Director of Programme Development & Operations

The Opportunity

Tech Nation's Programme team has grown fast since Founders Forum Group’s acquisition. As we scale into the next chapter, we are looking for a senior leader to take ownership of one of Tech Nation's core product pillars and to build the strategic rigor and operational backbone across the Programme portfolio as a central resource to drive scalability and impact. 

You'll take full ownership of the Early Stage pillar: its strategy, commercial growth and P&L. You'll become the systematic home for tenders, grants and new revenue models, turning ad hoc opportunities into a rigorously managed pipeline. And you'll build the systems, automation and structure - such as impact tracking, automation, playbooks - that every programme at Tech Nation depends on.

This isn't a role where a large team defines its impact: scope, commercial ownership and the ability to build lasting systems set the seniority here.

The role will also be supporting with covering some aspects of the GM’s role whilst they are on maternity leave and will report directly to the Group CEO during this time. However for clarity, the role is a permanent role in the organisation, with the intention to drive Tech Nation’s scalability in the long term.

Reports to: GM, Tech Nation (Ellie Steel). 

Direct reports:

• Programme Manager – Early Stage (Creo, Competitions)
• Programme Coordinator

Key responsibilities

Strategy & Commercial - Early Stage Pillar 

• Own and hold overall accountability for the Early Stage programme pillar, developing the strategic plan for commercial growth and owning the P&L, with an  “Programme Manager – Early Stage” delivering day to day under this role's direction, supporting the Manager as required.
• Identify and grow commercial and in kind opportunities and stakeholders for this pillar to turn the strategic growth plan into a reality
• Sign off strategy, speakers, venues for early stage pillar, supporting delivery to achieve quality and objectives when required.  

Strategic Projects - Tenders & Growth 

• Own global government tender and grant review and delivery, replacing the ad hoc approach with a systematic go/no-go process. This, at times, may also include day to day oversight of tender delivery or bespoke projects, overseeing contractors or team progress - particularly during GM mat leave. 

• Work alongside the GM to identify, develop and support delivery of new revenue streams and commercial ideas across Tech Nation against an active plan, ensuring ideas are reviewed in a timely manner and tracked - liaising across the senior team as needed without owning their strategy. 
• Run discovery with founders, partners and internal teams to define requirements and prioritise strategic ideas - both commercial and operational ideas. 
• Take a hands-on role setting up and delivering strategically important or special projects when cross-cutting. e.g. scoping new events or programme. 
• Stay abreast of the competitive landscape in a structured manner and where and how Tech nation should be showing up. 

Programme Systems & Operations 

• Own the system and product roadmap for Tech Nation's programmes and platforms to develop Tech Nation’s internal rigor and drive founder value  (e.g Resource platforms, Community directories, impact dashboards), liaising across the senior programme team to keep it aligned to team priorities and developing playbooks and best practise.
• Drive impact tracking rigor across the programmes to aligned frameworks, collating regularly dashboards and reporting that will deliver commercial advantage through tenders, pitching and online story telling.
• Build AI and automation systems to reduce reactive, unorganised delivery, linking with the central tech team 
• Support resourcing planning across pillars and manage the Programme Coordinator across projects, Tech nation events and programmes as required.
• Develop relationships with value adding stakeholders and inkind partners supporting founder value, commercials, data growth or brand representation. Represent Tech Nation as necessarily externally. 
• Develop and deliver mechanisms to interweave Founders Forum community value into programmes developing our brand and founder value  e.g. legend office hours.

GM Maternity leave cover (temporarily part of scope)

The items below are additional scope this role picks up specifically while the GM is on maternity leave, and are expected to revert to a lighter support level, or move back to the GM on return. 

• Support finance reporting into board meetings and collating financials as required 
• Ensure team follow-through on strategy and objectives are clear and adapted  as needed (with sign off from CEO)
• Chair and manage the team meeting.
• Maintain the link into the Group CEO as needed
• Act as an escalation point prior to the Group CEO as required by the team 
• Keep an oversight of blockages and resourcing challenges
• Provide day-to-day oversight of tender delivery and bespoke projects. 
• Dotted line management of  Programme Lead – Delegations (who formally reports to Matt Jeffs-Watts, Director of Global Talent); - to be reviewed on return

• Commercial acumen: Experience leading a commercial business unit or product with experience of tenders, sponsors, or grant funded work. Drive to scale products commercially with creative ideas. 
• Operational rigour and mindset: comfortable building or improving systems (e.g. Airtable, project management tools, impact tracking) and driving AI/automation adoption. Excited to take a hands-on approach to building. 
• Passionate about Tech Nation’s mission and driving founder value 
• Team management and influencing experience 
• Comfortable being both hands on as well as holding strategic accountability (P&L management, strategic projects)  despite leading a small direct team.  Seniority of the role reflects the breadth of responsibility, collaborating and influencing wider team, and maintaining a strategic, commercial eye, not headcount managed. 
• Confident stakeholder management: both externally with partners and sponsors, and internally with senior leadership including the GM and Group CEO

We offer a range of flexible, discretionary benefits to our team. These currently include:

• 25 days contractual annual leave
• Enhanced discretionary leave provision, including an additional day off for your birthday and leave between Christmas and New Years Day
• The option to work remotely anywhere in the world for 3 weeks/year (1 week at Easter and 2 weeks during July and August)
• Private healthcare package
• Mental health, wellbeing, and learning and development stipends
• Lunch 1x/week, office snacks, and regular team drinks
• Quarterly team activities and annual team trip/day out
• We currently have a hybrid working model with 4 days spent in the office and 1 day with the option to work remotely/from home.
• Access to the Founders Forum Group network of businesses and wider tech ecosystem
• Experience rapid advancement and professional growth with a track record of our previous Partnerships Coordinator achieving two promotions within just 18 months.
• Immerse yourself in a unique community of visionary founders and globally recognised innovators, offering unparalleled opportunities for networking and collaboration.