Head of Operations - London

Iris Worldwide; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading creative agency in Greater London is seeking a Head of Operations to drive operational excellence and innovation. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years in a marketing or media environment and a strategic mindset that bridges creativity and commerciality. Responsibilities include building high-performing teams, implementing effective processes, and overseeing the integration of new technologies to enhance productivity and creativity. This position offers flexibility and comprehensive benefits, making it an exciting opportunity for a dynamic leader.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

BUPA private health care

Flexible working arrangement

Discounted Gym Memberships

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in a creative, marketing, or media agency environment.
• Deep understanding of agency workflows and financial dynamics.
• Comfortable with change and quick to adapt.

Responsibilities

• Build and sustain a high-performance talent ecosystem across departments.
• Design and implement agency processes balancing creativity and commercial health.
• Oversee resourcing, workflow management, and operational planning.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Collaboration

Adaptability

Innovation

Job description

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The opportunity

At Iris, our spirit is built on outsider thinking. We dive headfirst into the unknown, experiment relentlessly, and stay ahead of the curve. We believe that creativity thrives when it's backed by operational excellence.

The Head of Operations will embody this spirit, pushing boundaries, championing bold ideas, and shaping work that resonates in culture. Sitting at the heart of the agency, this role bridges creativity and commerciality, ensuring the right people, processes, and technology are in place to unlock our full potential.

You will design and deliver systems that keep Iris agile, innovative, and ready for what's next. From building high-performing teams to integrating cutting‑edge tools, you will make sure the agency runs as seamlessly as it dreams, enabling creativity to thrive at scale.

How you’d spend your day

People

• Building and sustaining a high-performance talent ecosystem across departments, ensuring the right expertise and mindset are in place to meet evolving client and industry demands.
• Partnering with department leads and HR to anticipate hiring needs, champion career development, and drive retention. Fostering a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and innovation where operational structure amplifies, not limits, creativity.
• Championing diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure a wide range of perspectives and experiences are represented and celebrated.

Process

• Designing, implementing, and continuously evolving agency processes that balance creativity with commercial health.
• Overseeing resourcing, workflow management, and operational planning to maximise productivity and ensure seamless collaboration across Strategy, Creative, Production, PR, Social, and Performance teams.
• Creating operational models that allow the agency to flex quickly in response to new business wins, shifting client needs, and industry trends.
• Setting and monitoring performance metrics to measure and enhance operational excellence.

Technology

• Leading the evaluation and integration of new technologies, AI tools, and media platforms to keep Iris at the forefront of modern marketing.
• Partnering with department heads to ensure systems and tools enhance creativity, collaboration, and effectiveness. Embedding data, insights, and performance tracking into the agency's daily operations to drive smarter, faster decision-making.

What we’re looking for

• An experienced operations or production leader with 10+ years in a creative, marketing, or media agency environment.
• A strategic thinker who knows how to turn ideas into scalable systems that fuel both creativity and commercial growth.
• Someone with a deep understanding of agency workflows, resourcing models, and financial dynamics.
• A natural collaborator who builds trust, clarity, and momentum across diverse teams.
• A leader comfortable with change. Calm under pressure, decisive in complexity, and quick to adapt.
• A curious innovator who embraces technology and data as enablers of creativity, not obstacles to it.
• Above all, someone who embodies Iris’s outsider spirit, turning the unknown into opportunity and inspiring others to do the same.

Iris Core Values

PASSION

Passion fuels everything we do. You might be the loudest voice in the room or quietly crushing it behind the scenes. What matters is that you care. About the work. About the people. About the impact. We show up with energy, get involved, and make this place better every day for each other and for our clients.

PROACTIVITY

We don’t wait for permission. We get stuck in. Iris people take ownership, stay curious, and never stop learning. We are always looking for smarter ways of working, new skills to master, and better answers to the briefs we’re given and even the ones we’re not. We don’t sit still and we don’t let opportunities pass us by.

PERFORMANCE

Great work is our baseline. We push for better. We collaborate across teams, challenge the norm, and raise the quality of everything we deliver. Strong performance isn’t just about doing your part. It’s about growing the business, helping others succeed, and showing clients what Iris is made of.

Benefits

Annual Leave:

We all need downtime. Make sure you make the most of the leave you are entitled to. This includes:

• 25 days per annum
• 3 additional days to be used for religious holiday
  (will default to Christmas period unless
  you request otherwise)
• 1 extra day off for your birthday (if your birthday falls on a weekend you can take it on the Friday or Monday)
• An additional day after both 3 and 5 years of service
• Climate exchange day - should you choose a more sustainable method of travel to your holiday; you’ll get an additional day off as our way of saying thank you for looking after the planet.

Flexibility:

• Flexible working (3 office days)
• Core hours (10am - 4pm)

Healthcare & Wellbeing

• BUPA private health care
• BUPA dental care
• Specsavers free eyecare tests
• 3-month Sabbatical after five years of service
• Discounted Gym Memberships through Aviva
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Mental Health First Aid
• NABS Support (Free counselling, therapy and training sessions)

Family Leave:

• Enhanced Maternity leave:
  • 4 months full pay after 1 years' service
  • 6 months full pay after 2 years' service
• Enhanced Paternity leave:
  • 4 weeks full pay after 1 years' service
• IVF support - giving you flexibility to attend appointments and recover from procedures
• Additional Parental support - meaning you can be there for your family's important moments

Pension & Financial Planning

• Pension scheme
• Personal access to our independent Financial Advisor
• Aviva Group income protection scheme

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and recruit on talent alone, regardless of age, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, education, class, sexual orientation or disability. We champion diversity and believe it not only benefits, but enhances our creativity, our company and the wider society at large.

If you decide to apply for a role at Iris we will only keep the data provided by you for 2 years from the date we receive it, following which your data will then be destroyed. We have a legitimate interest to process the data you provide us and we will protect your rights in accordance with all applicable data legislation. If at any point you decide you would like us to delete the data we hold or have any more questions please email us at [e-mail].

You can find out more about our Privacy Policy here: http://www.iris-worldwide.com/privacy-policy/