Head of Operations for Consultancy & Services

University of Edinburgh; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 59,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution is seeking a Head of Operations for Consultancy & Services to lead and grow its consultancy arm. The candidate will enhance service offerings, drive income growth, and manage teams effectively within a dynamic environment. A degree or significant experience in a similar role is required, along with strong sales and financial management skills. The role is full-time with a competitive benefits package, including 40 days of leave.

Benefits

40 days of annual leave

Defined contribution pension scheme

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Proven track record of sales and driving income growth.
• Experience in financial management and CRM improvements.
• Ability to present complex information clearly.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire consultancy teams to achieve strategic objectives.
• Drive operational transition to centralized consultancy.
• Engage and cultivate partnerships within the consultancy community.

Skills

Sales experience

Financial acumen

Operational management

Expertise in strategy implementation

Continuous improvement

Excellent networking skills

Education

Degree in relevant discipline or 5 years experience

Job description

Description

Head of Operations for Consultancy & Services

EI Grade 9

(59301 - 75114)

The Opportunity:

Edinburgh Innovations Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary company of the University of Edinburgh responsible for pre-award research support services management of technology transfer activities consultancy services company formation and company incubation facilities. We are committed to facilitating the University’s research knowledge and expertise to make impactful contributions to society and the economy.

We are seeking a Head of Operations for Consultancy & Services to join our Consultancy Directorate. This pivotal role is designed to support the EI and University of Edinburgh in doubling its consultancy income by 2030 aligning with the University strategy of reimagining our size shape and ways of working to secure the long‑term future of our university.

The missions of the Consultancy directorate are:

• To spark innovation - where brilliant minds meet real‑world challenges connecting industry leaders with world‑class researchers and state‑of‑the‑art facilities
• Generate commercial revenue for the university and EI
• To feel proud of the work we do

The Role:

EI provides comprehensive support to all University staff considering undertaking consultancy and service are responsible for facilitating the costing drafting reviewing negotiating and signing of Consultancy and Service contracts and all related documents in‑line with university policy and procedures.

The Head of Operations for Consultancy & Services is a new role within the Consultancy Directorate. This is a key appointment to support the business accelerate its next phase of growth. The role reports into the Director of Consultancy and will operate with the directive to enhance our service offering to our internal and external customers. The role requires an individual who is comfortable with financial management process and system optimisation project management but most importantly a people‑focused work ethic and communication style.

The role will also sit as part of EIs Operations Leadership Team.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead and Inspire: Be a driving force on our Consultancy and Operations Leadership Teams championing our strategic objectives across Edinburgh Innovations.
• Drive Consultancy Excellence: Oversee the operational transition to a centralised consultancy function ensuring strategic alignment and delivering technical leadership and expert advice.
• Fuel Growth: With the Director establish operational structures such as CRM processes finance and communications that support new areas of income and growth
• Innovate Income Streams: Work collaboratively to introduce new income avenues including expert witness services professional consultancy and shared service offerings.
• Engage and Collaborate: Lead the Consultancy Community of Practice and cultivate partnerships with internal and external networks.

Your skills and attributes for success:

• Educated to degree standard in a relevant discipline or 5 years demonstratable experience in a similar role at a managerial or expert level.
• Proven track record of sales and successfully driving income growth
• Experience in demonstrating financial acumen pricing models and CRM system improvements
• Expertise in implementing a strategy and associated stakeholder engagement
• Experience of continuous improvement in performance and service.
• Experience working within industry and HEI environments.
• Competency in presenting complex information in a clear and concise manner.
• Highly motivated proactive organised and efficient with significant attention to detail
• Ability to work in a team to deliver on team targets
• Excellent influencing skills and ability to successfully network with both academia and industry

As a valued member of our team you will benefit from:

• An exciting positive creative challenging and rewarding place to work
• A competitive reward package with reviews based on performance
• A generous 40 days of combined annual leave and public holidays entitlement
• A competitive work package including defined contribution pension scheme (currently 4.5% employee and 14.5% employer contribution rates) family friendly initiatives flexible working and much more
• Support to nurture your talent and reward success

Please ensure you include a CV and supporting statement in your application

Please contact Edinburgh Innovations HR for informal enquiries at

Click on the link below for the full job description

Date for applications is Sunday 28th September at 11:59pm

Interviews are likely to be conducted the weeks coming 6th or 13th of October

If invited for interview you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages

Required Experience:

Director

Key Skills

Succession Planning, Growing Experience, Expense Management, Management Experience, Rackspace, Laboratory Management, Senior Leadership, Operations Management, Relationship Management, Leadership Experience, negotiation, Taxonomy

Employment Type: Full-Time

Department / Functional Area: Administration

Experience: years

Vacancy: 1