158666 - Head of Operations, MRC CoRE in Human Neural Development

King's College London; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

King's College London is seeking an exceptional Head of Operations to translate bold scientific vision into operational reality within a multi‑institutional research enterprise. You will oversee governance, planning, performance, risk and finance across three universities and a broad network of collaborators.

You will lead professional services, provide strategic advisory support to senior leadership, and drive complex programmes with a focus on innovative delivery and stakeholder engagement

Qualifications

• PhD qualified in relevant subject area or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrable experience of and/or qualification in Programme Management through delivery of a significant programme.
• Extensive experience of operational delivery of complex research centres or consortia.
• Track record of successfully managing professional services within a complex organisation, ideally in higher education.
• Advanced financial management and analytical skills, extensive experience in budget profiling and forecasting, managing multimillion-pound budgets associated with complex research programmes.
• Experience of designing research programme strategies and implementation plans.
• Strong influencing, negotiation and partnership-building skills.
• Strategic thinking and ability to operate at system level.
• Advanced understanding of governance, risk and partnership arrangements for programmes of research.
• Ability to lead through influence across systems without direct line authority.
• Experience working at a strategic level with academic research collaborations, commercial partners, and/or research funders.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills.
• High level of work organisation, self-motivation, drive for improvement, and flexibility in approach and attitude.

Responsibilities

• Translate a bold scientific vision into operational reality as the strategic operational lead for a complex, multi-institutional research enterprise.
• Oversee governance, planning, performance, risk, finance, partnerships and stakeholder engagement across three universities and a network of collaborators.
• Provide high-quality insight, analysis and recommendations to support informed leadership decisions.

Skills

Programme management

Governance

Budgeting

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Communication

Leadership

Risk management

Partnership building

System thinking

Education

PhD required

Job description

The Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) in Human Neural Development is seeking an exceptional and strategic operational leader to become Head of Operations.

Bringing together world-leading researchers, clinicians, patients and families across King's College London, University College London and The University of Manchester, the Centre has secured MRC funding to transform our understanding of how the human brain develops during early life.

About the role:

Working in partnership with the Centre Director and senior leadership team, you will be responsible for translating a bold scientific vision into operational reality. You will act as the strategic operational lead for a complex, multi-institutional research enterprise, overseeing governance, planning, performance, risk, finance, partnerships and stakeholder engagement across three leading universities and a diverse network of collaborators.

Holding overall responsibility for the Centre's operational infrastructure, you will oversee programme planning, governance, performance monitoring, risk and financial management across a complex partnership environment. You will act as a trusted strategic adviser, providing high-quality insight, analysis and recommendations to support informed decision-making at leadership level.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute to the development of a significant research investment, requiring the ability to navigate complexity, anticipate challenges and develop innovative solutions to support delivery of the Centre's objectives.

We are seeking an accomplished operational leader with significant experience gained within a research-intensive, higher education or similarly complex environment. You will have a strong track record of leading large-scale programmes or strategic portfolios, delivering against ambitious objectives while balancing multiple priorities and stakeholders.

This is a full time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 30 September 2033.

About you:

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

• PhD qualified in relevant subject area or equivalent experience
• Demonstrable experience of and/or qualification in Programme Management through delivery of a significant programme
• Extensive experience of operational delivery of complex research centres or consortia
• Track record of successfully managing professional services within a complex organisation, ideally in higher education
• Advanced financial management and analytical skills, extensive experience in budget profiling and forecasting, managing multimillion-pound budgets associated with complex research programmes
• Experience of designing research programme strategies and implementation plans
• Strong influencing, negotiation and partnership-building skills
• Strategic thinking and ability to operate at system level
• Advanced understanding of governance, risk and partnership arrangements for programmes of research
• Ability to lead through influence across systems without direct line authority
• Experience working at a strategic level with academic research collaborations, commercial partners, and/or research funders
• Excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills
• High level of work organisation, self-motivation, drive for improvement, and flexibility in approach and attitude

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, and we recognise its growing role in professional work. Applicants may use AI tools to support preparation of their application, for example to research the role or structure written responses. However, applications must reflect the applicant’s own work and experience. AI tools should not be used during interviews or assessment activities unless this has been agreed in advance as a reasonable adjustment. Further guidance on the use of AI in recruitment can be found here.

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