Deadline for applications: 15 October 2020
As a member of the Executive Committee, the COO will work closely with the CEO, Executive Director for Strategy, Performance and Engagement, Chief Finance Officer and Chief People Officer to develop and implement the strategic vision for UKRI.
The COO will also work closely with the Executive Chairs of the nine Councils to facilitate clear and collective support for UKRI integration and the delivery of the business improvement objectives.
As a visible leader within UKRI’s corporate services, the COO will oversee operations & central funding services, data and digital technology and office estates.
The COO will also be the Senior Responsible Officer for the Reforming our Business portfolio (RoB) which includes a suite of harmonisation and modernisation programmes covering grant administration, finance, commercial and people processes designed to significantly improve the organisation’s capability to deliver on its strategic intent.
The COO will develop ways of working with the Council COOs and others to drive improved value for money in all UKRI operational activities.
Responsibilities
- Work with the Council COOs on ways to achieve UKRI integration and increase the harmonisation of business processes and controls.
- Lead the UKRI Reforming our Business portfolio of projects and programmes designed to reduce bureaucracy and improve the value for money from business processes.
- Lead the modernisation of digital and IT systems covering front office (grants administration) and back office (finance, procurement and people) processes as well as desktop IT services.
- Work closely with the CFO to improve the processes supporting the development and approval of all significant investment business cases.
- Deliver the office estates strategy.
- Lead on the central grant funding operational services delivery.
- Lead customer for the shared services provided by UK SBS.
- Support the Chief People Officer to ensure that Council and central leadership teams have the required skills, behaviours and capability to lead across their respective domains.
Key skills
- Excellent leadership skills and behaviours and a clear ability to use these to create highly engaged, highly performing teams.
- Highly resilient, ability to deliver, personally, at pace whilst ensuring others execute agreed plans.
- Calm and authoritative under pressure and ability to act quickly and decisively when required.
- Experienced team player – able to listen and contribute in equal measure and engage with and encourage a wide range of opinions.
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
- Politically astute, excellent interpersonal skills, able to influence, build and maintain strong working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders; collaborative and consultative.
- Enthusiastic, motivated, adaptable and proactive with the ability to work flexibly in a changing environment.
- A strategic thinker with the ability to translate ideas into action in the delivery of customer-focused services.
Find out more on the UKRI Website.