Operations Lead in Sheffield

Anticipated start date: As soon as possible

Closing Date: 10th May 2026

Salary Band: £35k - £45k (depending on experience)

Full Time, On-site, Sheffield, UK

Do you want to help cure cancer and make a real world impact? We’re building the infrastructure for the next generation of scientific discovery and bioproduction, and we need someone to help us keep up. Due to accelerating commercial growth, we are in need of an Operations Lead to act as a force multiplier and keep our internal operations running smoothly.

We’re looking for someone who can be the operational centre of gravity for our Sheffield site. Not just keeping the office running, but keeping the team running. The person who holds context on what everyone is doing, spots when things are going sideways, and steps in before problems escalate. You’re the person we trust to pick up anything, from a marketing campaign to a facilities issue, and run with it. You should view no job as too small. If you’re the kind of person who notices when the milk’s run out and when someone’s having a bad week, you’ll fit right in.

WE VALUE

• A bias for action, spotting what needs doing and getting on with it. You don’t wait to be told.
• People who genuinely care about the people around them.
• Clear thinking, pragmatism, and sound judgement over buzzwords.
• Emotional intelligence: the ability to read a room and keep people feeling supported.
• Comfort with technology and AI tools as a way to work smarter, not harder.
• Low-ego individuals who ask good questions and go above and beyond for the team.

THE ROLE

You’ll report directly to the Founders and act as their right hand across the day-to-day running of the company. Your time will be split across three areas:

• Team Operations & Culture: Be the day‑to‑day point of contact for the team when the founders aren’t in the building, keep a finger on the pulse across projects, flag issues early, and maintain clear communication. Help keep our lab fun, and act as an approachable, trusted presence, the person people come to when they need something or just want a chat.
• Management Support & Special Projects: Pick up and run with special projects du jour, from coordinating a client visit, to planning a one‑off marketing campaign, to sourcing a gift for a business associate. Provide administrative support to the leadership team and take ownership of internal projects that don’t fit neatly into anyone else’s job description.
• Office & Facilities: Keep the office and lab environment clean, tidy, well‑stocked, and welcoming, and be the first point of contact for visitors. Coordinate with landlords, contractors, and service providers for facilities maintenance.

This role will grow with the company. As we scale, you’ll have the opportunity to develop into a broader operations leadership role—think process design, internal coordination, and helping us build the systems that let a small team punch well above its weight.

NEED TO HAVE

• Experience in an office management, admin, EA, or similar coordination role.
• Strong organisational skills, you can juggle multiple things without dropping them.
• A track record of identifying broken processes and fixing them without being asked.
• Emotional intelligence and interpersonal warmth, you can read a room, defuse tension, and keep people feeling supported.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Initiative and common sense, you don’t need to be told when something needs doing.
• Comfort with standard business tools (Google Workspace, project management software, CRMs) and a genuine willingness to learn new ones.
• Reliability and discretion - you’ll be trusted with confidential information.

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience in a startup, scale‑up, or small company where you wore multiple hats.
• Comfort using AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude) to speed up routine admin tasks.
• Any exposure to lab, engineering, or regulated environments.
• Experience coordinating events, office moves, or facilities projects.
• Prior experience managing health & safety (e.g. fire safety, first aid) and SOPs.

While we welcome applicants from any background, you will likely have 3–5+ years of experience in a similar role.

BENEFITS

• A role with real variety, no two days will look the same, and you’ll never be bored.
• The chance to shape how a growing company operates from the inside.
• Pension with SIPP options and support managing your investments if you want it.
• Weekly team pastries and monthly all‑hands lunches.
• Conference attendance and professional development support.
• A culture that values autonomy, responsibility, and thoughtful work.
• Based in Sheffield, the UK’s greenest city, on the doorstep of the Peak District.