Head of Operations in London

Full-time, on-site – London £60,000–£75,000 + meaningful equity. Watergate helps buildings detect leaks, cut water waste, and reduce the carbon footprint of every litre, proving the impact with data. We’re building the missing circuit breaker for water. Every building has fire protection. Every building has security. Almost none have proper water protection, despite leaks causing huge financial and operational damage. We’re here to fix that.

Now we need a Head of Operations. We’re at the point where the founder can’t be the operational backbone on their own. We need a senior operator who can help run the business and turn priorities into execution. This is a hands-on leadership role. You’ll keep the company moving across operations, delivery, finance, people, internal systems and day-to-day execution. You’ll build structure where it’s needed, solve problems before they grow teeth, and make sure important things don’t drift. This isn’t a role for someone who wants to manage from a distance. You’ll be in it – fixing, building, organising, improving.

We’re deliberately lean. That’s not code for chaotic. It means small team, high trust, high ownership and high output. We also use AI tools heavily across the business: operations, admin, analysis, research, communication and execution. Not because it sounds modern, but because it’s how a small team moves faster and does better work. You don’t need to be technical, but you do need to be genuinely AI-native in how you work. If you’re not already using tools like Claude or ChatGPT regularly to improve speed, quality and output, this probably isn’t the right fit.

We have an operating company in the UK, a subsidiary in Poland, ongoing R&D, and plans to expand internationally. More moving parts, more opportunities, and more need for someone who can bring order without adding drag. This is a place for people who work hard, think clearly and use tools intelligently. Two out of three won’t cut it. If you like building the machine while it’s running, keep reading.

What you’ll own:

• Operations and delivery – End-to-end operations: logistics, fulfilment, inventory, returns, and B2B project delivery, including onboarding, installs and scheduling.
• Finance and commercial – Cashflow, budgets, payroll, invoicing, and reporting to the board, shareholders and investors. You’ll work with our bookkeeper and accountant across both UK and Polish entities. You don’t need to be a finance specialist, but you do need to read the numbers and act on them.
• People – Recruitment, onboarding, HR and culture across the UK and Poland. As we grow the team, you’ll help build the function.
• Customer experience – CX is a function, not an inbox. You’ll own support, complaints, feedback loops, and the systems that turn customer pain into product signal.
• International expansion – As we move into new markets, you’ll help build the processes, partnerships and operational foundations that make it possible.
• Strategy and execution – Partnering with the CEO on planning, fundraising prep, investor communication, and the decisions that don’t fit neatly into anyone else’s job description. Spotting friction before it becomes a problem, and helping sort it early.
• Systems and tools – Improving how we work, including where AI can remove manual work, speed up decisions and increase output.
• Office operations – Keeping the office, systems, documentation and suppliers running properly, including supporting our move to Waterloo in summer 2026.

What we’re looking for:

• 5+ years in operations, business operations, chief of staff or a similar role in a fast-moving company, including time inside an early-stage or scaling startup.
• Strong operational judgement and a bias for action.
• Commercially literate – comfortable with budgets, numbers and board-level reporting.
• Highly organised, reliable, and calm under pressure.
• Comfortable owning a wide brief and switching between strategic and practical work in the same hour.
• Clear, professional communicator with corporates, investors, partners and internal teams.
• Someone who builds systems, not just manages tasks.
• Genuinely AI-native – already using Claude, ChatGPT or similar tools regularly, and always looking for ways to push them further.
• Strong with Google Workspace, spreadsheets and modern workplace tools.
• Bonus if you’ve worked across multiple entities or jurisdictions.
• Hands-on, with no ego about the work.

You’ll probably do well here if you…

• Like ownership more than oversight.
• See loose ends before other people do.
• Bring order to a fast-moving environment without draining the energy out of it.
• Are as comfortable solving small operational problems as improving bigger systems.
• Like using new tools when they make the work better.
• Want to play a meaningful role in building a company, not just filling a seat in one.
• Don’t need chasing.

What you’ll get:

• £60,000–£75,000 base salary, depending on experience.
• Meaningful equity.
• Life and health insurance.
• Whatever tools you need to do the job properly.
• Professional development budget.
• Real scope to shape how the company operates.
• Close partnership with the founder and visibility across the whole business.
• Genuine room for the role to grow as the company grows.
• A smart, ambitious team building something that matters.

Location: Full-time and on-site in London. We’re currently in NW2 and moving to Waterloo in summer 2026, so you should be comfortable with that transition.

Hiring process: We move fast and we don’t waste your time.

• Apply – with your CV and a short cover note – tell us why this role, not just why you’re looking.
• Initial screening call – fit, motivation and practicalities.
• Take-home task – a realistic operations or business problem you’d actually face here. We respect your time and won’t ask for more than a few hours.
• Problem-solving interview – we’ll walk through your task and a live business scenario. We’re looking for structured thinking and clear judgement, not memorised frameworks.
• Informal final stage with the founder and a senior team member – relaxed setting, outside the office. The work questions are mostly answered by this point. This one is about whether we’d actually want to spend our days working together.
• References and offer.

If you’re the kind of operator who loves building structure, driving execution, and helping run a business properly, we’d like to hear from you. Send your CV to careers@watergate.ai and tell us why this role fits you, and why you fit it.