Location: 80 Strand, London (hybrid, minimum 4 days in the office per week)
Contract: Full-time
Contract type: Fixed-term employment (1 year), with the option to move to a permanent role by mutual agreement, subject to successful performance and organisational fit.
Salary: £70,000–£90,000, depending on experience
Pension: 5% employer contribution
Reports to: Co-chief Executive
Direct report(s): 1x employee, plus oversight of several contractors including outsourced compliance and accounting functions
Start date: As soon as possible
About the role
The Head of Operations is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Centre for British Progress. Working closely with our Co-chief Executives, you will own our finance, HR, and operations functions; line manage the Operations Associate; oversee our outsourced compliance provider and our external accountants. You will also work with the Head of Partnerships and Fundraising to secure funding and manage relevant contracts. This is a senior, broad-ranging role. You will be hands-on, but also setting the systems and strategy that allow a fast-growing think tank to scale.
The Centre for British Progress is a non-partisan think tank researching and producing concrete ideas for an era of British growth and progress. We produce rigorous research, design implementation-ready policy ideas and engage with relevant stakeholders to make the case for reforms that can deliver meaningful progress for Britain. We are a fast-growing organisation with an ambitious agenda, and we are looking for exceptional people to help build it.
What you'll do
Core Operations
- Set and execute the operations strategy, with input from the Co-chief Executives
- Line manage the Operations Associate, oversee our outsourced compliance function, and support with board meeting preparation and action items as needed
- Oversee office administration
- Draft the organisation’s legal agreements and process approved contracts
- Work with our contractors to maintain the website
Delivery Operations
- Oversee and deliver the organisation’s events programme end-to-end, including arranging dinners, breakfasts, drinks receptions and conferences. This will involve liaising with a range of suppliers including venues, caterers, entertainment and photographers.
- Oversee our publications process and delivery from end-to-end, including project management to ensure reports and articles are produced to agreed deadlines and the promotion and dissemination of our content online and to our mailing list.
Finance
- Manage the organisation’s finances (in collaboration with our contracted accountancy provider)
- Conduct funder due diligence
- Track budget variance and flag material changes
- Manage contracts with funders
People and HR
- Manage the delivery of our in-house HR function end-to-end
- Manage employment processes, including contract negotiations
- Manage onboarding and offboarding for new hires and leavers
- Manage HR systems and periodically review and update our policies in the Organisation Handbook
- Work with the Co-chief Executives to establish desired culture, team development, and team activities
- Manage and track OKRs and KPIs across the organisation
Partnerships and fundraising
- Work with the Head of Partnerships and Fundraising on delivery, including due diligence, contracting, and operational follow-through
About you
Essential
- Significant operations experience, ideally in a small or fast-growing organisation
- A track record of line management and building effective teams
- Strong finance experience: budget ownership, working with accountants or bookkeepers, and confidence with management accounts
- HR experience across the employee lifecycle – hiring, onboarding, performance, and employee relations
- Sound commercial judgement on contracts, suppliers, and outsourced relationships
- Exceptional organisational skills and attention to detail
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Proficient with productivity tools and project management software
- High agency, proactive, and a problem-solver
- Experience with using AI tools such as ChatGPT and/or Claude
Desirable
- Experience in think tanks, charities, or other policy-oriented organisations
- Experience managing outsourced functions (compliance, accounting, or legal)
- Familiarity with UK charity governance and regulatory obligations
- Experience in IT and project management
We are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.
How to apply
Please submit the application form. We are considering applications on a rolling basis and we strive to review and provide a response to each application within two weeks of submission.