Operations in Preston

Company Description: Fifty Years is a pre-seed and seed venture capital firm backing founders using technology to solve the world’s biggest problems. We’ve helped build companies turning CO₂ into jet fuel, reprogramming cells to cure disease, and reinventing the materials we wear and eat. In the UK, we run 5050, a venture-building programme helping scientists and engineers become founders. We run two cohorts each year, powered by ARIA, to support PhD students, postdocs, and industry engineers to build civilizationally important companies. We’re a small, high-energy team working across London, San Francisco, and Poland.

The Role: Over the next two years, we want to scale 5050: grow our UK cohorts, bring in most of the UK’s top scientists and engineers, build tools to run it better, and productise the programme. We’re looking for a relentless operator to serve as the operational backbone of Fifty Years in the UK. This is a builder’s role. You’ll own the logistics, events, and space operations that keep 5050 running and our London deeptech startup hub thriving.

What you’ll do:

• Deep-tech Space & Ecosystems Operations: Own building management end-to-end: contractor relations, maintenance, budgets, and making sure everything works (and when it doesn’t, there’s a plan to fix it). Help grow our six-storey event and coworking space into a world-class hub for the UK’s deep tech community. Welcome founders, speakers, engineers, scientists, and ecosystem leaders, making the space feel alive, intentional, and high-signal. Lead end-to-end execution of 5050 programme events and wider ecosystem events hosted in the space. Manage access, logistics, and day-to-day operations to ensure the space is always founder-ready. Own vendor relationships end-to-end, including sourcing, maintenance, budgets, renewals, and improvements.
• 5050 Programme Logistics: Run the operational engine of 5050 cohorts, from session planning through to reporting. Produce and execute high-quality hybrid sessions, retreats, and workshops, making sure ambiance, logistics, AV setup, and events are executed flawlessly. Secure venues, vendors, travel, and accommodation for founders, guest speakers, and the team. Support recruiting, applicant screening and interview scheduling for the next cohort. Help evaluate and triage incoming applicants working on hard science and deep tech problems. Gather data and maintain KPI dashboards tracking programme progress. Handle operational tasks: founder reimbursement, guest scheduling, programme reporting, and programme invoicing. Support with PRIMED content and ecosystem building (our pipeline of talent too early for 5050 but primed to level up their intensity and ambition). Support relationship building with key stakeholders.

You:

• Have a builder’s mindset. You love building communities and have experience in operations, events, or programme coordination. Ideally you’ve worked at a startup or fast-moving organisation.
• Bring operational and organisational excellence. You love lists and calendars, and can learn new productivity tools (e.g. Airtable, Notion, and light automation). You’re comfortable managing budgets, receipts, and reimbursements.
• Have high energy and independence. You thrive in fast-moving environments, take pride in the details, and take full ownership of outcomes.
• Are genuinely curious about deep tech and how science becomes product.
• Are logistics-ready. You have the right to work in the UK and are willing to travel across the UK for events and retreats.

What you’ll get: A front-row seat to how scientists become founders, and a real role in making it happen. You’ll work with an operationally excellent team that builds systems, not one-off fixes. You’ll grow fast, learn how venture building actually works, and help shape how London’s deep tech community comes together to solve civilisationally important challenges. You’ll report directly to the UK leads and have real ownership from day one.