Director of Operations (Institute for Digital Security and Behaviour)

About the role

The Bath Institute for Digital Security and Behaviour (IDSB) is seeking a dedicated Institute Operations Director to provide senior operational and strategic leadership for a leading interdisciplinary research institute.

IDSB unites expertise across social, behavioural, computer, and data sciences to tackle the complex challenges of digital security. Working in partnership with academia, industry, government, and the public, we co-design secure, inclusive, and effective digital systems with national and global impact.

As Operations Director, you will ensure the efficient running of the Institute and support the delivery of its strategic objectives. You will provide leadership across finance, governance, operations, and people management, translating strategy into action and enabling a high-performing research environment.

You will work closely with the Institute Directors and Deputy Directors and engage with senior University collaborators, external partners, and governance bodies responsible for oversight and strategic direction.

Key responsibilities

• Lead delivery and monitoring of the Institute’s strategy, including benchmarks, reporting frameworks, and operational planning
• Ensure effective governance and compliance with University policies and external funding requirements
• Coordinate financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and prioritization
• Support governance structures, including boards, committees, and advisory groups
• Guide and grow professional services staff, ensuring strong performance and team capability
• Coordinate operational systems, infrastructure, and physical resources, including Institute premises
• Produce high-quality reports, briefings, and strategic documentation for internal and external audiences
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing Institute culture

About you

You are an experienced operational leader with a proven background in higher education, research institutes, or similarly complex organisations. You are skilled at working across strategy, operations, and collaborating with partners, and you can transform plans into seamless results.

You will bring:

• Demonstrated leadership background in higher education or a research setting
• Strong financial management experience, including budget ownership and reporting
• Experience engaging with external collaborators (e.g., funders, government, industry)
• Excellent communication, influencing, and negotiation skills at senior level
• Ability to guide and grow multidisciplinary teams
• Strong organisational skills with excellent attention to detail in reporting and documentation

Further information

This role is offered on a full-time (36.5 hours per week), permanent basis.

Informal enquiries may be made to Professor Adam Joinson via email at aj266@bath.ac.uk, however please ensure that you submit your application through the university website.

We consider ourselves to be a university where difference is celebrated, respected and encouraged. We have an excellent international reputation with staff from over 60 different nations and have made a positive commitment towards gender equality and intersectionality receiving a Silver Athena SWAN award. We truly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds will lead to a better environment for our employees and students and encourage applications from all genders, backgrounds, and communities, particularly from under-represented groups, and value the positive impact that will have on the university. We are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for our students, staff, and community by reinforcing our Safer Recruitment commitment.

We're very proud to be a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant. an accredited Disability Confident Leader; autism friendly university, committed to building disability confidence and supporting disabled staff. 

Please apply via the ‘Apply’ button above.

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