Head of UK Operations

present of AI; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Adaptyv Bio is seeking a founding general manager for its new London lab. The role involves owning the site fit-out, opening the lab, and establishing the company while hiring the first team.

The candidate will oversee UK customers and partnerships, and manage property, finance, and hiring without requiring expert-level mastery in each area. A life sciences background and willingness to be on site in London are essential, with the role bridging AI-enabled operations and hands-on lab

Qualifications

• Founding general manager experience or equivalent leadership in a startup.
• Experience launching a new site or business, preferably in lab or physical facilities.
• Ability to handle property, finance, legal and hiring without deep expertise in each area.
• Life sciences background and willingness to be on site in London.

Responsibilities

• Own site fit-out and opening, from contracting to opening the lab.
• Set up the company and hiring the first team.
• Oversee UK customers and build initial partnerships.
• Negotiate with landlords and vendors; manage budgeting and vendor comparisons.

Skills

Startup leadership

Site launch experience

Team building

Vendor negotiation

Life sciences background

Tools

AI planning tools

Job description

This is a founding general manager job for a new London lab. The person owns everything from getting the site fitted out and opened to setting up the company, hiring the first team and looking after UK customers. A strong candidate has launched a new site or business before, ideally in a lab or other physical, equipment-heavy setting, and can handle property, finance, legal and hiring without being an expert in each. A life sciences background and a willingness to be on site in London matter too.

How it fits the AI era

The company runs a lab where AI agents order and learn from real experiments, so the London site is part of the physical side of AI-driven science. In this role, AI tools help with everyday operations work, such as drafting, analysis and planning, so one person can cover more ground. What stays human is negotiating with landlords and vendors, hiring scientists, making judgment calls under pressure and building trust with UK customers and partners.

How it builds AI experience

Working here means seeing closely how an automated lab connects AI protein design tools to real experimental data, including work for AI labs and biotech partners. Day to day, the role involves using AI coding and assistant tools in operations. A candidate can prepare by trying these tools on planning, budgeting and vendor comparison tasks, and by learning how AI-designed proteins get tested in the lab.

Worth showing

• Launched a new site or business
• Lab or infrastructure build experience
• Hiring and team building
• Vendor and landlord negotiation
• Daily use of AI tools

This is our own read, written from the employer's posting and the company's Spotlight. The employer's posting is the source of truth for the role.

About Adaptyv Bio

An automated lab that tests AI-designed proteins, so researchers can send a sequence and get real experimental data back.