At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead operations and strategy execution to drive Ponda's mission for regenerative materials.
- Company: Join a pioneering biomaterials company focused on healing the planet.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity plan, flexible working, and a dog-friendly office.
- Other info: Be part of a rapidly scaling company with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in climate regeneration while growing with an innovative team.
- Qualifications: Strong organisational skills and experience in finance, operations, or consulting.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 70000 £ per year.
PONDA is a Bristol-based biomaterials company on a mission to build a supply chain that is inherently healing to the planet. Our flagship product, BioPuff®, is a plant-based insulation made from bulrush (Typha) harvested from rewetted peatlands. It outperformed 22 competing non-wovens on thermal performance in independent testing, and it is grown by farmers practising paludiculture - the regenerative wet-farming of degraded peatland. We operate the world's largest supply chain of Typha biomass, spanning the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and Canada, with manufacturing partners across Europe. Wetlands store more carbon than all the world's forests combined; ~50M hectares of drained wetlands produce roughly 5% of global emissions. Rewetting them, profitably, is one of the highest‑leverage climate interventions available - and Ponda is the commercial engine that makes that possible.
Where we are today: Closed a £2M seed round in 2025, £2.3M Innovate UK grant secured, programme starts July 2026; multiple concurrent grants running across UK and EU consortia. Partnered previously with Stella McCartney, Berghaus, Sheep Inc, Parley for the Oceans. Producing at the 10,000m scale of BioPuff Wadding, doubling YoY GTM launched 2026 to significant commercial traction.
THE ROLE
The Chief of Staff is the CEO's right hand and the operational backbone of the company. You will work directly alongside the founders, turning strategy into execution and holding the company's day‑to‑day rhythm so the leadership team can focus on the highest‑leverage work: fundraising, partnerships, brand and science. This is a deliberately broad, senior role for someone who gets energy from making things work across the whole business - operations, finance, people and legal - rather than from any single specialism. Today, much of this work is stitched together between the CEO, a fractional CFO, an external bookkeeper, a year‑end accountant, a grants advisor and external counsel. That has served us well, but it is not the right structure for leading Ponda into our Series A. You will inherit a well‑funded company, a real product, a mission‑aligned team, and a clear runway of decisions and processes that need an owner. It is a role with the scope of a Chief of Staff today, with a clear path to broaden further as the company scales into and beyond Series A.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Business operations & operating cadence: Own the company's meeting rhythm end-to-end - scheduling, agendas, prep and follow‑ups for the weekly Team Stand‑Up, Leadership Meeting, and the functional weekly syncs. Run the team's weekly review cycle - collecting submissions, chasing stragglers, and surfacing what leadership actually needs to see. Be the connective tissue across the team - translating the founders' priorities into clear actions, owners and deadlines, and chasing them to done. Build and maintain the systems, trackers and documentation that keep a fast‑moving company coherent. Be the trusted generalist who picks up the important‑but‑unowned, so nothing falls through the cracks.
- Finance & financial control: You are the internal owner of Ponda's finance function - running and integrating the external stack rather than doing every technical task yourself, and acting as the CEO's financial thought partner. Own the monthly close and produce a consistent management accounts pack that sources information from our finance stack and delivers it to leadership/board. Work with a fractional CFO to deliver. Own the relationships with external FinOps - review their work, hold them to SLAs, resolve queries quickly. Own the Pleo/Dext expense stack: policy, approvals, GL coding, integration into the close. Maintain a single live runway and cash position view; co‑own an operational break‑even plan. Support CEO and CFO on building financial models and unit economics to create effective reporting mechanisms to Ponda’s commercial and operational teams. Support on banking relationships, FX exposure (£/€/USD/CAD), treasury policy, and robust authorisation/segregation‑of‑duties controls as cash balances grow.
- Grant management: Own the financial side of Ponda's grant portfolio: Innovate UK (FIP), PEF, NERIF, IPS, R&D claims and successor programmes. Run consortium‑partner finance interfaces, forecast grant income timing into the cash runway, and run match‑funding calculations against grant rounds. Coordinate with the grant project managers on cashflow checks, exploitation plans, QRM, Lambert/consortium agreement schedules and VAT treatment.
- Legal, governance & compliance: Maintain corporate governance hygiene alongside CFO: statutory registers, Companies House (and equivalent overseas) filings, board approvals and minutes, and the corporate‑admin layer (company verifications, supplier setup). Own compliance and reporting for Ponda's subsidiaries. Maintain and reconcile the cap table with CFO. Coordinate with external counsel on Ponda’s commercial legal needs. Manage EIS/SEIS certificate processing for investors and the legal mechanics of share issuance.
- Board, investor & fundraising: Produce a consistent monthly board pack with the CEO, CFO and external bookkeepers: KPIs, runway, burn, actuals vs budget, departmental spend and forward‑looking commentary (management accounts). Support CEO on monthly reporting to investors, helping to draft any materials that may be necessary. Work with CEO, CFO and leadership team to build and own the Series A data room and partner with the CEO on process: investor pipeline, term sheet analysis and due‑diligence response. Be a primary day‑to‑day finance and operations contact for board members and investors between meetings.
WHO ARE YOU
Must-haves:
- A trusted operator - discreet, reliable, and comfortable holding confidential commercial, financial and people information.
- Exceptionally organised, with a bias for action and an obsession with follow‑through; you can write clearly, run a tight meeting, and chase people warmly but firmly.
- Genuinely cross‑functional - happy to move between a finance reconciliation, a people policy, a board deck, legals, sales and more.
- Strong financial and commercial fluency: you have owned (or managed) a monthly close and a board‑quality management accounts pack, you think in unit economics and gross margin, and you are comfortable owning a 3‑statement model and a cash runway.
- High autonomy - you take things off people's plates and own outcomes without needing hand‑holding.
- You care about climate, regeneration and physical‑product businesses.
Strongly preferred:
- Experience at a venture‑backed startup or scale‑up that has been through a priced round, ideally with exposure to fundraising, Series A prep or a data room.
- Hands‑on EMI/employee options experience (grants, valuations, ERS returns), ideally including cleaning up a backlog.
- Grant financial management experience (Innovate UK, Horizon Europe or equivalent) including consortium claims and match‑funding.
- Familiarity with Xero, Pleo, Seed Legals and/or Carta; exposure to subsidiaries, cross‑border VAT/tariffs, crowdfunding mechanics and SFDR/sustainability reporting.
- Prior chief‑of‑staff, founders‑associate, operations or consulting experience; comfort with modern tools and a no‑code/automation instinct.
WHAT YOU GET:
- £55,000 – £70,000, dependent on experience
- Equity Plan
- Be part of an innovative endeavour towards truly regenerative materials
- Contribute to company direction
- Flexible working around core hours
- Cycle to work scheme
- Scale with a rapidly growing organisation, working with experienced and motivated individuals
- Birthday day off
- Dog friendly office
Chief Of Staff in Bristol employer: Ponda
Ponda is an exceptional employer located in Bristol, offering a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of biomaterials innovation. With a strong commitment to sustainability and a mission-driven culture, employees benefit from flexible working arrangements, a dog-friendly office, and the chance to contribute to meaningful climate solutions. The company fosters professional growth through equity plans and the potential for career advancement as it scales towards Series A funding.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Chief Of Staff in Bristol
✨Get Involved in Local Research Communities
Tap into local biotechnology meetups and research forums. These are great places to mingle with industry professionals, share your passion, and even discover unadvertised job openings. It's all about getting your face known in the field!
✨Leverage University Alumni Networks
If you're a recent grad, don’t underestimate the power of your university’s alumni network! Reach out to alumni working in biotechnology to gather tips about job openings at companies like Ponda. You'd be surprised how willing people are to help out a fellow grad!
✨Show Off Your Projects
Curate a portfolio showcasing any research projects or internships you've completed in biotechnology. This tangible evidence of your skills can really impress employers when you chat with them at networking events or interviews. It's about making that killer first impression!
✨Stay Up-to-Date with Industry Trends
Biotech is a fast-paced field, so keeping yourself updated with the latest advancements is crucial. Attend industry conferences, webinars, or workshops to broaden your knowledge and meet potential employers. Plus, it’ll give you fantastic talking points for your interviews at places like Ponda!
We think you need these skills to ace Chief Of Staff in Bristol
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Lab Skills:In the biotechnology field, it's super important to highlight your lab experience in your CV. Be sure to mention specific techniques or instruments you've mastered (think PCR, gel electrophoresis, etc.) and any relevant projects you've worked on. This will show Ponda that you have the hands-on skills they need.
Tailor Your Technical Skills:Make sure to emphasise your technical skills, especially those relevant to the biotechnology sector. Include any software tools or programming languages you've used, like R or Python for data analysis, which could be key for this role at Ponda.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Since this is a full-time role, your cover letter should reflect not only your passion for biotechnology but also your long-term career ambitions. Share why you're excited about the work that Ponda does and how you envision contributing to their goals. This shows that you’re not just looking for any job, but you're genuinely invested in this opportunity.
Include Your Papers and Projects:If you've published any papers or contributed to significant projects, mention them! These documents can boost your application and provide tangible evidence of your expertise in the biotechnology field. Don’t forget to link to any relevant publications or project summaries—this can set you apart from other candidates.
How to prepare for a job interview at Ponda
✨Brush Up on Lab Techniques
Since you're eyeing a full-time gig in biotechnology, make sure you're well-versed in the lab techniques relevant to the role. Be ready to talk about PCR, CRISPR, or any specific methods mentioned in the job description at Ponda. You might even be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these processes.
✨Know Your Bioinformatics Tools
Get comfortable with bioinformatics tools that are commonly used in the industry, like BLAST or Bioconductor. These are key in biotechnology, and having hands-on experience or at least familiarity can set you apart. Prepare to discuss any relevant projects you've worked on, especially if they involved data analysis or genomic research.
✨Show Your Teamwork Skills
Biotech often involves collaboration across multiple disciplines. Be ready to share stories that highlight your teamwork and communication skills, especially in research projects. Think about working with different teams at university or any internships – this is where you can show how well you fit into Ponda's culture.
✨Research Recent Biotech Innovations
Stay updated on the latest trends and breakthroughs in biotechnology. Knowing what's happening in the field can help you engage in more meaningful discussions during your interview. Bring up recent articles or advancements that excite you, especially those related to the work being done at Ponda. This shows your passion for the industry!
