Operations Manager

November 13

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Convergent Research

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Non-profit • Science • Technology

Convergent Research is a nonprofit organization that supports the creation and operation of Focused Research Organizations (FROs). These are new types of scientific startups dedicated to tackling large-scale, coordinated projects in science and technology. The organization aims to produce high-impact public goods and drive forward technically ambitious projects led by teams of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. Convergent Research operates with a focus on achieving pre-specified, quantifiable technical milestones within finite-duration projects. It is supported by significant funding from notable entities, including investment by influential figures in the science and tech communities.

11 - 50 employees

🤝 Non-profit

🔬 Science

📋 Description

• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for all UK-based FROs, providing day-to-day support and guidance. • Support all backend operations for Convergent UK, including finance, budgeting, HR, legal, and procurement support, while coordinating closely with the US-based domain experts and ensuring smooth alignment between teams. • Build, document, and continuously improve operational policies, SOPs, and templates tailored for UK operations. • Set up and maintain UK legal entities, bank accounts, payroll, insurance, and benefits administration for Convergent UK and FROs. • Administer and optimize operational tools and platforms (e.g., Quickbooks, Ramp/Apron, Deel, Ironclad), manage user access, and troubleshoot issues. • Support onboarding and training of FRO staff on UK operational systems and processes. • Review and route vendor onboarding and procurement requests, handling exceptions as needed. • Collaborate with Legal and Finance to ensure proper cost classifications, contract approvals, and documentation. • Create and maintain a centralized archive of contracts, receipts, justifications, and compliance documentation. • Work with our Compliance Manager to ensure compliance with UK employment law, tax, and regulatory requirements. • Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, clarity, and scalability. • Develop and maintain strong working relationships with FRO leaders, scientists, and staff across the UK. • Provide operational reporting and updates to Convergent leadership as needed. • Support onboarding for new FROs as they launch in the UK. • Travel to the US a few times a year as needed for team onsites.

🎯 Requirements

• An ops architect – You’ve built (or seriously revamped) operational workflows before, ideally in a UK context. You think in integrated systems, not one-off fixes—and you're always looking for smart ways to scale, whether through new software, automation, or AI tools. • Capable of flying solo – We’ll give you context and support, but you’re expected to take initiative, spot issues, and handle the follow-through. • UK-savvy – You know your way around UK company formation, payroll, banking, insurance, and vendor onboarding. Bonus points if you’ve wrangled UK compliance, VAT, or charity regulations. • Tool-friendly – You pick up new systems quickly and understand how they connect to build a smooth, end-to-end workflow. Familiarity with tools like Quickbooks, Ramp, Apron or similar is a plus. • Organized –Like a librarian with a label maker, but scrappy enough to roll with startup chaos. • Good at saying no without being a jerk – You can explain policy with clarity and empathy, and people trust you because you listen. • Comfortable operating across borders—international experience is a big plus, especially if you’ve navigated global vendors, compliance quirks, or timezone chaos without losing your cool. • Comfortable flexing down to help with transactional work while we scale. It’s not glamorous, but it’s important.

🏖️ Benefits

• A rare chance to build institutional architecture for frontier science and work with some of the smartest and most talented experts from different fields. • Competitive salary, commensurate with experience and UK market rates. • Flexible, remote-first work environment. • Comprehensive benefits package, including pension, health, and wellness support. • The opportunity to help shape the future of science infrastructure in the UK.