Strategic operations director

Act as a strategic and operational partner to the Chief Executive Officer and C-Suite, ensuring alignment and execution across QLE's most critical priorities. The role translates strategic objectives into coordinated plans, oversees cross-functional initiatives, provides visibility of progress and risk to the C-Suite, and drives action to remove barriers to delivery. It strengthens business operations, leadership cadence, decision-making and accountability across QLE's international organisation. The role may coordinate with the Executive Assistant to ensure executive schedules and plans support business priorities, but does not own routine diary, meeting, travel or expense administration.

• Extensive experience in strategy and operations, business operations, program leadership, management consulting or comparable role.
• Demonstrated experience driving complex cross-functional initiatives and improving execution across senior leadership teams.
• Experience preparing executive and Board-level briefings, reports, presentations and decision materials.
• Experience working in a scaling, international, technical or highly regulated organization is desirable.
• Strategic and commercial judgement, with the ability to connect long-term priorities to practical execution and make sound recommendations in ambiguous situations.
• Program and project leadership, including governance, prioritization, risk management, dependency management and delivery across multiple workstreams.
• Executive communication and synthesis, with the ability to convert complex information into concise briefings, decisions, presentations and actions.
• Senior stakeholder influence, with the credibility to align leaders, challenge constructively and drive accountability without relying on formal authority.
• Organizational awareness, discretion and adaptability in a fast-moving, international and highly regulated environment.
• Experience in nuclear, energy, engineering, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, defense or deep technology is advantageous.
• Degree or equivalent professional experience in business, strategy, operations, finance, engineering or a related discipline.
• Program or project management qualification/certification is desirable.

Strategic execution and prioritization: Partners with the CEO and C-Suite to translate company strategy into clear priorities, plans, milestones and ownership, maintaining focus on the initiatives that create the greatest business impact, including preparation for key leadership, Board, investor and external stakeholder discussions.

Cross-functional program oversight: Leads or oversees strategically important projects across functions and geographies, establishes appropriate governance and reporting, monitors delivery, and manages dependencies, risks and competing priorities across engineering, operations, finance, commercial, corporate development and other business-critical workstreams.

Delivery, accountability and blocker removal: Drives agreed actions to completion by maintaining visibility of commitments, challenging delays, escalating material issues, tracking Board and leadership actions, and coordinating decisions or resources needed to remove barriers.

Executive insight and decision support: Provides the CEO and C-Suite with concise, timely awareness of organizational progress, emerging risks and decisions required, supported by clear briefings, analysis, presentations, recommendations and Board, investor or due diligence materials where required.

Business operations and leadership effectiveness: Develops and improves leadership operating rhythms, strategic planning, objectives and key results, executive forums, leadership off-sites and information flows, while coordinating Board and governance inputs and partnering with the Executive Assistant on schedule and plan alignment where required, without owning routine diary, travel, expense or meeting administration.

• Competitive base salary aligned to global compensation bands and local market data.
• Bonus eligibility: Target % based on level and impact.
• Equity participation: Reflecting your contribution to QLE’s long-term success.
• Comprehensive benefits package and opportunities for global mobility across US, UK, and ZA operations.