Head of Operations Part Time

Nesta

We are recruiting for a Head of Operations to join Nesta Challenges!

About Nesta and Nesta Challenges
We are Nesta. The UK’s innovation agency for social good. We design, test and scale new solutions to society’s biggest problems, changing millions of lives for the better.

We confront challenges that affect millions of people, from chronic childhood inequality to ill-health and the climate crisis.

We believe that innovation is more possible now than ever before. We see opportunities to mobilise citizens and influence behaviour. A wealth of private and public capital that can be used more creatively. Pools of data to mine.

And so we draw on these rich resources by bringing together multidisciplinary teams: data scientists, designers and behavioural scientists, practitioners at the frontline, academics; and people with lived experience.

Together, we design, test and scale new solutions to society’s biggest problems. We partner with frontline organisations, build new businesses and work to change whole systems. Harnessing the rigour of science and the creativity of design, we work relentlessly to put ideas to the test.

Our Challenges team is at the forefront of identifying and defining problems where new ideas, technologies and approaches can be encouraged to radically improve outcomes and then developing and managing challenge prizes that optimise the likelihood of success. Challenge prizes are competitions which reward whoever can first, or most effectively, meet a defined challenge and we have launched prizes that include improving outcomes for Nepalese farmers, improving access to energy for refugees and the £10m Longitude Prize for antimicrobial resistance.

The Role
Nesta Challenges is looking for an exceptional Head of Operations to proactively own, manage and lead our operations as we look to grow, and increase our impact globally. You will work closely with your leadership peers to ensure that the operational delivery for the organisation is fit for purpose and able to respond to our pioneering working environment.

You will have led operations in a similar sized organisation before, be intuitive, have sound judgement, attention to detail and be a true team player – empowering others, fostering teamwork and developing people. An ability to build strong relationships across a diverse team and excellent diplomatic and negotiation skills are essential, alongside a clear passion and commitment to social innovation. You will need to be comfortable with innovation and change and comfortable working within a ‘one team’ approach.

You will be responsible for finance, human resources, governance, compliance, systems and processes. You will help drive our strategy through effective and proactive organisational and financial management, ensuring Nesta Challenges is a healthy, positive and high performing place to be.

You will be very comfortable with big picture thinking and making strategic recommendations, at the same time as being heavily involved in the detail of finance, people and the appropriate deployment of resourcing across teams to support the impact of our work and to meet client demands and deadlines.

You will have:

• a strong track record in business management and operations
• a good understanding of talent and culture management including the importance of good Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (E,D&I) practice strong financial acumen
• ability to handle ambiguity
• top notch communication skills
• excellent people skills and the ability to collaborate across the team

What we offer

Salary: £56k – £73k plus array of benefits, including health cash plans, dental insurance, the ability to buy and sell annual leave, eyecare vouchers and more

Location: This role is based in Blackfriars, Central London, but we offer some flexibility for our people to work remotely

Term: Permanent

Hours: This is a full-time role but we offer a range of flexible working arrangements and encourage our people to take advantage of them. Many do.

Making an application
To apply for this role, please submit your application before 8:00am on the 29th of March 2021. First interviews will take place w/c 5th of April 2021.

At Nesta, we believe that a diverse workforce leads to an organisation that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results.

We want our workforce to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our workplace to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

This means that when we are recruiting, we actively seek to reach a diverse pool of candidates. It also means that we are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, compressed or part-time hours, job shares and other arrangements.

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.