Head of Operations

Major Players are partnering with a fast-growing, strategic communications agency to hire a Head of Operations. Still in its startup phase, the agency has built a premium client portfolio, working with ambitious, high-profile contemporary and high street consumer fashion brands, producing commercial impact through thoughtful, culture-led PR and creative strategies. As the Head of Operations, you will be responsible for building the operational foundations that enable the agency to scale sustainably. Working closely alongside the Director of Client Services and reporting directly to the Founder, you will lead the development of their infrastructure, operating systems, commercial processes, and people frameworks. This is a highly hands-on leadership role for someone who genuinely enjoys building frameworks as much as managing them.

Key Responsibilities

• Agency Operations & Infrastructure: Design, document, and implement the agency-wide processes, workflows, and operational frameworks required to support their next stage of growth. Own and optimise the agency's project management and workflow systems to ensure team-wide adoption and consistency. Maintain a centralised knowledge base, process library, and operational playbook. Evaluate and optimise the agency's technology stack to proactively eliminate inefficiencies and bottlenecks.
• Organisational Design & People Operations: Partner with the senior team to define future organisational structures, clear role definitions, and progression pathways. Build and implement robust performance management frameworks, appraisal processes, and development planning. Design onboarding processes that support rapid integration and long-term retention. Foster an internal culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Commercial Operations & Financial Management: Partner with the Founder and the Financial Director to manage and improve forecasting, budgeting, and financial reporting. Build clear visibility around agency performance, profitability, resource allocation, and utilisation. Develop commercial frameworks and pricing/capacity models to support informed, sustainable business growth.
• Client Delivery & Resource Management: Collaborate with the Director of Client Services to ensure operational excellence and a premium client experience across all accounts. Develop resource planning frameworks that balance team capacity, client needs, and profitability.

Skills required

• Proven track record in a senior operational role within a PR, communications, creative agency, or professional services environment.
• A genuine interest in culture, consumer trends, fashion, and brand-building, with previous experience working at agencies with fashion accounts or in-house at a fashion brand.
• Proven experience and success building and implementing operational systems and structures within a growing, fast-moving, founder-led business.
• Solid commercial acumen and previous experience working with budgets, forecasts, resource planning, and key business performance metrics.
• Strong project management and implementation capability.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence senior leaders and drive accountability across teams.
• Hands-on experience implementing or optimising agency project management platforms (e.g. ClickUp or similar systems).
• Experience guiding a boutique or specialist agency through a scaling phase into a larger, more structured organisation.
• Experience developing people operations and HR/appraisal frameworks.

Hours: Full time

Salary: £70,000-80,000 depending on experience

Office Location: East Central London

Office requirements: 3 days per week in the office

Major Players are the UK's leading marketing and creative talent agency, and over the last three decades we've consistently championed our people and communities. As a proud B Corp™, we are committed to improving diversity, equity and inclusion within the industries we service, creating impactful and sustainable change for our partners, candidates and employees. We offer equal opportunities to all candidates regardless of race, religion, gender, sexuality, disability, age, and other protected status as required by applicable law. For further information about our DE&I commitments, please visit: www.majorplayers.co.uk/diversity-equity-inclusion/