Director of Operations in Cambridge

We are seeking a Director of Operations to join ERA at a pivotal moment of growth. This is a senior, strategic hire who will shape how ERA is structured, scaled, and sustained over the long term. In 2026, we are scaling to run two summer fellowships: an ERA:AI fellowship and an AIxBiosecurity fellowship, alongside at least two major conferences and a pipeline of new domain-specific programmes. We want to streamline our operations to match this scale.

Working closely with the Executive Director and Programme Director, you will take ownership of ERA's operational effectiveness, compliance, financial strategy, and team development. You will be the person who translates ERA's ambitious programme vision into the systems, structures, and culture that make it possible and who ensures that as we grow from a small core team to an organisation of 15–20 people, we do not lose what makes us effective. This includes managing the visa and compliance infrastructure that underpins ERA's international fellowship model. This is a high-trust, high-autonomy role. You will have real scope to shape the organisation's trajectory, building systems that stick, managing risk proactively, mentoring a growing operations team, and acting as a senior counsel to ERA's leadership. You will also be ERA's operational interface with our Board, including preparing materials, ensuring regulatory compliance, and flagging strategic risks.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Strategy & Scaling
  • Set the strategic direction for ERA's operations function, ensuring it evolves alongside organisational growth.
  • Translate ERA's programme and organisational strategy into coherent operational frameworks and execution plans.
  • Lead ERA through its next phase of growth, from a small, generalist team to a larger, more structured organisation of 15–20 staff managing the cultural and structural change this requires.
  • Design and implement systems, workflows, and processes that scale: robust, clear, and built to last beyond any individual.
  • Identify structural bottlenecks and scaling risks proactively, resolving them before they become crises.
  • Strengthen coordination between the operations, programmes, and research teams to ensure internal systems support high-quality external work.
• Financial Oversight
  • Provide senior oversight of ERA's financial strategy, working closely with the (future) Finance Lead on multi-year planning, scenario modelling, and budgeting aligned with ERA's fundraising and growth plans.
  • Oversee financial reporting, controls, and compliance, maintaining standards appropriate to ERA's scale and funder expectations.
  • Manage stipend and reimbursement processing, grant financial reporting, and audit-readiness.
  • Integrate financial planning into organisational design and capacity decisions.
• Board Relations & Governance
  • Prepare materials for Board meetings, ensuring ERA's leadership has clear, accurate information on operational and financial performance.
  • Ensure ERA meets all relevant legal and regulatory obligations — including charity law, data protection, employment law, and visa compliance.
  • Flag operational risks, resource constraints, and structural issues that require Board-level decisions.
  • Support ERA in developing governance structures appropriate to its growing scale and complexity.
• Team Leadership & Culture
  • Lead, develop, and performance-manage ERA's operations team, building functional depth as the organisation grows.
  • Mentor junior operations staff, supporting their professional growth and expanding their capacity over time.
  • Help set the tone for ERA's culture and values as the organisation scales — modelling integrity, focus, and care for colleagues.
  • Coordinate across the senior team, acting as a thought partner and source of counsel for the Executive Director and leadership.
• Compliance, Risk & HR
  • Oversee HR operations including employment contracts, visa and right-to-work compliance, onboarding, and staff policies.
  • Manage ERA's sponsor licence obligations, maintaining compliance with UKVI requirements and overseeing visa applications for a high volume of international fellows and staff - a core and recurring operational responsibility given ERA's programme model.
  • Develop and maintain ERA's risk management frameworks, ensuring risks are identified, owned, and mitigated.
  • Ensure adherence to all relevant legal, regulatory, and institutional policies across ERA's operations.

About You

We are looking for a senior operational leader who combines strategic clarity with a genuine bias for execution. You might be a strong fit if you:

• Have significant experience in operational leadership ideally at director level or equivalent, with responsibility for overall organisational performance across multiple functions.
• Have led organisations or teams through periods of significant growth and change including managing the transition from a small, informal team to a structured, scalable organisation.
• Think in systems you design processes and structures that work without you, and you take satisfaction in building infrastructure that outlasts any individual.
• Are a proactive problem-solver you anticipate issues before they arise, move quickly when they do, and stay calm under pressure.
• Have experience managing upwards including working with or preparing materials for a Board of Directors, and flagging risks at the right level of the organisation.
• Are a strong people manager and mentor you invest in your team's development, hold people to high standards with care, and build culture through example.
• Are excited by ERA's mission, you understand why mitigating catastrophic risks from frontier AI matters and want to build an organisation capable of doing it well.

Essential

• Demonstrated experience in a senior operational or director-level role, with broad responsibility across multiple functions.
• Financial literacy and oversight experience, including familiarity with budgeting, reporting, and financial controls.
• Experience managing compliance across employment law, data protection, and/or charity.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills able to work effectively with technical researchers, programme teams, and external stakeholders.
• Experience managing and mentoring a team.

Desirable

• Track record of leading organisational change and scaling operations through periods of growth.
• Experience working with a Board of Directors or governance body.
• Background in nonprofit, research, or academic environments.
• Familiarity with UK employment law and compliance requirements including visa sponsorship management.
• Understanding of AI safety, governance, or a related field.

Location & Working Arrangements

This role is based in Cambridge, UK. We encourage and expect in-person presence, particularly during ERA's fellowship periods and conferences. Outside of these periods, we offer flexibility around hybrid working. In exceptional cases, we may consider candidates based overseas, provided they are able to be present in Cambridge during programme delivery. ERA is able to support visa applications for this role. Eligibility for sponsorship will depend on individual circumstances and the applicable route; we encourage candidates to discuss this with us early in the process.

Benefits

• Competitive salary, dependent on experience.
• Professional development budget of £5,000.
• Productivity budget of £2,000.
• Employer pension contribution of 10%.
• Four weeks of PTO recommended per year.
• Private health insurance including dental and vision.
• Flexible and hybrid working outside of programme periods.
• A mission-driven, tight-knit team working on one of the most important challenges of our time.

The start date is flexible, and we may be willing to wait for an extended period of time for the best candidate, though we’d prefer successful candidates to start as soon as possible after receiving an offer.

Application Process

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage early applications. Our process typically includes:

• Initial application (CV & short questions).
• Screening call.
• Interviews with ERA team.
• Paid work trial (two days, remote/in-person) and reference checks.
• Employment offer.

We recognise that this is a demanding process. We offer compensated work trials, and we will work with candidates to accommodate scheduling constraints.