Operations Director
Posted 1 week ago by Adecco
Negotiable
Inside
Hybrid
Cambridge, UK
Summary: The Operations Director will lead the operational delivery and performance of a technology-led organization focused on research and innovation. This senior leadership role involves translating strategic objectives into operational outcomes while ensuring financial sustainability and risk management. The position requires overseeing multiple functions and maintaining relationships across various sectors. The role is hybrid and initially for a duration of 6 months.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and deliver the organisation's operational strategy in line with its mission and long-term objectives.
- Provide senior leadership across core operational functions, ensuring alignment, coordination, and performance.
- Oversee operational planning, execution, governance, and performance monitoring.
- Lead financial oversight, resource allocation, and risk management activities.
- Build and maintain senior-level relationships across industry, government, and academia.
- Ensure teams are effectively structured, developed, and led to deliver strategic goals.
- Provide regular reporting and assurance to senior governance bodies.
Key Skills:
- Proven senior leadership experience within a complex organisation, ideally within technology, innovation, research, or highly regulated environments.
- Strong strategic and operational leadership capability, with experience translating strategy into delivery.
- Demonstrable experience managing senior stakeholders and high-value partnerships.
- Strong financial, commercial, and performance management skills.
- Excellent communication and influencing abilities, with confidence operating at executive level.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and complex programmes.
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: Cambridge
Country: UK
Working Arrangements: hybrid
IR35 Status: inside IR35
Seniority Level: Senior
Industry: Other
Location - Cambridge (Hybrid)
Durartion - 6 months (Initially)
IR35 - Inside (Must use an umbrella company)
We are seeking an experienced Operations Director to lead the operational delivery, performance, and long-term sustainability of a high-impact, technology-led organisation operating at the intersection of research, industry, and innovation.
This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for translating strategic objectives into operational outcomes, overseeing multiple specialist functions, and ensuring financial sustainability, risk management, and delivery excellence across a complex portfolio of initiatives.
Key Responsibilities- Lead and deliver the organisation's operational strategy in line with its mission and long-term objectives.
- Provide senior leadership across core operational functions, ensuring alignment, coordination, and performance.
- Oversee operational planning, execution, governance, and performance monitoring.
- Lead financial oversight, resource allocation, and risk management activities.
- Build and maintain senior-level relationships across industry, government, and academia.
- Ensure teams are effectively structured, developed, and led to deliver strategic goals.
- Provide regular reporting and assurance to senior governance bodies.
About You
- Proven senior leadership experience within a complex organisation, ideally within technology, innovation, research, or highly regulated environments.
- Strong strategic and operational leadership capability, with experience translating strategy into delivery.
- Demonstrable experience managing senior stakeholders and high-value partnerships.
- Strong financial, commercial, and performance management skills.
- Excellent communication and influencing abilities, with confidence operating at executive level.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and complex programmes.
Desirable
- Background in engineering, science, technology, or innovation-led environments.
- Experience spanning industry-academic or public-private collaboration.
- Understanding of intellectual property, commercialisation, or technology transfer pathways.
