Operations Director

Overview

Bolt Insight is a fast-growing consumer insights start-up building AI-powered research products, including BoltChatAI (AI-moderated qualitative research at scale) and quantitative capabilities via BoltQ – helping teams get high-quality consumer insight faster and across global markets. We’re scaling quickly, which means high hiring volume, pace, and loads of opportunities to learn, influence, and grow.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Delivery, Resourcing and Oversight: Own end-to-end delivery orchestration for all research projects globally, ensuring projects are correctly staffed, resourced, and delivered on time and within budget. Allocate the right internal and external research resources to each project based on scope, complexity, availability, and cost-efficiency — without owning research methodology. Act as the operational partner to Research Leads and Research Managers, enabling them to focus on research quality while Operations ensures delivery runs smoothly. Oversee global data collection operations, ensuring capacity, reliability, and scalability across markets. Own senior relationships with panel and data partners, including performance monitoring, issue resolution, and commercial optimisation. Serve as the escalation point for delivery risks, resourcing conflicts, and operational bottlenecks.
• Operational Excellence, Tools & Efficiency: Own the strategic application of Jira and related workflow tools, ensuring they support delivery planning, resourcing decisions, forecasting, and operational visibility. Lead the effective application of existing time-tracking systems, ensuring consistent usage across internal teams and freelancers to enable accurate capacity planning, utilisation tracking, and cost control. Build and maintain operational dashboards covering delivery performance, timelines, utilisation, and risk indicators.
• Financial, Cost & Systems Management: Maintain oversight of all project-related costs, ensuring strong budget discipline and margin control. Partner closely with Finance to support ERP systems, ensuring operational data (time, delivery status, costs) flows cleanly into billing, forecasting, and profitability reporting. Enable accurate project-level forecasting, revenue recognition support, and cost attribution across internal and external resources. Identify margin improvement opportunities through smarter resource allocation, vendor negotiations, panel optimisation, and process efficiencies.
• Leadership, Governance & Strategy: Lead, mentor, and scale the Operations function, including internal team members and global freelance networks. Establish clear ownership, accountability, and performance expectations across delivery and operations. Drive strong cross-functional collaboration with Research, Commercial, Product, and Finance to ensure seamless execution from sale to delivery to invoicing. Provide strategic input to leadership on global scaling, including delivery models, data partnerships, tooling, and organisational design.

Why Work for Bolt Insight?

At Bolt Insight, we’re a vibrant and growing startup with a passionate team that thrives on innovation and collaboration. Here’s what you can expect when you join us:

• Remote working and the flexibility to work in a nomadic way – enjoy the best of both worlds, balancing work and life your way.
• Flexible working environment – we trust you to manage your time and work in a way that suits you best.
• Employee referral bonus – you get the chance to shape our team and be rewarded for bringing great people onboard.
• Virtual or local team gatherings – whether online or in person, we love to connect and celebrate our successes together.
• In-house recognition awards – we celebrate our ‘lightning bolts’ (those who go above and beyond) and show our appreciation for hard work.
• Annual Bonus System – if the company meets its targets, you’ll receive a bonus payment of up to two months’ salary. We win together.

We are actively building a diverse and inclusive team at Bolt Insight. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and celebrate the different perspectives, ideas and experiences of all people who work with us. Our global team is one where everyone can share their opinions, ideas and develop their careers in a friendly and nurturing environment. Apply today and join a dynamic, international team driving innovation across borders!