Director of Operations

Reporting to the Institute Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), this key role is responsible for the design, operation and delivery of operations and scientific services that will ensure delivery of excellent support to QIB. The postholder is the principal advisor to the CEO and the Board on all operational matters.

The postholder will work closely with the Institute Director, QIB Executive Board, and QIB Board of Trustees to plan and implement the operational strategy, ensuring the success of the institute as it enters the next stage of development.

The Director of Operations will lead a range of management activities to ensure QIB can effectively deliver its scientific vision. Leading, coordinating, and efficiently delivering operational activities are key requirements of this role. As part of the senior Executive team, you will support cultural change and institute sustainability.

To be successful in this role, the postholder must be able to manage a substantial and varied workload; deliver projects and reports; and negotiate, resolve problems, mediate, and manage complex and sensitive issues with confidence and professionalism.

Internal

• QIB Board of Trustees
• QIB Executive Board including NI2SP and Pillar Leads
• Laboratory operations, Health and Safety, and Scientific services teams
• NBI Partnership and partner organisations who provide support services including Human Resources; IT/Computing;
  Finance;
  Health and Safety; and Risk Management
• Facilities Management team, and Intelligent Client for QI

External

• QI Partners Board of Trustees
• QI Executive Group
• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
• Anglian Innovation Partnership LLP, and the Norwich Research Park
• The John Innes Centre, Earlham Institute, The Sainsbury Laboratory, the University of East Anglia and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
• Other research institutes, universities, schools, commercial organisations and funding agencies in the UK, EU and internationally

• Strategic Leadership & Governance (40%)
  
  • Translate high‑level scientific and organisational strategies into actionable operational plans.
  
  • Support the Institute Director/CEO as part of the senior executive team.
  
  • Lead implementation and monitoring of institutional strategic or impact frameworks.
  
  • Provide leadership and oversight of corporate governance, risk management, internal controls, and organisational assurance frameworks.
  
  • Identify and assess operational risks, ensuring they are clearly articulated and accompanied by appropriate mitigation strategies, solution options, and assurance actions.
  
  • Ensure regulatory and compliance requirements are met and drive continuous improvement in operational assurance.
• Operational Delivery, Performance, and Service Excellence (40%)
  
  • Direct, administer, and coordinate all operational activities of the institute.
  
  • Facilitate the effective delivery of research activities by ensuring the provision of high‑quality research infrastructure, laboratory, and support services.
  
  • Coordinate crisis management; oversee the care for staff and personnel on site, protection of the environment, protection of QIB reputation and maintenance of business continuity.
  
  • Provide strategic oversight of incident command structures and operational risk.
• Financial Leadership (15%)
  
  • Work closely with finance teams to achieve financial sustainability and support strategic goals.
  
  • Prepare, monitor, and report on business plans and budgets.
  
  • Build and sustain organisational capabilities and systems to support accurate forecasting, strategic workforce planning, and efficient operational resource allocation.
• People & Talent Management (10%)
  
  • Work closely with the People and Talent Pillar Leads to achieve a positive research culture in terms of Career Development and EDI.
  
  • Promote a high‑performance culture that supports scientific excellence.
  
  • Foster and champion an organisational culture that promotes continuous improvement, innovation, and collaborative ways of working.
• Research Enablement & Scientific Support (10%)
  
  • Lead the optimisation of research operations by improving workflows, overseeing enabling tools…