Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.

We are seeking a permanent Programme and Business Operations Lead to work collaboratively with the Head of Products and Research, contributing to the effective oversight and delivery of the Business Operations functions and Programmes across the Genomics Surveillance Unit (GSU).

Key Responsibilities Include

Managing the Business Operations across the Unit
Being responsible for providing assurance that the Unit operates on a financially viable basis, with appropriate financial controls, and optimises the use of funds available.
Ensuring the unit is compliant with all internal policies, processes and procedures to minimise audit findings.
Monitoring budgets against projects expenditure and income distribution to subcontract and enabling capabilities (GSU and WSI)
Programmatic support and Oversight to the Value Propositions and the Project Managers.
Contributions to strategic planning and objectives and business planning
Full line management responsibility of team members

In this role, you will understand the connectivity between the programmes of activity, how they are collectively being driven forwards, overseeing good financial control and contract management including good governance and ethics oversight. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with key areas across Sanger including legal, HR, finance, procurement and research governance. You will also develop and implement proportional and pragmatic systems that facilitate the international delivery of projects and partnerships necessary to become the world leader in delivering longitudinal genomic data on important pathogen and vector species.

About You

With a good knowledge of business and commercial delivery in a laboratory services setting you will be able to also support the research and laboratory business operations and programme delivery in this complex and multifaceted role.

Experience

Essential Skills:

Experience of working at Management and Board level in a large-scale laboratory service or operational commercial setting providing operational governance support to delivery teams
Experience in developing complex organisational strategy
Fluency in developing, handling and reporting complex budgets
Experience in leadership, with direct line management, through inspiring, motivating and influencing
Experience in creating implementation plans to deliver and resource organisational strategies/priorities on time, within budget
Extensive knowledge and expertise in various managerial fields, including but not limited to finance, HR, business, planning, leadership, procurement
Experience of Business planning and finance management
Experience of facilitating effective decision making in a scientific or complex technical context
Demonstrable experience in managing programmes
Managerial qualification e.g., MBA Project Management qualification e.g., Prince 2

Technical Skills

Finding solutions to complicated or multifaceted problems with a flexible approach applying business management principles to manage expectations
Strategic thinking, ability to see the ‘bigger picture’
Ability to quickly understand technical and process challenges and break down complex problems into actionable steps
Working knowledge of relevant legislation (research governance, Laboratory Safety and Clinical Governance)
Proven experience of leading change management programmes and business transformation from concept to delivery
Proven ability of creating and implement new ways of working across complex organisations

Competencies And Behaviours

Demonstrates initiative, creativity, flexibility and a personal ethos of integrity
Ability to work independently
Proven communication, negotiation and influencing skills at senior leadership level.
Capable of distilling complex ideas and models for a non-technical audiences
Ability to work in a frequently changing environment with the capability to interpret management information to amend plans
Be a champion for equity, diversity and inclusion, and work collaboratively with a range of different stakeholders
High level of organisational skills with attention to detail to be able to manage multiple competing priorities effectively
Ability to make decisions while working in a frequently changing environment with the capability to interpret management information to amend plans
Ability to prioritise, manage workload, and deliver agreed activities consistently on time
High level of negotiating and influencing skills

Other Information

Salary per annum (dependent upon skills and experience): £81,435-£95,730

Hybrid Working: 2-3 days per week in the office

Application Process

Please apply with your CV and cover letter outlining how you meet the criteria set out above.

Closing Date: 18th May 2025

Hybrid Working At Wellcome Sanger

We recognise that there are many benefits to Hybrid Working; including an improved work-life balance, with more focused time, as well as the ability to organise working time so that collaborative opportunities and team discussions are facilitated on campus. The hybrid working arrangement will vary for different roles and teams. The nature of your role and the type of work you do will determine if a hybrid working arrangement is possible.

Equality, Diversity And Inclusion

We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with the following staff networks, LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers, Disability and Race Equity to bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities and raise awareness. The networks are also a place for allies to provide support to others.

We want our people to be whoever they want to be because we believe people who bring their best selves to work, do their best work. That’s why we’re committed to creating a truly inclusive culture at Sanger Institute. We will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.

Our Benefits

We are proud to deliver an awarding campus-wide employee wellbeing strategy and programme. The importance of good health and adopting a healthier lifestyle and the commitment to reduce work-related stress is strongly acknowledged and recognised at Sanger Institute.

Sanger Institute became a signatory of the International Technician Commitment initiative In March 2018. The Technician Commitment aims to empower and ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.

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Programme and Business Operations Lead