Head of Operations

About us 

We are a leading consultancy with a purpose to make an enduring impact on health and healthcare. We work with leaders and frontline teams to improve health, transform healthcare, drive adoption of innovation and create value through investment.  

Our consultancy serves the entire healthcare sector, from payors and providers of care, to life science companies, health tech and sector suppliers and health investors. We provide end-to-end services, from strategy through implementation, accelerated by data, digital and AI.  

We shape opinion through evidence-based thought leadership on key issues affecting health. With unmatched ability to access and use health data, our consultants are a driving force for delivering positive and meaningful change.  

About the role

CF is growing, and the way we plan, resource and report on that growth needs to keep pace. This role exists to turn our ambitions into a clear, deliverable business plan, to make sure the right people are on the right work at the right time, and to give the firm a single, trusted view of how it is performing. Our profitability turns on utilisation, day rate and leverage, and you will own the operational levers behind all three. 

You will report directly to the Chief Operating and Commercial Officer (COCO) and lead the Operations and Resourcing team. Day to day, you will lead business planning and forecasting, run resourcing across every practice and geography, and produce the performance reporting that our Executive Operating Committee (EOC) and Board rely on. You will work as a business partner to Partners and Heads of Practice, and sit on the Leadership Team.  This is a critical role for the day-to-day operations of the company, as well as growth and international expansion, and you will have a leadership role in shaping how a growing consultancy plans and runs its work.

Our strategic intent   

We are focused on building the leading consulting company dedicated to health. We serve the entire healthcare sector, including healthcare systems (providers, payors and regulators), life sciences (pharmaceuticals, biotech, devices and diagnostics), health technology, health investors, and the wider supplier landscape.    

We provide end-to-end services, from strategy through implementation, supporting organisations to improve population health and healthcare outcomes. Our work spans strategy and transformation, finance and performance improvement, and delivery accelerated by data, digital and AI. We help clients understand their ambitions, identify opportunities to create value, apply innovation in practice, and deliver sustainable, measurable change.   

Our consulting is accelerated by data. With an unmatched ability to access and use health data, we are recognised for our expertise in its safe and responsible application, improving health and healthcare delivery, supporting adoption of innovation, generating evidence, and informing decision-making. Our engineering and data science capabilities underpin our consulting and are also deployed directly with clients, often as part of multidisciplinary teams.    

We are building a community of expert consultants who want to operate at the leading edge of the profession and who share a passion for health. Through structured career development from Analyst to Partner, underpinned by apprenticeship, mentorship and formal training, we are cultivating the leaders of the future and supporting individuals to develop distinctive expertise that creates value for our clients.  

Responsibilities  

The role’s responsibilities are organised into the following key areas: 

Operational excellence  

• Own and continuously improve the company's core operational and commercial processes working closely with the Chief People Officer, Head of Finance, and the Business Development teams 

• Proactively identify and lead operational improvements, using AI and automation safely where they add value 

• Own CMap as the firm’s resourcing, project and pipeline system, setting standards for data quality and use 

• Take on other operational requirements as they arise; this is an evolving role that will develop as CF grows

Resourcing and capacity planning 

• Own resourcing across all practices and geographies, and lead the Resourcing Team matching consultants and associates to client work based on skills, development needs, availability and commercial priority 

• Keep an accurate, forward-looking view of capacity and demand, flagging gaps and surpluses early to Partners and Heads of Practice 

• Run regular resourcing forums, resolving competing demands and escalating the trade-offs that need a leadership decision 

• Manage the associate pool and associate costs with the practices, keeping spend within budget and protecting margin 

• Track utilisation and timesheet compliance, and work with practices to close gaps 

• Partner with the People team on workforce planning, using pipeline and demand data to shape hiring plans across levels and geographies 

Business planning and pricing 

• Lead the annual business planning cycle, bringing practice plans, the financial model and the operating model together into one reconciled document, with a clear narrative about the strategy and ambitions for the financial year 

• Own the internal costing table, and work with business leaders to develop the costing model  

• Model scenarios for the leadership team, with clear recommendations and trade-offs 

• Support pricing, bid and commercial decisions with data on day rates, margin and capacity 

• Collaborate with the Leadership Team to develop, refine, and implement long-term strategic plans for the group 

Performance reporting and management information 

• Own the monthly Integrated Performance Report (IPR) for the Executive Operating Committee and the Board, making sure the numbers are consistent, accurate and tell a clear story, with insights into business performance 

• Define and maintain core performance measures, including utilisation, average day rate, leverage, pipeline conversion and lock-up 

• Lead the move from static spreadsheets to live dashboards, working with the Data Operations team 

• Make sure every geography is fully and visibly represented in all reporting 

Compliance  

• Direct CF's ISO certifications as a whole, covering ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and ISO 14001, managing the ISO audits, ensuring accreditation is maintained 

• Own ISO 9001 for CF, keeping our quality management system current and audit-ready 

• Own CF's carbon reporting, including the annual Carbon Reduction Plan and progress against our Net Zero targets 

People and team leadership 

• Line manage and develop the Operations and Resourcing team  

• Build a high-performing, inclusive team that works as a trusted delivery partner to the consulting practices 

• Work closely with Finance, People, Marketing, the CEO Office and Data Operations 

• Contribute to the Leadership Team, to recruitment and to CF’s learning and feedback culture

Requirements

Mandatory

• At least 8 years' experience in operations, resourcing or business planning within a professional services firm 

• A track record of leading resourcing or capacity planning for a fee-earning workforce, balancing utilisation, client needs and people’s development 

• Strong commercial and financial understanding, including forecasting, budgeting and the drivers of professional services profitability 

• Advanced Excel and data skills, with experience producing management information and insight for a board or executive committee 

• Experience leading and developing a team 

• Confidence to influence and constructively challenge senior leaders, including Partners 

• Thrives in a lean, fast-moving environment: adaptable, hands-on and able to deliver without relying on established processes or large support teams 

• Clear, concise written and verbal communication 

  Desirable

• Experience in healthcare, life sciences or a health-focused consultancy 

• Experience with resourcing or professional services systems (CMap or similar) and Power BI 

• Experience of operations across more than one country 

• Experience using AI tools to improve how operations work 

• Knowledge of ISO standards (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and ISO 14001) and carbon reporting, with experience supporting audits and accreditations 

• A relevant finance or operations qualification, such as CIMA or ACCA 

Benefits

Flexible working  

Our default is to work in person with our clients, but we also support remote working. Team members can work from home one day per week as standard, and we offer an additional 44 remote working days per year. This allows you to work from home up to two days per week, subject to client needs, or use your allowance in blocks, depending on what works best for you. Office hours are flexible within our core hours of 10am–4pm.  

Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion 

We are committed to building an inclusive and supportive culture where diversity thrives, and all our people can excel. We only recruit, promote and reward our people based on their skills and contribution, without regard to gender, race, disability, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or other characteristics. 

We are Disability Confident Accredited, and we want you to feel comfortable and able to perform at your best in the recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments for any part of the recruitment process, please let us know.

Benefits  

• We offer a competitive and flexible reward package designed to support you at work and beyond it. You will benefit from a generous holiday allowance that grows with your career (minimum of 25 days), a strong employer pension contribution, and the freedom to tailor benefits to suit your lifestyle, from wellbeing and fitness to financial protection.  

• We are committed to supporting life’s important moments, with enhanced family leave, income and life protection, and access to practical benefits that make everyday life easier, such as interest-free loans and travel support.  

• Your wellbeing matters to us. You will have access to a comprehensive wellbeing and employee assistance programme, preventative health benefits, and initiatives that support an active, balanced way of working.  

• Above all, we invest in our people; offering flexibility, security, and benefits that grow with you, so you can do your best work while building a sustainable and rewarding career.