Operations Director, UK Knowledge Exchange Hub for Mathematical Sciences

The UK's Knowledge Exchange Hub for Mathematical Sciences [KE Hub] is seeking a strategic and experienced professional services leader to join our Management Team as Operations Director. The KE Hub is an outward facing, inclusive organisation bringing the most appropriate UK-wide mathematical sciences talent to bear on challenges arising in business, industry, and government (BIG) for the mutual benefit of all parties.

As Operations Director of the KE Hub, you will play a pivotal leadership role in developing and delivering all KE Hub operations. This will involve engaging with a wide variety of senior stakeholders across the country, delivering an ambitious portfolio of events, activities, and initiatives, and managing a core professional services team. Your leadership will ensure that the KE Hub enables maximum national impact from the mathematical sciences.

The KE Hub grant is currently held by the Isaac Newton Institute at the University of Cambridge. However, it will move to a new host university, likely at the end of 2025. Therefore, as the Operations Director role is linked directly to specific grant funding, you will transfer to the new host institution along with the grant. Further information will be provided at interview. It is expected that the Operations Director will work remotely.

The ideal candidate will have a first degree, level 6 vocational qualification, or equivalent level of practical experience, in the mathematical sciences or cognate discipline. They will have experience in, or demonstrable potential for, facilitating knowledge exchange across scientific areas between academia and business, industry, and government, as well as experience of managing projects, budgets and teams, contributing to strategy and thinking creatively. They will also have

• proven negotiating, influencing and problem-solving skills,
• the ability to work independently and manage workload with multiple competing factors,
• excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build effective and lasting relationships,
• excellent planning, organisational, and document-writing skills,
• effective communication skills,
• self-motivation skills.

How to apply

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click on the 'Apply' button above.

We welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time and/or flexible working arrangements.

We particularly welcome applications from candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level within the Mathematical Sciences KE landscape.

Informal enquiries about the role can be directed to: Chris Breward, KE Hub Scientific Director, email: breward@maths.ox.ac.uk

Enquiries about the application process can be directed to: pasupport@newton.ac.uk.

Interviews will be conducted online on 13 March 2025 (subject to confirmation).

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 31 March 2029 in the first instance.

Please quote reference LN44703 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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