Head of Operations

University of Strathclyde; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Strathclyde Sport at the University of Strathclyde is recruiting a dynamic Head of Operations to lead our service delivery and capital planning. You will shape operational strategy, drive commercial opportunities and ensure an outstanding user experience across the sporting estate.

We're seeking a degree-qualified leader with a proven track record of managing specialist teams and significant financial resources, plus the vision to innovate and engage the Strathclyde community.

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified with substantial experience in a similar role.
• Proven track record of leading specialist teams and managing financial resources.
• Visionary mindset with ability to spot innovative, commercial opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Lead capital planning, commercial opportunities and operational systems.
• Oversee activity programming and ensure an outstanding user experience.
• Contribute to department strategy planning and complex decision making.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Financial management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Degree qualification

Job description

Strathclyde Sport is the heart of sport and active health at the University of Strathclyde, with the vision of being the most active city centre campus in the UK. Since opening in September 2018, its impact on delivering an outstanding student experience has been incredible, annually attracting more than 7,500 members and over 450,000 visits across the sporting estate. We are continually growing our profile to not only create the Strathclyde Sport identity but to also provide further strategic support to the wider University mission.

To continue doing so, the University of Strathclyde seeks to appoint a dynamic and visionary leader with the ability to inspire others to continue to deliver excellence in Strathclyde Sport operational services. The Head of Operations is a new role and will be a pivotal member of Strathclyde Sport Senior Management Team and will contribute to the departments’ leadership to deliver its strategy for the benefit of the whole university sport and active health community. The role will lead the formation, management and activation of capital planning, commercial opportunities, operational systems and activity programming, whilst ensuring throughout, the provision of an outstanding user experience.

To be considered for the role, you are expected to be degree qualified and have substantial experience in a similar specialist role along with demonstrable track record of managing specialist teams and associated financial resources whilst having a visionary outlook to seek out new innovative and commercial opportunities to engage the Strathclyde community. You should have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to unlock people’s potential and contribute to department strategy planning, business case preparation and complex decision making.

Interviews are scheduled to take place on 10 December 2026.

For informal enquiries, please contactNeil Brown, Director of Sport & Active Health at [e-mail]