MRC-BHF CoRE Chief Operating Officer

About Us

We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead operations of a newly established MRC-BHF Centre of Research Excellence in Advance Cardiac Therapies (REACT).

REACT is a national Centre supported by the Medical Research Council UK and the British Heart Foundation with £27M core funds for seven years, renewable to 14 years, with a start date in January 2025. The Centre aims to bring together world-leading scientists and clinical academics across the UK and internationally, together with premier biotech and pharma companies, with the overarching aim to develop innovative RNA- and gene-based therapies to regenerate the injured heart and reverse established heart failure. The Centre is firmly committed to training, career development and promotion of early career researchers, and will broadly disseminate its progress to public and patients.

About the Role

This role will be essential in supporting the establishment and management of REACT, we are looking for an experienced and driven COO, who will operate in close conjunction with our first Director, Professor Mauro Giacca (King’s College London), co-Directors Profs. Andrew Baker (University of Edinburgh) and Paul Riley (University of Oxford) and the other members of the Leadership Team. The COO will work in collaboration with the three hosting Universities and partners to ensure operational agility for REACT to reach its ambitious goal. The COO will also be responsible for financial management, business development and maintaining relationships with our funders and partners. This post will be based at King’s College London, however regular travels to Oxford, Edinburgh and our current and future partners sites will be required to fulfil the role effectively.

This is a full time, and you will be offered an fixed term contract for 3 years.

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

• PhD (in a STEM discipline preferred but not necessary)
• Proven financial management and analytical skills to underpin strategic financial strategic decisions and procedures
• Proven experience working at a strategic level with academic research collaborations, commercial partners, and/or research funders
• Experience working in either a higher education or research institution, a large research funder or a biomedical or other active research company in the private sector
• Experience in monitoring and completing complex projects and demonstrating ability to set budgets, timescales and deadlines
• Proven excellent communication, negotiation and influencing skills
• High level of work organisation, self-motivation, drive for performance and improvement, and flexibility in approach and attitude
• Ability to work independently, under pressure and meet deadlines

Desirable criteria

• Demonstrable experience in strategic planning and implementation
• Proven experience in managing complex teams
• Ability to collaborate constructively with internal and external partners to create conditions for successful partnership working
• Experience in initiating and leading project and partnership activity and maximising relations with relevant parties and services

£63,596 to £72,757 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance