Operations Contractor
Remote (United Kingdom)
Convergent Research – Convergent Research /
Temporary /
Remote
Convergent Research is a nonprofit science studio best known for pioneering the Focused Research Organization (FRO). We build institutional infrastructure that removes bottlenecks to breakthrough research—and we do it fast. Our job is to help visionary scientists launch moonshot projects that wouldn’t happen in academia or industry.
What do those projects need? Infrastructure. Legal entities. Payroll. Bank accounts. Vendor onboarding. The right insurance. A way to get paid and pay others. That’s where you come in.
About the Role
We’re looking for a UK Operations Contractor for a 3-month temporary contract to help Convergent Research and our FROs set up the foundational infrastructure needed to operate in the UK. We have a robust US based infrastructure, but you’ll be the human behind the scenes on the UK side of things: building workflows, crafting policy, running systems, and translating “here’s what we need” into “yep, here’s how we can do that in the UK.”
You’ll work closely with our US-based team, as well as local UK partners and vendors. This is a builder role: we’re starting from scratch in the UK, and we need someone who can help us get the basics in place, clean up the rough edges, and bolt on the parts that are still missing. And in the spirit of startup pragmatism, you’ll need to be down to pitch in on some lower-level ops until we hire additional support. Please note: this is a short-term, project-based contract expected to require 10-20 hours per week and last 3 months.
You Will (Duties)
- Help to set up UK legal entities, bank accounts, payroll, and insurance for Convergent Research and set up repeatable processes to do the same for new FROs.
- Build and document UK versions of operational policies, SOPs, and templates that don’t make people want to cry.
- Support onboarding and training of Convergent and FRO staff.
- Help to set up new operational tools, manage access, troubleshoot issues, and ensure smooth roll out to team members.
- Work with Legal and Finance to get cost classifications, contract approvals, and documentation into the right boxes at the right times.
- Be the point person for “can we do this in the UK?” and “how do we do this?” questions across multiple departments.
- Create a tidy archive of contracts, receipts, justifications, and all the other fun stuff auditors love.
- Constantly look for ways to make things smoother, clearer, faster.
In 3 Months You Will Have (3-Month Goals)
- Established UK legal entities and core operational infrastructure for Convergent Research and at least one FRO.
- Built and launched initial user-friendly SOPs and training materials for UK operations.
- Set up and documented key operational systems (e.g., banking, payroll, insurance) and ensured access and data integrity.
- Created a centralized documentation hub for contracts, receipts, and compliance materials.
- Developed a handover plan and documentation for ongoing operations after the contract ends.
You Are (Skills)
- An ops architect – You’ve built (or seriously revamped) operational workflows before, ideally in a UK context. You think in integrated systems, not one-off fixes—and you're always looking for smart ways to scale, whether through new software, automation, or AI tools.
- UK-savvy – You know your way around UK company formation, payroll, banking, insurance, and vendor onboarding. Bonus points if you’ve wrangled UK compliance, VAT, or charity regulations.
- Tool-friendly – You pick up new systems quickly and understand how they connect to build a smooth, end-to-end workflow. Familiarity with tools like Quickbooks, Ramp, Apron, Ironclad or similar is a plus.
- Organized –Like a librarian with a label maker, but scrappy enough to roll with startup chaos.
- Good at saying no without being a jerk – You can explain policy with clarity and empathy, and people trust you because you listen.
- Comfortable operating across borders—international experience is a big plus, especially if you’ve navigated global vendors, compliance quirks, or timezone chaos without losing your cool.
- A team sport enthusiast – You collaborate across finance, legal, ops, and IT without turf wars or crossed wires.
- Capable of flying solo – We’ll give you context and support, but you’re expected to take initiative, spot issues, and handle the follow-through.
- Comfortable flexing down to help with transactional work while we scale. It’s not glamorous, but it’s important.
You’ll Do Well Here If You Also…
- Have scaled operations at a growing org—or at least know what “scaling” feels like when it hits you.
- Are allergic to bureaucracy but believe in guardrails.
- Can translate “science gobbledygook + panic + a receipt from a Slovenian bio-supply company” into a properly documented process.
We Offer
- A rare chance to build institutional architecture for frontier science and work with some of the smartest and most talented experts from different fields.
- Competitive contractor compensation, commensurate with experience and UK market rates.
- Flexible, remote-first work environment.
- The opportunity to help shape the future of science infrastructure in the UK.
Convergent Research aims to help fill a structural gap in today's R&D system. We enable fundamental research that requires unusual levels of scale and coordination yet is not rapidly monetizable by industry. We’re bringing together top talent from academia, industry, and startups to build a new model for innovative R&D.
We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. We believe in hiring individuals based on their unique talents—not on race, color, religion, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law or our company policies. Our goal is to foster a healthy, safe, and respectful environment where all employees are valued and treated with dignity. Harassment of any kind is not tolerated here.
