OPERATIONS MANAGER, NEKTON FOUNDATION, UK.
Full time
Start immediately
£40,000 pa
Oxford, occasional travel to London and abroad international
Background
Nekton’s mission is to explore and protect the last great frontier on our planet – the deep ocean.
Today we have better maps of Mars and the Moon, than we do of our own seabed. Containing over 95% of our biosphere, an average depth of 2.3 miles (full ocean depth is 7 miles down), with only 0.0001% biologically sampled, the deep ocean is the least known part of our planet. It is also the most important, as it plays a critical role in our planet’s life support system. Worryingly, it’s undergoing its most severe disruption in at least 250 million years and no one really knows how the changes will affect us. Simply, we need to go deep.
About Nekton
A UK-registered charity based in Oxford, London and New York, Nekton is launching a series of major expeditions into the deep ocean using the latest submersibles and deep sea technology to carry out a health check on the ocean. Our Missions provide the scientific data and media content to amplify ocean prioritisation, accelerate ocean literacy and inform and catalyse marine protection. Through our expeditions, technology development, ground-breaking research, published discoveries, broadcast films and high-profile communications and events, we aim to help revolutionise ocean science and conservation.
Role of the Operations Manager
Nekton is looking for a new Operations Manager to join our Mission Headquarters to support the Managing Director and Finance Director in overseeing the operations of the organisation at Mission Headquarters and for each of our international projects.
· This is an exciting and broad role for someone who combines organisation operations and financial management experience and enjoys the challenges of raising funds and complexities delivering programmes.
· The role will involve the day-to-day management of Mission HQ, expedition, research and communications finances, operations and fund-raising. You will handle international and multi-currency transactions from purchasing and logistics to payroll and supplier contracts, assisting the Managing Director and Finance Director with budgeting and tax planning, international tax and regulatory compliance, arranging contracts with partners, recruiting new talent and coordinating HR, applying for funding from sponsors and donors, monitoring and reporting financial performance, managing the office, systems and processes, and booking travel and expedition permits.
· Nekton’s business model is to minimise internal staffing and overheads and deliver our work through collaborations with the best-fit partners around the world. Our success is based on inspiring and leading a multi-disciplinary and energetic team and working with mutually beneficial partnerships. As a member of our Mission HQ team, you will be instrumental in that success, helping us increase revenue, minimise waste and increase profitability to reinvest surpluses in further exploration and protection of the ocean.
· As a member of the Mission HQ team, you will represent Nekton to our partners and suppliers and where appropriate engage with organisations from around the world, ranging from universities, NGO’s and governments to the marine industry, financial institutions and the media.
About you
We are looking for a qualified accountant (e.g. ACCA, ACA, CIMA) with financial management experience with an international commercial or NGO background at management level, and proven success at managing operations and international projects. We are willing to consider applicants without the professional qualification if you can demonstrate a comparative level of experience. Experience within third sector, conservation, technology and science organisations would be welcome. A knowledge of expeditions and international projects would be a great advantage.
Nekton’s mission is global and audacious. We are entering the unknown and will be doing things differently. We are looking for someone with a special blend of conventional professionalism and working ‘lean’ with limited resources, always being creative in their drive for rapid development; someone who understands the need for meticulous accounting and efficient operations in a small organisation and the fluid financial needs of high-growth start-ups along with the complex operations of corporations and international ventures. We need someone who can help us rise to the challenge while remaining grounded when under pressure, someone able to focus on the detail, work rapidly and track the bigger picture.
Time commitment & remuneration
We are looking for someone to commit full-time to Nekton immediately. You will be based in our Oxford office, and may need to visit London and make occasional trips abroad. There may be opportunities to work from home for some of the time if that helps your personal life.
As a charity, we have to make sure our funds are invested mostly in delivering our projects. We value our team immensely and will reward you well for your hard work and results. The starting salary for the Operations Manager position is £40,000 per annum.
Further information about Nekton is available upon request through our password-protected website.