Head of Operations

Head of Operations
Position: Full Time
Location: Poole, UK (Hybrid)
Salary: £60,000 - £65,000p/a
 
A leading creative and technology studio, based in Poole, is seeking a Head of Operations to drive efficiency, structure, and scalability across a fast-moving, high-performing environment. The company partners with major global brands across sectors such as automotive, technology, and finance, delivering experiences that blend design, creativity, and innovation.
The team is made up of curious thinkers, adaptive problem-solvers, and passionate doers who turn ideas into impact. This role is central to ensuring that creativity and operational precision move in perfect sync.
 
The Role
The Head of Operations will be responsible for refining how the studio works, managing processes, resources, and delivery to ensure the team operates efficiently, profitably, and happily.
This is a key leadership role, working closely with senior management to scale the business sustainably while balancing creativity, quality, and performance. The ideal candidate is strategic, calm under pressure, and able to simplify complexity while fostering a positive, can-do culture.
 
Key Responsibilities

• Lead and optimise daily operations across departments, ensuring smooth workflows and consistent project delivery.
• Oversee resource planning, budgeting, forecasting, and capacity management across all projects.
• Partner with senior leadership to define and implement scalable operational processes.
• Manage and mentor project management and production teams to ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and at the highest quality.
• Monitor performance, margins, and utilisation metrics, translating insights into practical actions.
• Ensure operational systems and tools (e.g., time tracking, project management, QA, and reporting) are effective and continuously improving.
• Collaborate with Finance to support forecasting, billing, and profitability analysis.
• Drive operational excellence through continuous improvement and innovation.
• Support client relationships when required, ensuring operational alignment and seamless delivery.
• Cultivate a positive, inclusive, and productive studio culture that reflects the company’s values.

• Strong and proven experience in operations, production, or project management, ideally within a creative, technical, or digital agency.
• Proven experience leading operational strategy and improving studio processes.
• Strong financial acumen and comfortable with forecasting, margins, and budgets.
• Skilled in resource planning and cross-functional collaboration.
• Highly organised, proactive, and composed under pressure.
• Confident using tools such as Jira, Slack, Google Workspace, and time/project tracking systems.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to inspire and guide teams.

• Human-first: empathetic, collaborative, and emotionally intelligent.
• Adaptive: thrives on evolving systems rather than enforcing them.
• Curious: always exploring better ways to work and grow.
• Action-oriented: delivers results quickly, intelligently, and with energy.

• Flexible working hours
• 28 days holiday (including bank holidays) plus studio closure at Christmas
• High-spec equipment (MacBook Pro, mouse, and keyboard)