Chief Operating Officer (COO)

The challenges humanity faces today are real, pressing, and profoundly complex. Unfortunately, the traditional higher education system has not evolved to address this reality. By operating in disciplinary silos, it leaves graduates ill-equipped to navigate and address the interwoven challenges of the 21st century.

At The London Interdisciplinary School (LIS), we’re rethinking higher education from the ground up. We equip students with an interdisciplinary toolkit designed to confront the intricate problems shaping our world—problems that don’t adhere to neat academic boundaries. With a world-class faculty, five pioneering cohorts, and partnerships with global organisations, LIS is more than a university. It’s a movement. A place where bold thinkers can learn how to shape the world, not just fit in.

As the first UK educational institution in 50 years to be granted full degree-awarding powers since inception, we are redefining what higher education can be. From our innovative Bachelor’s, Master’s and MBA to our professional development programmes, LIS represents a ground-breaking approach to education designed for those ready to tackle the complexity of tomorrow, today.

About the role: At LIS, our team is structured into three core functions: 1) Faculty 2) Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions and 3) Operations. The newly-created Chief Operating Officer (COO) role will lead the Operations function—a talented team spanning the critical areas of student support, careers, registry, programme administration, finance, HR, technology and campus management. These areas have historically sat in different functions, and this is an exciting opportunity to think about how they can all work in more interconnected ways, in order to deliver an exceptional learning experience.

We’re looking for a senior generalist who loves creating seamless internal systems and fostering an internal culture that is both rigorous and supportive. Someone who is passionate about crafting an outstanding student and alumni experience. Someone who excels in combining big-picture strategy and hands-on execution, in making sure things run smoothly and on time, and in holding others accountable to deliver at their best.

You will report directly to our CEO Ed Fidoe and collaborate closely with all other members of the leadership team and beyond. You will play a pivotal role in shaping LIS as we build a generational institution.

Key responsibilities:

• Be an integral part of the leadership team, contributing to strategic decision-making and long-term planning.
• Enable, inspire, and develop a team of 14.
• Drive and evolve our Talent strategy: owning hiring, onboarding, and team development, to attract top talent and ensure every team member is set up to thrive.
• Drive the development and improvement of systems, processes, and structures to support the efficient and scalable operation of LIS.
• Partner with Faculty to ensure that we have the optimal setup to deliver all of our programmes, and that we are setting industry best practice.
• Work closely with Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions to align operational goals with student growth objectives.

Requirements:

• The ideal candidate will have 10+ years of experience in operational roles, including time in fast-paced, complex, startup environments.
• Bring 5+ years of leadership experience, with a track record of managing teams of 10+.
• Be experienced in at least two of the areas you will lead (e.g. student support, careers, HR, technology) and eager to learn about others.
• Exhibit intellectual curiosity and a passion for educating future leaders (nb: past experience in higher education is not something we are looking for).
• Be comfortable with numbers and enjoy diving into technical and operational details.
• Approach challenges with a proactive, resourceful, and data-driven mindset.
• Deeply align with LIS’s values: rigour, curiosity, courage, compassion, and meraki.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary, depending on level of experience.
• Campus-first (at least 3 days a week on average), with some flexibility to work from home.
• 30 days of paid leave annually (plus bank holidays).
• Monthly fitness contribution and, on successful completion of your probationary period, company-sponsored health plan.
• Annual personal development contribution for external training/coaching.