages paid up to 5 years.
• Dental Plan (BUPA) - you and your family (Level 1 cover).
• Life Assurance (Zurich) - one off payment of 2 times your annual salary to next of kin.
• Virtual GP.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• On site kitchen, dining, breakout areas & healthy snacks.
• Monthly lunch clubs.
• Regular team events and parties.
• On site parking for bicycles and cars.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Ethical discounts through Lumina.
• Training & Development support incl. 5% of contractual hours used for self development.
• Professional membership - one per year where relevant to role.
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