Head of Operations and Strategic Development

Ada Lovelace Institute

Hours
35 hours per week

Length of contract
1 year

About the Organisation

Ada Lovelace (1815–52) has been adopted globally as a trailblazer for women in maths and science; the daughter of Romantic poet Lord Byron, she was educated by her mother, Anne Isabella Noel Byron, to excel in mathematics. Her most influential work and writings were produced in relation to Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, designed in 1837. At the Ada Lovelace Institute, we are uniquely connected to Ada’s legacy and conscious every day of the high standards she set for intellectual rigour and analysis.

The Ada Lovelace Institute was established by the Nuffield Foundation in early 2018, in collaboration with The Alan Turing Institute, the Royal Society, the British Academy, the Royal Statistical Society, the Wellcome Trust, Luminate, techUK and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics. We are an independent research institute with a mission to ensure that data and AI work for people and society. We believe that a world where data and AI work for people and society is a world in which the opportunities, benefits and privileges generated by data and AI are justly and equitably distributed and experienced.

We recognise the power asymmetries that exist in ethical and legal debates around the development of data-driven technologies, and will represent people in those conversations. We focus not on the types of technologies we want to build, but on the types of societies we want to build. Through research, policy and practice, we aim to ensure that the transformative power of data and AI is used and harnessed in ways that maximise social wellbeing and put technology at the service of humanity.

About the role

The Head of Operations and Strategic Development is a critical Senior Leadership Team (SLT) role, supporting the Co-Directors and the SLT in the implementation of Ada’s organisational strategy and the effective running of the organisation. You will lead on Ada’s organisational development, resource planning and governance, and play a key role in overseeing Ada’s financial management, grant delivery, policy development and funder accountability, to ensure the organisation’s sustainability.

You will also manage Ada’s integration with the Nuffield Foundation’s HR, finance and other central services. The Director will be on maternity leave. During this period, the role will report to one of two Co-Directors (working closely with both of them). You will sit on Ada’s Senior Leadership Team, taking responsibility for quarterly planning exercises and supporting the Co-Directors on all aspects of Board governance, including managing governance cycles, drafting papers and reports to Board members and Nuffield Trustees, and maintaining dashboards such as the finance and risk registers.

You will hold the organisation’s thinking on organisational development and on Ada as a ‘great place to work’, leading projects to embed a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, and will be accountable for the operational elements of the Research Pathway, Ada’s project management process.

Alongside this, you will maintain oversight of the Ada budget and the organisation’s fiscal health, work with Directorates to budget and forecast resources, and support the Co-Directors’ fundraising activity and funder relationships. You will head up the operational function of Ada, including financial management, grant management and delivery, legal, HR, organisational development processes, IT and systems, and compliance, designing policies specific to Ada in collaboration with the SLT and wider Ada team, and implementing Nuffield Foundation policies and frameworks in a way that works for Ada.

You will line manage the positions of Operations Administrator and Executive Assistant, and oversee the Ada-related work of the Foundation’s Finance Business Partner. You will also build and maintain strong relationships with Nuffield colleagues across Strategy and Engagement, HR, Legal, Finance and Information Systems, and with Ada’s sister centres

Responsibilities

Strategic Development and Governance:

• Work closely with the Co-Directors and Senior Leadership Team to lead the strategic operationalisation of Ada's strategy, ensuring suitable organisational design, resourcing, skills and working structures/practices to deliver against it.
• Sit on Ada's Senior Leadership Team, taking responsibility for delivering quarterly planning exercises, working with SLT members and their teams.
• Support the Co-Directors on all aspects of Board governance and management, including managing governance cycles, drafting and editing papers and reports to Board members and Nuffield Trustees, and maintaining dashboards (finance and Risk Registers).
• Hold the organisation's thinking on organisational development and on Ada as a 'great place to work', leading projects to embed a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Identify and address skills and capability gaps to support a resilient and effective management culture, spotting opportunities to support the general health of organisational culture.
• Design and deliver All-Ada activities, such as Away Days.
• Be accountable for the operational elements of the Research Pathway, Ada's project management process, ensuring good governance of projects.
• Work with Ada's Communications Team to ensure a cohesive programme of internal communications, and ensure effective, consistent and equitable information sharing across the organisation.

Resourcing, Financial Health and Organisational Wellbeing:

• Work collaboratively with the Co-Directors, Ada Senior Leadership Team and Nuffield colleagues to ensure the organisation has the resources and people it needs to deliver on its mission.
• Maintain oversight of the Ada budget and the organisation's fiscal health, advising the Co-Directors on how to position resources to deliver against the organisation's strategy.
• Work with Directorates to budget and forecast resources, and identify gaps, efficiencies, needs and opportunities for additional fundraising.
• Support the Institute’s fundraising activity, development and maintenance of funder relationships.

Operations Management, Compliance and Grant Delivery:

• Head up the operational function of the Ada Lovelace Institute, including day-to-day oversight of financial management and planning, grant management and delivery, legal, HR and organisational development processes, IT and systems, and compliance, liaising with and signposting to the appropriate Nuffield teams as required.
• Design and develop policies specific to Ada, in collaboration with the
• Senior Leadership Team and wider Ada team, engaging Nuffield colleagues as appropriate.
• Implement and uphold the Nuffield Foundation's policies and frameworks in a way that is suitable and sustainable for Ada.
• Lead change management for new policies and procedures as they are rolled out across the organisation.
• Own and lead the implementation of all grants, ensuring compliance with internal processes, reporting frameworks and deadlines.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasting and accounting in partnership with Nuffield colleagues.
• Oversee and iterate all administrative systems and operational tools and software across the organisation, to ensure smooth running and excellent communication (for example, implementing project management software).
• Develop and maintain regular reporting structures with Nuffield colleagues and the Senior Leadership Team to support good financial management, planning and accountability.

Team Leadership and Relationship Management:

• Line manage and provide developmental support to the Operations
• Administrator (0.6 FTE) and EA (0.8 FTE); the EA role has a dotted line to the Co-Directors and oversees the work of the Finance Partner seconded to Ada (0.4 FTE of their overall role).
• Ensure cycles of performance management are implemented and built on, supporting staff and managers to develop and improve performance, build skills and progress over time.
• Work with the Nuffield Human Resources Partner to develop and implement recruitment strategies and learning and development opportunities.
• Recruit and manage external contractors and consultants as required.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Nuffield colleagues across the organisation, particularly in Strategy and Engagement, HR, Legal, Finance and Information Systems, and with Ada's sister centres

Other:

• Contribute to the development of an inclusive and anti-oppressive culture and community within Ada.
• Support Ada workstreams and initiatives that contribute to the delivery of the wider Nuffield Foundation's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.

Skills, Competencies, Experience & Attributes

Experience:

• Strong management experience in a non-profit organisation, research institute, policy, and other knowledge institution.
• Broad, strategic leadership and operational management experience including governance, finance and resources.
• Experience of developing and managing financial budgets and forecasting.
• Experience of supporting the interface between Executive and Non-Executive Boards to ensure high-quality organisational practices and effective governance.
• Evidence of managing and shaping operations and team cohesion at organisation level.
• Experience in grant management and reporting.
• Experience of implementing equity, diversity and inclusion policies and initiatives across all aspects of operational and organisational activity.
• Experience of designing and implementing pathways for knowledge sharing across teams and projects.
• Experience of piloting, implementing and improving systems ( project management and CMS).

Knowledge & Skills:

• Highly developed organisational management skills.
• Strategic planning and well-developed analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Skilled in working within a matrix organisation, working effectively with multiple teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; a skilled influencer.
• Commitment to building an anti-oppressive workplace culture.
• Understanding of the data ethics/tech policy space, key stakeholders, peer organisations and target audiences.
• Highly developed knowledge of Notion, Teams and other team management platforms.

Personal Qualities:

• Enthusiastic, dynamic and agile team player, comfortable taking accountability.
• A collaborative style, but solutions-focused.
• An inclusive and empathetic working style.

Compensation & Benefits

• Genuine flexibility: we are open to requests for part-time hours, compressed working weeks, or job shares.
• 28 days holiday per annum and all public holidays, with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days (prorated for part-time staff).
• A salary exchange pension scheme that offers employer contributions of up to 11%.
• Life assurance scheme.
• Family leave policies that provide an enhanced level of pay.
• Cycle to work scheme, loans towards train season tickets and the option to make charitable donations via your pay.
• Regular opportunities for learning and development including coaching, mentoring, and dedicated reading days for personal development and reflection.
• Support with your physical, mental and financial wellbeing including an employee assistance provider, a private GP service, personal health reviews with Bupa, a will and funeral planning service and a staff network of trained Mental Health First Aiders.
• A warm and welcoming workplace culture, with active peer groups and social networks to help you connect and belong.

Working locations

• Hybrid model, working in the London office and remotely

How to apply

• Applications are submitted on the Applied platform. The closing date for applications is 9:30 BST on Tuesday 8th September 2026. 
• You will be required to complete some questions as part of this application process, and you are also required to upload an up-to-date copy of your CV. The Applied platform lets you save an application and resume it ahead of submitting before the application deadline.
• Please note that for vacancies which receive a high volume of applications, we may undertake an initial screening of CVs.
• If you have any questions about the role ahead of applying (or need to make an application in a different format), please email [email protected] and a member of the Nuffield Foundation’s HR team will respond to you.
• All recruitment decisions are made by a person (we do not use AI tools to rate or reject applicants). Applicants may use generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to prepare their application (for example to research our work). However, we ask applicants to respond to the questions using their own experience, thinking and opinion, writing in their own tone of voice and ensuring that they are representing themselves accurately and authentically. AI tools should not be used during the interviews or assessment activities unless this has been agreed in advance as a reasonable adjustment.

Interviews

• A first stage of interviews is expected to take place on 22nd and 23rd September 2026, with a view to the successful candidate ideally starting in October or November 2026.

Policies

We are committed to inclusive working practices, and during the application process we commit to: As a Disability Confident employer, we will offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the essential criteria for the job making any reasonable adjustments for example providing documents in different formats, arranging for a sign language interpreter for interviews, etc reimbursing reasonable travel costs (and any childcare or care costs) for interviews where in-person attendance is required.

Return to listing