Chief Operating Officer

Purpose of the role

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a pivotal figure and reports directly to the Director. The COO is a high-profile internal leader, with a remit that encompasses portfolio management, governance, capacity building, communications, finance & risk, business systems, estates, Health & Safety and HR.

The post requires strong strategic and organisational skills with the ability to “think on your feet” to provide creative solutions to problems. The COO is responsible for providing support and advice to the Director in their leadership and management of HDR UK.

The COO will also develop an external profile, building and maintaining the links critical to the delivery of the Director’s research vision and the development of HDR UK at local, national and international levels, increasingly networking with other research establishments and key stakeholders such as the public, the NHS, and industry.

Main responsibilities

Strategy and Governance

As a member of the HDR UK Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the COO will play a leading role in shaping strategy and aligning operational delivery to that strategy. This includes:

• Oversee HDR UK’s strategic financial and resource planning.
• Leadership contribution to multi-cycle delivery planning (e.g. 1yr, 5yr), reporting, monitoring and tiered operational review. Ensure effective tracking and management of our overall performance via formal governance routes.
• Coordinate all of HDR UK’s external corporate reporting.
• Shape agenda of, active contributor to the Board and Board Committees. Oversee corporate governance support, linking to Director of Legal, Trust & Ethics for specialist advice as required
• Take responsibility for risk management at both strategic and operational levels, managing HDR UK’s assurance mechanisms, and advising the Director on risk management issues.
• Provide leadership for the regular senior team meetings including prioritisation, action tracking and agenda setting. Enable effective portfolio management.

Senior Operational Leadership

This role will provide vision, strategic direction, and leadership for multiple key functions (including portfolio management, governance, capacity building, communications, finance & risk, business systems, estates, Health & Safety and HR).

• Work to enable integration, community and teamwork between all HDR UK teams.
• Leadership of change via a culture of continuous improvement. Initiate, lead and manage change across HDR UK activity to improve policy and procedure, including proposing and contributing to strategic change across our landscape. Manage the intersect between change and BAU.
• Ensure that all activities and operations are performed and reported as by the law and/or relevant regulations.
• People management including ensuring effectively coordinated EDI, staff management and progression and adherence to TORCH values.
• Responsible for the majority of HDR UK’s policies, ensure alignment between policy and purpose, as well adherence and adoption.

Guidance for, representation of, senior colleagues

Line manage some members of the SLT team and contribute as a member of that team to all strategic decision-making in HDR UK. Advise the Director on matters of policy, strategy, risk, process and planning and provide leadership and guidance on strategic management issues. Exercise delegated authority of behalf of the Director as agreed (e.g. management of projects, deployment of staff resources).