Chief Operating Officer in London

The COO will translate BLiM’s mission and strategy and ensure it is well-run, properly resourced, with its ambitious day-to-day delivery. You will free the CEO to focus on strategic leadership and external influence by owning operations, people management, financial oversight and internal systems. The COO will be a senior leader who shapes organisational culture, makes operational decisions, manages complex stakeholder relationships and drives the performance of a passionate, high-commitment team. You will be the person the organisation looks to when it needs clarity, stability and momentum. The COO joins at a moment of leadership transition following the departure of BLiM’s co-founder and Director of Operations.

Why Join Us: Black Lives in Music (BLiM) is a not-for-profit dedicated to advancing racial equity across the UK music industry. We amplify the voices of Black artists, music professionals and communities; drive systemic change; and hold the industry accountable for meaningful progress. Through research, advocacy, programming and strategic partnerships, BLiM creates the conditions for Black talent to thrive. BLiM has published ground-breaking research including the Being Black in the UK Music Industry report, produced the UK’s first Black classical music festival in Classically Black, influenced government policy on live music licensing, and built a network of over 100 partner organisations across the four nations. BLiM is now entering a new phase of its development, with a strengthened leadership team, a Target Operating Model designed to carry the organisation beyond its founding era, and an ambition to become the UK’s most influential voice for racial equity in music.

Person Specification

• Significant experience in a senior operational leadership role, ideally as a COO, Head of Operations or Director of Operations in a charity, social enterprise or purpose-driven organisation.
• Demonstrable track record of building and improving operational infrastructure: systems, processes, policies and ways of working that make organisations more effective and resilient.
• Proven people management experience, including line management of senior staff, performance development, recruitment and team culture-building.
• Strong financial literacy, including experience of budget management, grant compliance, financial reporting and working with a board finance function.
• Experience of leading or supporting governance processes, including board reporting, risk management and compliance.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex operational information into clear, accessible reports and presentations for senior stakeholders.
• A genuine, demonstrable commitment to racial equity and an understanding of the specific systemic barriers faced by Black professionals, artists and communities.
• The emotional intelligence and interpersonal skill to lead with care, build trust quickly and navigate complex relationships under pressure.
• The resilience and adaptability to thrive in a small, fast‑paced, mission‑driven organisation where the work is varied, the stakes are high and no day is the same.
• Experience of working in or with the music industry, creative industries or arts and culture sector.
• Familiarity with Arts Council England funding frameworks, charity law and the regulatory environment for non-profit organisations.
• Experience of implementing or managing a CRM system, project management platform or other operational technology.
• Knowledge of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) frameworks and how to embed inclusive practice into operational systems and culture.
• Experience of leading an organisation through a period of significant change, transition or growth.
• An existing network within the UK music sector, creative industries or racial equity and social justice space.