Head of Operational Excellence

Cloudscaler; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A tech consulting firm in London is seeking a Head of Operational Excellence to lead operational strategies, improve processes, and ensure compliance across finance and HR. This hybrid role requires strong leadership, data analytics, and a passion for automation. Ideal candidates should have senior operational experience in a fast-growing environment and be comfortable with ambiguity. Join us in shaping the operational backbone of a scaling consultancy with ambitious growth plans.

Qualifications

• Senior operational leadership experience in a fast-growing business.
• Experience improving processes for efficiency.
• Strong skills in Excel and comfortable with data-driven decisions.

Responsibilities

• Drive operational strategy aligning with business goals.
• Implement process improvements and automation.
• Oversee finance and HR operations ensuring compliance.

Skills

Senior operational leadership experience

Strong understanding of finance, people, operations

Proven process improvement skills

Comfortable using data and technology

Strong Excel skills

Experience with HR, finance, collaboration tools

Interest in automation and AI

Experience leading teams

Job description

Overview

Head of Operational Excellence (Head of Operations)

London | Hybrid (up to 3 days per week in the office)

Full-time, Permanent

£75,000-£85,000

About the role

Cloudscaler is growing fast, and we are looking for a senior operational leader to help us scale intelligently.

As Head of Operational Excellence, you will own and evolve the operational backbone of the business. This is a hands-on leadership role where you will bring structure, automation, and clarity across finance, people operations, and business processes. You will work closely with our founders and leadership team to ensure Cloudscaler continues to grow in a controlled, efficient, and data-informed way.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys improving how businesses work, loves simplifying complexity, and is excited by the potential of technology and AI to transform operations. You do not need to be an expert in every domain. What matters most is strong judgment, a holistic view of the business, and the ability to turn strategy into action.

What you will be doing

Driving operational strategy

• Translate Cloudscaler’s business goals into clear, measurable operational plans

• Define and track meaningful KPIs across finance, people, and operations

• Provide clear, concise reporting and insights to leadership and the Board

• Use data to spot risks, inefficiencies, and opportunities before they become problems

• Help shape the long-term strategy of the business through operational insight

Process improvement, automation, and technology

• Review how we work today and redesign processes to be leaner, smarter, and more scalable

• Identify opportunities to automate manual or repetitive work across the business, partnering with our Chief AI Officer to explore how AI can improve operational effectiveness

• Ensure key processes are clearly documented and easy for teams to follow

Finance and commercial operations

• Take a holistic view of finance and what matters most for leadership decision making

• Oversee financial processes and reporting, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and scalability

• Drive automation to shorten month-end close and invoicing cycles

• Work with external accountants, auditors, and finance partners

• Use financial and operational data to highlight risks, improve margins, and control costs

People and HR operations

• Oversee HR systems and processes, with a focus on efficiency, compliance, and employee experience

• Partner with the Head of Talent Acquisition to improve recruitment processes and outcomes

• Own and improve joiner, mover, and leaver processes

• Ensure compliance with UK employment law, IR35, and equality regulations

Recruitment and workforce planning

• Work with leadership to forecast hiring needs and priorities

• Lead structured resourcing discussions and workforce planning

• Support the long-term shift towards a higher permanent workforce ratio

Risk, compliance, and quality

• Coordinate audits and compliance activity, working with internal and external experts

• Maintain ISO accreditation and associated management systems

• Ensure compliance with data protection, health and safety, and other regulatory requirements

• Identify operational risks and ensure mitigation plans are documented and owned

What we are looking for

Experience and skills

• Senior operational leadership experience in a fast-growing business, ideally technology or professional services

• Strong understanding of how finance, people, and operations fit together

• Proven experience improving processes and making businesses run more efficiently

• Comfortable using data and technology to inform decisions and drive change

• Strong Excel skills and confidence working with dashboards and reporting

• Experience working with common HR, finance, and collaboration tools

• An interest in automation and AI, with a desire to learn and apply new approaches

• Experience leading teams and managing competing priorities

Personal qualities

• Structured, organised, and proactive

• A strategic thinker who can also get hands-on when needed

• Comfortable with ambiguity and change in a fast-paced environment

• Calm under pressure and pragmatic in approach

• Emotionally intelligent, able to handle sensitive conversations with confidence and fairness

• Curious about new technology and how it can improve the way businesses operate

• Commercially minded and able to connect detail to big-picture outcomes

Why join Cloudscaler

This is a rare opportunity to shape the operational engine of a scaling consultancy with strong technical foundations and ambitious growth plans. You will work closely with our founders, influence company strategy, and have real ownership over how we evolve as we grow towards 200 employees and beyond.

If you enjoy building, improving, and scaling businesses, and want to do that in an environment that values technology, clarity, and impact, we would love to hear from you.

This is an equal opportunity employer, committed to equal opportunities regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, parental status, religion or medical history.

If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process or within the workplace, please let us know when you speak to our Talent Acquisition team or contact [e-mail] at the earliest opportunity.