Director of Operations – Schools of Convergence Science

About the role: Join Imperial College London and shape the future of large-scale, impact-driven interdisciplinary research. Are you a dynamic and visionary operational leader with a passion for building something new and enabling ambitious strategic goals? Are you motivated by the pressing societal challenges of our time—whether at the intersection of human and artificial intelligence, health and technology, environmental sustainability and/or new frontiers of space, security and telecoms? Do you thrive in a complex, fast-paced environment and possess exceptional people management and influencing skills? If this motivates you, we encourage you to consider this opportunity.

We’re building a team of impact-oriented individuals with the professional skills and intellectual agility to bridge research and real-world application, and we are seeking a Director of Operations to play a pivotal role in making the vision for our groundbreaking Schools of Convergence Science a reality. Announced as a key pillar of Imperial’s new strategy, these four Schools will enhance our interdisciplinary research capacity, global visibility, talent attraction, and funding, driving societal impact in critical areas.

• Human and artificial intelligence: We envision AI that augments human intelligence and benefits everyone. Understanding how we think and learn helps us build better AI. Our goal is AI that is sustainable, trustworthy, and truly human-centered.
• Health and technology: We envision health and wellbeing for all, focused on prevention over treatment. Despite progress, challenges like chronic illness and inequality remain. Solving them requires bold, cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Climate, energy and sustainability: We envision a world where people live prosperously and meaningfully, in harmony with the planet. Our mission is to provide evidence and solutions for realistic, sustainable pathways, working closely with partners to drive change.
• Space, security and telecoms: We envision the convergence of these areas for the benefit of everyone, in the short and the long term, with a mission to protect, connect, and know our worlds.

This role will be instrumental in creating, building and leading a high-performing team that will enable and support the 16 Co-Directors (four across each of the four Schools) to achieve their individual School’s mission and the overarching aims of the Convergence Science initiative.

What you would be doing: Your main duties will include:

• Quickly grasp and develop a deep understanding of the strategic and operational context of the Schools of Convergence Science and related infrastructure.
• Lead the creation and implementation of the operational framework necessary for the successful launch and ongoing function of the Schools.
• Build, lead, and develop a central operational team to provide effective support to the Co-Directors and their initiatives.
• Foster strong collaborative relationships with the Co-Directors, understanding their individual needs and facilitating synergy across the Schools.

What we are looking for: You are a good fit for the role if you:

• Have proven experience in a senior operational leadership role, ideally within a research-intensive or similarly complex organisation.
• Can demonstrate the ability to create and implement new operational structures and processes.
• Have exceptional people management and leadership skills, with a track record of building and developing high-performing teams.
• Have strong strategic thinking capabilities coupled with a pragmatic approach to delivery.
• Have strong personal authority and credibility, with the ability to build trust and rapport quickly.

What we can offer you: The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to use science for humanity. Benefit from a sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days’ annual leave and generous pension schemes). Access to a range of workplace benefits including a flexible working policy from day one, generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities and cycle-to-work scheme. Interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel. Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Further Information: Closing date: 6th July 2025 (midnight BST). Please apply with an application form via the online system. CVs without a completed application form will not be considered. Type of contract: full time, open-ended. If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Alistair McDermott – a.mcdermott@imperial.ac.uk

About Imperial: Welcome to Imperial, a global top ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact. Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact. As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network. This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial.

Our culture: We work towards equality of opportunity, eliminating discrimination and creating an inclusive working environment. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our webpages.

Our values: are at the heart of everything we do and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity and innovation.