Head of Operations and Strategic Development (maternity cover)

Head of Operations and Strategic Development (Maternity Cover) - Ada Lovelace Institute

Salary: Starting salary from £71,000 per annum.

Contract: Maternity contract of up to 1 year, to start in October or November 2026.

Hours: Full time (35 hours per week).

Location: We are London based (Farringdon). Our staff have the option to work part of the week from home.

Closing: 09:30am (BST), Tuesday 8th September 2026.

The Ada Lovelace Institute (Ada) is recruiting for a Head of Operations and Strategic Development to cover a period of maternity leave. This is a critical Senior Leadership Team role, supporting the Co-Directors and the SLT in the implementation of Ada's organisational strategy and the effective running of the organisation.

You will lead on Ada's organisational development, resource planning and governance, and play a key role in overseeing Ada's financial management, grant delivery, policy development and funder accountability, to ensure the organisation's sustainability. You will also manage Ada's integration with the Nuffield Foundation's HR, finance and other central services.

Between late November/ Early December 2026 and July 2027, the Director will be on maternity leave. During this period, the role will report to one of two Co-Directors (working closely with both of them). You will sit on Ada's Senior Leadership Team, taking responsibility for quarterly planning exercises and supporting the Co-Directors on all aspects of Board governance, including managing governance cycles, drafting papers and reports to Board members and Nuffield Trustees, and maintaining dashboards such as the finance and Risk Registers. You will hold the organisation's thinking on organisational development and on Ada as a 'great place to work', leading projects to embed a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, and will be accountable for the operational elements of the Research Pathway, Ada's project management process.

Alongside this, you will maintain oversight of the Ada budget and the organisation's fiscal health, work with Directorates to budget and forecast resources, and support the Co-Directors' fundraising activity and funder relationships. You will head up the operational function of Ada, including financial management, grant management and delivery, legal, HR, organisational development processes, IT and systems, and compliance, designing policies specific to Ada in collaboration with the SLT and wider Ada team, and implementing Nuffield Foundation policies and frameworks in a way that works for Ada.

You will line manage the positions of Operations Administrator and Executive Assistant, and oversee the Ada-related work of the Foundation’s Finance Business Partner. You will also build and maintain strong relationships with Nuffield colleagues across Strategy and Engagement, HR, Legal, Finance and Information Systems, and with Ada's sister centres.

About you

You are an experienced operations professional with:

Strong management experience in a non-profit organisation, research institute, policy, or other knowledge institution.

Broad, strategic leadership and operational management experience including governance, finance and resources.

Experience of developing and managing financial budgets and forecasting.

Evidence of managing and shaping operations, influencing and driving efficiencies and team cohesion at organisation level.

Experience in grant management and evaluation.

Experience of designing and implementing pathways for knowledge sharing and design across teams and projects.

You bring highly developed organisational management skills, strong strategic planning and analytical abilities, and are comfortable working across a matrix organisation with multiple teams. You are a confident written and verbal communicator and a skilled influencer, with a genuine commitment to building an anti-oppressive workplace culture. You'll be enthusiastic, dynamic and solutions-focused, with a collaborative style and the confidence to take accountability.

For further information about the role, please click through to the vacancy listing on our website.

About us

The Ada Lovelace Institute  is an independent research institute funded and incubated by the  Nuffield Foundation  since 2018.  

Our mission is to ensure data and artificial intelligence work for people and society. We do this by building evidence and fostering rigorous debate on how data and AI affect people and society. We recognise the power asymmetries that exist in ethical and legal debates around the development of data-driven technologies and seek to level those asymmetries by convening diverse voices and creating a shared understanding of the ethical issues arising from data and AI. Finally, we seek to define and inform good practice in the design and deployment of AI technologies.     

The Institute has emerged as a leading independent voice on the ethical and societal impacts of data and AI. We have built relationships in the public, private and civil society sectors in the UK and internationally. Please find details of our work  here .   

Our research takes an interconnected approach to issues such as power, social justice, distributional impact and climate change (read our strategy to find out more), and our team have a wide range of expertise that cuts across policy, technology, academia, industry, law and human rights.  

We value diversity in background, skills, perspectives and life experiences. As part of the Nuffield Foundation, we are a small team with the practical support of an established organisation that cares for its employees. 

Further information and how to apply

For further information about the role, please click through to the vacancy listing on our website. The closing date for applications is 09:30am (BST) on Tuesday 8th September 2026.

This is a maternity cover contract of up to 1 year, ideally to start in October or November 2026. 

We are committed to inclusive working practices and during the application process we commit to:    

As a Disability Confident employer, we will offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the essential criteria for the job

making any reasonable adjustments – for example providing documents in different formats, arranging for a sign language interpreter for interviews etc    

reimbursing reasonable travel costs (and any childcare or care costs) for interviews where in-person attendance is required    

Our benefits package includes:    

Genuine flexibility - we are open to requests for part-time hours, compressed working weeks, or job shares.  

28 days holiday per annum and all public holidays, with the option to buy or sell up to 5 days (prorated for part time staff).  

• A salary exchange pension scheme that offers employer contributions of up to 11%.     
• Life assurance scheme.     
• Family leave policies that provide an enhanced level of pay.     

Cycle to work scheme, loans towards train season tickets and the option to make charitable donations via your pay.

Regular opportunities for learning and development – including coaching, mentoring, and dedicated reading days for personal development and reflection.  

Support with your physical, mental and financial wellbeing including an employee assistance provider, a private GP service, personal health reviews with Bupa, a will and funeral planning service and a staff network of trained Mental Health First Aiders.  

A warm and welcoming workplace culture, with active peer groups and social networks to help you connect and belong.