We are recruiting for an experienced Head of People & Operations to build, develop and coordinate an innovative team developing a novel sensing platform for environmental monitoring.

As our Head of People & Operations, joining at the very start of our journey, you will help us to shape a cooperative, nurturing, and sustainable environment. Your role on the Senior Management Team is to reflect that our people are at the centre of everything we do. You will be responsible for creating the systems and infrastructure required for us to operate and grow effectively.

As a person with excellent communication skills and the ability to influence and inform, you will provide direction to the voice of the company, with both internal and external partners. You will develop our communication strategy and appropriate channels for reaching our stakeholders.

You will support the design and delivery of key People processes and initiatives to enhance and elevate the employee journey. You will implement and support the employee lifecycle, ensuring policies are effective, clear and aligned to the business. You will be a trusted partner to our managers, providing guidance and support as necessary. You will have responsibility for creating, shaping and managing the physical and virtual workplaces to ensure that our team have the environment and tools needed to facilitate collaborative and innovative working.

You will be responsible for:

Establishing policies and procedures that promote company culture and vision.

Developing and implementing operational strategies, plans, and procedures to enhance efficiency and achieve company goals.

Managing physical and virtual workspaces, ensuring staff have the resources and infrastructure to deliver our vision.

Collaborating with the executive team to set comprehensive goals for performance and growth.

Managing the strategy for employee reward and remuneration, consulting directly with the CEO and Board of Directors

Monitoring and analysing performance metrics to identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions.

Ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements related to people, place and policies.

Identifying, tendering and managing relationships with external subcontractors as required. Initially this is likely to include relationships with lawyers, accountants, insurance brokers and contractors.

Managing communication strategy – to include social media, website and internal communications.

You will be able to demonstrate that you have most of the following (essential experience):

Proven leadership experience with solid foundations in HR processes and employee relations, preferably in a startup environment.

Strong impact, influence and coaching skills, with the ability to engage and influence managers and stakeholders within and beyond the organisation.

Exceptional communication skills (verbal and written) with a clear, concise and friendly style.

Track record of providing accurate and insightful data analytics to inform decision making.

Proven experience in project management and coordination of budgets, timelines and deliverables of multiple projects.

Experience in formalising company processes in order to achieve relevant ISO certifications and/or implement quality management systems.

Experience working in the initial stages of an SME/ Start-up environment, and driving the infrastructure and policy framework to achieve success.

Salary:

Salary will be dependent upon level of skill and experience. We therefore anticipate the following:

£40k – £55k FTE

We are advertising this role at 0.6 FTE (we could consider a minimum of 0.4 FTE). We are pleased to accommodate flexible and hybrid working where appropriate but, as this is a people-centred role within a small company, we expect that in-person collaboration time will be highly valuable, so encourage time spent in the office and expect this when required.

Other Benefits:

Employee share option scheme

Optional compressed hours working pattern (e.g. 9-day fortnight)

Flexible working arrangements where possible

25 days paid leave and bank holidays

Annual discretionary training allowance

Company matched pension contributions up to 5%

Travel to work loan scheme

(You’ll be driving the strategy for what we add next!)

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Job Closing Date: Until position is filled. Applications will be reviewed as received so this vacancy may be closed earlier; early applications are therefore encouraged.

Interview Dates: Starting 6th January 2025

Interview Process: Initial telephone/ video calls will be used for shortlisting candidates. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an in-person interview.

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Our Company

Mode Labs, a spin-out from the University of Oxford, are developing an innovative remote autonomous chemical sensor platform to address the growing need to understand and monitor the world around us.

As part of our initial mission, Mode Labs are targeting the development of a remotely deployable sensor to act within the water quality market and address the unmet and growing needs of environmental legislation across the country and beyond. Our Vision is to bring chemical understanding outside of the laboratory, delivering clear and concise measurement data where it is needed most. Precision sensing, anytime, anywhere.

Mode Labs

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Head of People and Operations