Head of Operations

This is an opportunity to join a growing privately owned business operating across the creative and cultural sectors. The business works with a portfolio of clients across the creative industries, managing commercial projects, intellectual property, licensing activity and strategic partnerships. It combines commercial thinking with long-term relationship management and is entering an ambitious period of growth.

We are looking for an exceptional Head of Operations who enjoys bringing structure to complexity, building efficient systems and helping an entrepreneurial business scale.

Reporting directly to the executive team, the Head of Operations will play a central role in ensuring the business operates efficiently as it continues to grow. The role combines operational oversight with commercial judgement, requiring someone who is equally comfortable developing strategy, improving systems and delivering exceptional execution. This is a role that demands equal comfort with strategy and detail.

Key Responsibilities

• Become the operational hub of the business, ensuring projects, opportunities and client requests move swiftly from concept to execution.
• Bring clarity to complexity by designing practical solutions, improving processes and introducing systems that allow the business to scale efficiently.
• Exercise sound commercial judgement, making informed decisions at pace while knowing when to escalate significant matters.
• Build trusted relationships with clients, commercial partners and external advisers, acting as a highly responsive and dependable point of contact.
• Coordinate multiple workstreams simultaneously, balancing competing priorities while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
• Work alongside the leadership team to evaluate new opportunities, solve operational challenges and translate strategic ideas into deliverable outcomes.
• Drive projects forward proactively, anticipating issues before they arise and resolving obstacles with practical, commercially minded solutions.
• Champion the intelligent use of technology, automation and AI to improve efficiency, reduce administration and support future growth.
• Develop operational systems, reporting tools and workflows that provide greater visibility, accountability and consistency across the business.
• Handle sensitive commercial information with absolute discretion, professionalism and sound judgement.

The Kind of Person We’re Looking For

Working alongside the directors, the Head of Operations will help shape the trajectory of the business - contributing to the development of new services, technology platforms and commercial partnerships. You enjoy building businesses rather than simply maintaining them. You’re energised by complexity, naturally curious and able to absorb new information quickly. You don’t wait for instructions - you identify problems, propose solutions and make things happen.

You are commercially astute, intellectually agile and calm under pressure. You can switch effortlessly between strategic discussions and detailed execution, and you’re equally comfortable negotiating a commercial agreement, redesigning an operational process or finding a practical solution to an unexpected challenge. You have a strong bias towards action. You enjoy solving difficult problems, improving the way things work.

Candidate Profile

Essential

• Proven experience leading operations within a fast-moving, entrepreneurial or high-growth business.
• Highly self-sufficient, with the commercial judgement, confidence and credibility to manage priorities independently, make informed decisions and represent the business professionally in senior-level conversations.
• An exceptional communicator who quickly builds trust and rapport, adapting their style to engage confidently with clients, partners, advisers and senior stakeholders.
• A commercially minded problem solver who enjoys bringing structure to complexity and finding practical solutions where no obvious answer exists.
• Exceptional organisational skills, capable of managing multiple projects and competing priorities without sacrificing quality.
• Comfortable designing systems, processes and ways of working from first principles rather than simply maintaining existing ones.
• Highly trustworthy, discreet and experienced in handling confidential commercial information.
• Strong digital literacy with a genuine interest in technology, automation and AI as tools to improve efficiency.

Highly Desirable

• Experience working within a founder-led, privately owned or high-growth business.
• Experience supporting senior executives, entrepreneurs or principals in a dynamic environment.
• Exposure to commercial contracts, intellectual property, legal or regulatory matters.
• Experience managing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders across different jurisdictions.
• Familiarity with CRM platforms, project management software and operational reporting tools.
• Experience implementing operational improvements, automation or AI-enabled workflows.
• An interest in the creative industries, intellectual property or commercially driven businesses.

Long-Term Opportunity

It’s an opportunity to become a trusted partner in a growing business, helping to build the systems, culture and commercial foundations that will support its long-term success. As the business grows, so too will the scope, influence and responsibility of this role. This is a confidential search. Applications and enquiries will be handled with complete discretion.