Operations Director, Professional Services, London, ideally 4 days, £80-100k FTE + bonus

An exciting opportunity for a highly experienced Operations Director to join a fast-growing executive search firm.

The Client  

Our client is a dynamic and fast-growing professional services firm specialising in executive search, leadership development, and strategic advisory for the insurance and reinsurance markets. As both the business and market opportunity evolve, they are seeking a highly organised and commercially minded Operations Director to drive operational excellence and help position the firm for scalable growth.  

The Role  

This role is central to ensuring the smooth and efficient running of day-to-day operations while building the infrastructure needed to support our continued expansion and deepen our impact across the market. 

The Operations Director will be responsible for leading all operational aspects of the firm, ensuring the business runs smoothly, efficiently, and at pace. The successful candidate will streamline processes, strengthen business planning and strategy execution, and oversee the timely delivery of client projects. They will play a key role in enabling the team to deliver high-quality executive search, leadership coaching and advisory services by removing friction, introducing operational discipline and driving consistent, clean and high-impact results. 

Key responsibilities: 

• Operational Efficiency: Identify and implement process improvements to dive efficiency and productivity, increasing and reducing costs, across the business. 
•  Process Improvement: Continuously evaluate and refine business processes to enhance productivity and quality using where appropriate improved deployment of systems and enhanced data analytics and AI.
• Quality Assurance: ensure individual projects and objectives are met to the agreed time and standard.
• Financial Management: Oversee financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Project Management: Ensure the successful delivery of client projects by holding the team accountable and managing timelines and resources.
• Quarterly Reporting: ensure quarterly progress is presented, using appropriate KPIs and discussed to satisfy that objectives are being met as planned and/or take measures to regain momentum.
• Business Planning: Oversee annual business planning exercises, including working with the finance team to finalise budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Strategic Support: engage in the strategy work for the company and build the strategic operational plans and oversee the execution, preparing the business for future growth.
• Team Leadership: Foster a culture of accountability and excellence within the team and manage any reports ensuring successful and inclusive careers.
• Client Service Support: Support and help the team deliver a high-quality service to clients, ensuring efficiency and removing obstacles for clean, quick and quality results.
• Technology Management: Manage and develop the company’s technology to ensure optimisation and leverage new innovations. This includes managing the CRM and all supporting services and apps. 

The Candidate

• Proven experience in a senior leadership role with strong operational and business management capability, including sound financial acumen. 
•  Demonstrated track record of delivering complex projects on time and to a high standard.
• Strong ability to drive efficiency, embed continuous improvement, and foster a culture of accountability
• Exceptional organisational, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strategic thinker with a buas for execution and the ability to translate plans into practical, scalable outcomes.
• Experienced in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and an ability to adapt to changing business needs and priorities. 

The Terms  

• Ideally 4 days per week
• Office based in Bank 
• £80-100k FTE
• Discretionary annual bonus (Jan) and annual team bonus (July)
• Unlimited holidays
• Pension
• Health cash plan
• Family orientated benefits