JOB: HEAD OF OPERATIONS
SALARY: £55,000 - £60,000
LOCATION: BOURNEMOUTH
The Head of Operations will play a central leadership role within an Authorised Corporate Director (ACD) business, overseeing all operational activity whilst also contributing to the firm’s growth through business development and marketing. The role requires a senior operations professional with experience in UK financial services, strong project management skills, proven leadership capability.
The successful candidate will take responsibility for the full operational lifecycle of the ACD business, ensuring robust fund oversight, resilient processes, and high-quality service delivery. They will oversee the management of third-party administrators, custodians and depositaries, support regulatory and governance requirements and uphold strong operational controls aligned with FCA regulations. They will lead the operational charge, including process improvement, systems implementation, new fund launches and broader cross-functional projects ensuring delivery to timelines and budgets, with clear communication to internal and external stakeholders.
In this role, the individual will provide leadership and direction to a few teams, motivating and developing them, driving a high-performance culture and ensuring effective performance management and succession planning. They will act as a senior escalation point for operational issues, working closely with the CEO, Compliance & Risk, Finance and our external partners to maintain a high standard of operational integrity and client service.
Alongside operational oversight, the position includes responsibility for driving business development and representing the company externally. The Head of Operations will build strong relationships with existing and prospective clients, identify commercial opportunities, participate in client meetings and industry events and support the wider leadership team in promoting the company’s services. They will also contribute to marketing activity, helping shape the firm’s brand presence, client communications, and positioning within the market.
The role requires exceptional communication skills, the ability to influence at senior levels, strong analytical and organisational capability, and a strategic mindset with a proactive mindset and experience of OEICs, NURS, AIFs is highly advantageous.
The ideal candidate will combine operational discipline with commercial acumen, demonstrating resilience, integrity, sound judgement, and the ability to lead teams effectively whilst also supporting the firm’s growth strategy.
Excellent benefits:
* 25 days holiday per annum plus bank holidays;
* 5% ER pension contribution (once completed probationary period, 3% up until then);
* Life assurance / death in service of 4 x annual salary (immediately on commencement of employment);
* Private Medical Insurance with AXA PPP on a medical history disregarded basis (once completed probationary period);
* Healthcare Cash Plan with Bupa (once completed probationary period);
* Buying and Selling Holiday Scheme, allowing employees to increase their holiday entitlement to up to 30 days per annum (once completed probationary period);
* Flexible working/hybrid working available;
* Free office parking onsite.
Skills & Experience Required
Essential
* Experience within UK financial services, ideally within an ACD, asset management, fund administration, or related FCA regulated environment.
* Proven operational leadership experience, managing and motivating multiple teams.
* Strong project management skills with experience delivering complex operational or regulatory projects.
* Direct experience in client engagement or business development within financial services.
* Exposure to marketing or brand-building activities, ideally within a regulated firm.
* Exceptional communication, analytical, and relationship-building skills.
Desirable
* Experience with authorised fund structures (OEICs, NURS, AIFs).
* Knowledge of operational resilience frameworks and fund oversight models.
* An understanding of ACD responsibilities, FCA regulations, operational risk, and governance frameworks.
* Marketing or sales qualifications,
* Project management certifications (Prince2, Agile)
* IOC qualification (Investment Operations Certificate) or IMC qualification (Investment Management Certificate) – willing to obtain one of these if not already obtained.
This is not just a “back-office” role. It is a strategic senior leadership position at a firm with a broad and evolving fund offering giving you the chance to shape how the business grows, behaves and succeeds in a regulated and competitive market.
Real Recruitment Solutions is committed to a policy of equal opportunities across all areas of our business and at all stages in the selection process. Acting in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and guidelines given by the REC, we treat everyone equally irrespective of sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, age, disability, race, ethnic or national origin, religion, political beliefs or membership or non-membership of a Trade Union.
From advertising vacancies, conducting candidate searches, selecting CVs, discussing vacancies and submitting details to clients through to interview preparation and at offer stage, Real Recruitment Solutions ensure that each candidate is assessed only in accordance with their merits, qualifications and ability to perform the relevant duties required by the particular vacancy.
Real Recruitment Solutions place an obligation upon all staff to respect and act in accordance with this policy and consistently review regulations as laid out by the REC to ensure our policy is updated and relevant across all aspects of recruitment in order to avoid unlawful or undesirable discrimination