Account Coo

Chief Operating Officer, Medical Research Council
Full time, Open Ended (Permanent)
Based in Swindon or London – hybrid working with regular travel to both locations
Within UK Research and Innovation, the Medical Research Council seeks to improve human health through world-class research. With an annual budget of over £900m, MRC provides support both to individuals, through fellowships and grants, and to institutions, such as the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Biology and the Francis Crick Institute. The outcomes of our research span discovery science, improvements in public health and the development of new treatments for common diseases.
This role is central to MRC’s effective delivery as part of UKRI and the wider bio-medical science sector. The role holder will have responsibility for several organisational functions including financial oversight and management, procurement and contracting, MRC governance, our funding operations; and MRC’s pension scheme. governance; risk; data and Information; You will support MRC’s Executive Chair in the transformation of MRC in alignment to UKRI’s strategy. You will lead and support strategic planning and decision making, facilitating key strategic and operational decisions in the support and delivery of MRC’s strategic vision, such as financial planning, evaluation and improvement of corporate performance, pension planning, and operational partnership with MRC Institutes and Units.
Work closely with finance business partners to take the strategic lead in devising budgetary control and financial planning to support the needs of the business, medium-term planning and Operating Expense (OPEX)
Ensure MRC receives quality and timely support, information and advice from UKRI Corporate Services
Ensure effective corporate governance, that MRC meets statutory obligations; and continuously improve MRC’s overall performance
Participating in the governance of major projects and cross council Initiatives, pre and post inception. Acting as Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) on material delivery projects for MRC; this will include multi-million-pound projects
Provide strong, creative, and visible leadership of a high performing, efficient cross functional team of leaders
Act as a pivot, ensuring appropriate MRC input is recognised in the relationships with MRC Units and Institutes and other legacy MRC impacts (HR policies, redundancy, pension etc).
A professional qualification in financial management and professional membership of a relevant business institution, with experience of managing budgets in excess of £250million per year
First class track record of leadership of a corporate services function at senior management level, in large, complex multi-stakeholder organisations in either the public or private sector
Experience of governance, risk management principles, intellectual property and management of legal advice
Proven strategic, financial planning and analytical skills with the ability to analyse complex and potentially conflicting information as well as a record of translating organisational vision and strategy into operational requirements, to deliver desired outcomes and set priorities
Experience of successfully motivating and developing high performing collaborative teams to deliver high-quality and resilient business-as-usual operations and to enhance service delivery
Understanding of the wider political environment in which MRC operates both within and outside UKRI including an ability to work effectively within the governance framework of the MRC
Considerable experience of stakeholder management including the ability to work with partners to build effective relationships for mutual benefit, reconcile potentially conflicting interests and influence others not in their management line to achieve desired outcomes with the ability to build consensus and trust
Broad understanding of the research funding system in the UK, to include knowledge of the activities and priorities of the other UK Research Councils and Innovate UK, relevant Government departments and organisations including the Office for Life Sciences, universities and the life-sciences industry.
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme.
For more information and to apply, please visit our website via the apply button below. 
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