Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Location:  Flexible working – remote/hybrid. Must be willing and able to travel to Edinburgh, London and elsewhere across the UK (and occasionally internationally) to support business need.

About Adolescent Health Study

The Adolescent Health Study (AHS) is an ambitious new UKRI-funded initiative to establish a prospective, longitudinal population study that will generate a globally leading open science data platform and research resource. AHS aims to recruit at least 100,000 young people aged eight to 18 years from across the UK and to follow their mental and physical health and wellbeing over at least 10 years. It plans to collect data through questions and measures; to obtain bio-samples for a wide range of genomic and other high-throughput assays; and to capture linked data relevant to health and wellbeing from participants’ health, education and other administrative records. Recruitment will take place mainly through schools. There will be a strong emphasis on engaging with and involving young people, schools, parents and other relevant stakeholders in the design and delivery of the study, as well as on including young people that represent as wide as possible a range of backgrounds, experiences and characteristics. AHS will focus on enabling a wide range of research, including studies of the critical biological and social developments that occur during the transition from childhood to adulthood and the determinants of both mental and physical health and wellbeing in adolescents and young adults.

The AHS has recently been established as an independent not-for-profit company that will operate as a charity (similar to other major national longitudinal population-based data and bio-sample resources for research and innovation, such as UK Biobank and Our Future Health). It is currently in an active and rapid growth phase, establishing and expanding its business operations, company board, senior leadership and executive team, advisory structures, delivery partners and stakeholder networks. During 2025-2026, it aims to: lay out and begin implementation of its strategy for meaningful involvement and engagement of young people, schools, parents and others; develop its brand, and its internal and external communications strategy and online presence;  develop its ethics and governance framework and its scientific and operational principles; develop a detailed scientific and operational protocol for the recruitment and baseline characterisation (through questions, measures and bio-samples) of young people in the study, in a way that scales efficiently and optimises their subsequent retention and follow-up; establish acceptable, scalable and cost-effective bio-sample collection, handling and laboratory sample storage protocols, optimised for future, efficient sample retrieval for assays of all or subsets of participants for relevant, approved research projects; establish data systems, a database and secure data platform for the upload and storage of – and secure access to – study data, with strict, privacy-preserving protocols for handling identifiable and de-identified participant data; plan, conduct and report pre-piloting and end-to-end piloting of the baseline recruitment visit, in preparation for ramp up of participant recruitment, retention and follow-up from 2027.

Purpose of the post

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will play a pivotal role in shaping the organisation's strategic vision and operational excellence. Reporting directly to the AHS’s Director, the COO will ensure that the AHS achieves its objectives by leading key operational areas, encouraging a culture of innovation, driving efficiency, maintaining high standards of performance and ensuring sustainable growth.

The COO will be responsible for ensuring a seamless and highly effective partnership between operational and scientific expertise in delivering the AHS resource – marshalling the resources of the organisation to deliver the scientific protocol and broader research needs of the AHS compliantly and as efficiently as possible, using applied operational design, testing and management principles to convert scientific requirements into a feasible, affordable process.

Main responsibilities

Strategic Planning and Execution

• Collaborate with the Director, Chief Scientist and other members of the AHS leadership team to design and implement the organisation's strategy and delivery plans.
• Translate the overarching vision into detailed operational plans and measurable goals.
• Monitor progress towards strategic objectives, identifying risks and opportunities, and adapting plans as needed.
• Establishing and coordinating governance structure of AHS including coordination of preparation and reporting for board meetings, interacting with board, setting up steering committee, working groups etc

Operational Oversight  

• Oversee the organisation’s core operations, ensuring seamless coordination across departments.
• Oversee AHS procurement and contracts, policies, finance, health and safety, delivery, culture, HR, quality and performance functions.
• Establish robust systems, processes, and performance metrics to ensure operational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Lead efforts to streamline workflows and reduce inefficiencies while maintaining high standards of delivery.

Financial and Resource Management

• Oversee organisational budgets, ensuring financial sustainability and accountability.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality or innovation.
• Collaborate with the Head of Finance to forecast and manage cash flow and capital expenditures effectively.

Risk and Compliance Management

• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and internal policies.
• Identify and mitigate operational risks, implementing strategies to protect the organisation’s reputation and assets.
• Lead the organisation’s response to crises or unforeseen operational challenges.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external key stakeholders.
• Represent the organisation in external forums, events, and negotiations, acting as a trusted ambassador.

• Attend and represent AHS at relevant meetings e.g. board, steering committee, etc.

Innovation and Growth

• Drive initiatives to incorporate new technologies and practices to enhance operational capabilities.
• Identify and capitalise on opportunities for growth and expansion in alignment with the organisation's objectives.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging teams to innovate and adapt to changing market dynamics.

Performance Measurement and Reporting

• Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to track operational performance.
• Provide regular reports to the Director, offering insights and recommendations for improvement.
• Lead and coordinate regular reports for the company board and for the AHS’s funders.
• Ensure transparency in communication across all levels of the organisation.

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, inspire, and develop a high-performing operational team, fostering a collaborative and inclusive culture.
• Identify talent needs, mentor emerging leaders, and oversee professional development initiatives.
• Ensure teams are aligned with the organisation’s mission, values, and strategic goals.

Knowledge, skills and experience

Essential criteria

• Degree (ideally in a life sciences subject), MBA or equivalent.
• Proven capability in designing and delivering large, complex projects with multiple stakeholders on time and to budget.
• Experience of using operational design and management methodology and tools.
• Proven experience in a leadership role, preferably in a senior operational role or in a similar capacity, within a health, educational, data and/or research-focused organisation.
• Strong track record of operational excellence and achieving organisational objectives.
• Exceptional ability to navigate partnerships across multiple sectors, including universities, schools, healthcare, government, and industry.
• Exceptional inclusive people leadership and teamworking skills, with experience of successfully managing diverse, multidisciplinary teams (e.g. including operational research and technical staff.
• Experience of working within ISO standards.
• Familiarity with working at company board level and board committees.
• Experience of writing and running tenders (e.g. for AHS recruitment services, bio-sample handling, processing and analysis services, data platform).
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into actionable plans.
• Demonstrated expertise in large-scale budget management and resource allocation.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• A results-oriented approach, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience of managing a geographically distributed team.
• Strong commercial and business acumen.
• Capability in some or all of the following (and sufficient knowledge to engage with experts in areas where capability is more limited): finance and accounting, HR management and organisational culture, IT, legal services, internal audit (working knowledge of all of these needed).
• Results driven and solution-focused, able to multi-task and work within a fast-paced environment.

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge and/or experience of developing communication strategies for scientific or research-based organisations.
• Understanding of health, research and education sectors and experience of working in one or more of these.
• Understanding of UK charity law.
• Knowledge of ethical, legal and regulatory considerations and best practices in population-based, longitudinal health research studies and the use of data for research purposes.
• Knowledge of large-scale, population-based, longitudinal biomedical and social science health research studies and platforms.
• Understanding of high-throughput bio-sample collection, handling and laboratory processes.
• Familiarity with research data collection systems and databases for large-scale biomedical, health and social science research resources, and with secure data environment platforms, analytics tools, and AI applications in research.
• Familiarity with reporting requirements for major publicly-funded national research initiatives.

Dimensions

• This is a full-time role.
• Flexible working across several geographical locations in the UK. Travel may be required to AHS locations and partner organisations.
• AHS is a national organisation, and our activities take place across the UK.

Application Process

Please apply with a CV and covering letter of no more than 2 pages explaining what you can bring to this role, including your current salary, to Jobs@gravitateHR.co.uk

The closing date for this position is 8 April 2025. 

Interviews will be held the week commencing 28 April 2025.

Equal Opportunities Policy Statement

AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. It is our policy to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of:

• Gender, including gender reassignment.
• Marital or civil partnership status
• Having or not having dependants
• Religion or belief
• Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins)
• Disability
• Sexual orientation
• Age

We are opposed to all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination. All job applicants and employees who work for us will be treated fairly and will not be unfairly discriminated against on any of the above grounds. Decisions about recruitment and selection, promotion, training or any other benefit will be made objectively and without unlawful discrimination. 

Values

AHS’s values guide how we work together within AHS and with our partners and other stakeholders:

• Integrity: We uphold the highest standards of honesty and ethical practice, ensuring that our research-enabling activities and services prioritise the well-being of young people, their communities and wider society.
• Collaboration: We thrive through partnerships, valuing interdisciplinary approaches and shared goals to optimise the delivery and maximise the impact of our work.
• Inclusivity: We embrace and celebrate diversity, ensuring that all voices — especially those of young people — are heard, valued, and reflected in all that we do.
• Innovation: We challenge conventional thinking, employ cutting-edge methods, and encourage creative problem-solving to advance the health and well-being of young people.
• Empathy: We approach our work with compassion, striving to understand and respond to the needs and challenges faced by young people across society.
• Accountability: We are committed to transparency and responsibility in our research, communication, and outcomes, ensuring trust and trustworthiness with all our stakeholders.
• Sustainability: We consider the long-term impact of our actions, striving to support research that will generate lasting improvements in young people’s health and well-being.
• Excellence: We pursue academic rigour to ensure that we enable the delivery of robust, high-impact insights based on high quality evidence.