Operational Briefing Lead (Academic Buildings)

Imperial Enterprise; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

43 days’ annual leave

Generous pension schemes

Flexible working policy

On-site leisure facilities

Cycle-to-work scheme

Family leave packages

Job summary

Imperial College London is looking for an Operational Briefing Lead to shape how a major new academic building at White City will work in practice. You will coordinate commissioning across RIBA stages 4-5 and translate operating models into clear service requirements to support research, education and campus life.

The role requires coordinating input from service owners, IT, development and design teams, and translating decisions into practical SOPs, interfaces and operating budgets.

Qualifications

• A degree-level qualification, or equivalent experience, in a relevant field such as project management, estates or space planning, organisational change, operations management, architecture or engineering.
• Experience working on major capital and/or service design projects within complex organisations.
• Proven experience leading or coordinating operating-model or design decision-making processes.
• Experience bringing together technical specialists, future operators and senior stakeholders to agree designs, operating assumptions or significant service changes.
• Experience working effectively in complex, devolved or expert-led environments where influence and relationship-building are essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of a single operational requirements baseline, bringing together input from service owners, IT, Development and Service Design.
• Translate operating-model decisions into practical service requirements, operating assumptions, SOPs and service interfaces, ensuring these are reflected in design, commissioning, staffing and operating-cost decisions.
• Support operational readiness and governance by maintaining risk, decision and readiness information, preparing clear options and recommendations.
• Represent operational requirements in design reviews and stakeholder forums, coordinating across multiple teams to resolve competing requirements.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Operating-model design

Requirements translation

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Education

Degree-level qualification

Job description

Operational Briefing Lead (Academic Buildings)

This is an 18-month fixed-term, full-time role based at White City and will allow for hybrid working.

About the role

Imperial College London is seeking an Operational Briefing Lead to help shape how a major new academic building at White City will work in practice.

Working across Development, ICT and Service Teams, you will coordinate the operational commissioning of the building through RIBA Stages 4 and 5. You will translate the Target Operating Model and user journeys into clear operational requirements, helping ensure that the building, its services and digital systems are designed and commissioned to support excellent research, education and campus life.

This is an 18-month fixed-term, full-time role based at White City and will allow for hybrid working.

What you would be doing

In this role, you will lead the development of a single operational requirements baseline, bringing together input from service owners, IT, Development and Service Design. You will translate operating-model decisions into practical service requirements, operating assumptions, SOPs and service interfaces, ensuring these are reflected in design, commissioning, staffing and operating-cost decisions.

You will also support operational readiness and governance by maintaining risk, decision and readiness information, preparing clear options and recommendations, and representing operational requirements in design reviews and stakeholder forums. Working across multiple teams, you will help resolve competing requirements and ensure decisions remain focused on how the building will work in practice for students, researchers, staff and visitors.

What we are looking for

We are looking for an experienced project or operational professional who can bring together complex requirements and turn them into clear, practical decisions. You will bring:

• A degree-level qualification, or equivalent experience, in a relevant field such as project management, estates or space planning, organisational change, operations management, architecture or engineering
• Experience working on major capital and/or service design projects within complex organisations
• Proven experience leading or coordinating operating-model or design decision-making processes
• Experience bringing together technical specialists, future operators and senior stakeholders to agree designs, operating assumptions or significant service changes
• Experience working effectively in complex, devolved or expert-led environments where influence and relationship-building are essential
• A strong understanding of how user requirements and operating assumptions translate into design, fit-out and commissioning
• Knowledge of the challenges involved in designing complex, multi-user spaces and managing interfaces between services
• An understanding of how governance, stage gates, business cases and operating budgets interact with design development
• Strong analytical and synthesis skills, with the ability to turn complex operational information into clear options and recommendations
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to work credibly with senior leaders, technical experts and external partners

What we can offer you

• At Imperial, our values—respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation—guide everything we do. You’ll be part of a supportive and forward-thinking team, working on projects that directly contribute to the safety and wellbeing of our community.
• We are committed to creating an inclusive working environment and welcome applications from all backgrounds. We particularly encourage interest from individuals who are underrepresented in our workforce.
• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to use science for humanity.
• Benefit from a sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 43 days’ annual leave and generous pension schemes).
• Access to a range of workplace benefits including a flexible working policy from day one, generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities and cycle-to-work scheme.
• Interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel.
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Further information

If you require any further details on the role please contact: Sonia Stocker, Great Environment Portfolio Director by email - [e-mail]

Closing Date: Midnight on Sunday, 15 th November 2026.

Available documents

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

• download: Operational Briefing Lead (Acad Building) Job Description.pdf
• download: Employee Benefits Booklet - V2.2026.pdf

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

We reserve the right to close the advert before the stated closing date, should we receive a high volume of applications.

If you have any general queries about this vacancy, please contact the hiring manager listed in the ‘Further Information’ section. Alternatively, you can contact the Recruitment Hub at [e-mail], and we will be happy to assist you.

If you experience any technical issues that prevent you from submitting an application, please contact our Technical Support team at [e-mail] , who will be able to help resolve the issue.

About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top-ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial College London.

Our Culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, eliminating discrimination, and creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our web pages .

Proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. We welcome applications from the Armed Forces community.

Our values are at the root of everything we do, and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.