Understanding Ageing
Founding Operations & Growth Lead – Understanding Ageing
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Remote | Flexible | Volunteer initially | Potential to develop into a paid leadership role
About Understanding Ageing
Understanding Ageing is a new public-facing platform being developed to help people better understand ageing across the lifespan: what happens as we age, what is normal, what may not be, and where people can find clear, reliable information.
The organisation is at the very beginning of its development.
Understanding Ageing is being led by Dr Shara Cohen, an experienced founder who has previously built organisations and is currently developing several other initiatives. An Advisory Board is also in place to provide strategic guidance and expertise as the organisation develops.
We are now looking for a Founding Operations Lead to work closely with Dr Cohen and help turn Understanding Ageing from an idea and early-stage platform into a functioning organisation.
This is not a traditional senior management position.
There is currently no staff team, and many of the systems, processes and structures that the organisation will eventually need still have to be created.
We are looking for someone who wants to help build them.
The Role
This is a genuinely hands-on position.
The Founding Operations Lead will work directly with Dr Cohen across whatever needs to be done to move the organisation forward.
That might mean helping recruit and coordinate volunteers, researching a potential partner, reviewing part of the website, developing an operational process, organising meetings, helping with content, investigating a new opportunity or simply taking something that has been discussed and working out how to make it happen.
There will be strategic discussions, but there will also be spreadsheets, research, emails, administration and practical problems that need solving.
At this stage, if something needs doing, the people leading the organisation may need to do it themselves.
As Understanding Ageing grows, the aim is to recruit volunteers and eventually staff to take responsibility for different areas. The Founding Operations Lead would have the opportunity to grow with the organisation and take on increasing responsibility.
What You Might Work On
Depending on your experience and the organisation's priorities, you could be involved in:
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- Helping establish the day-to-day systems needed to run the organisation.
- Turning ideas and discussions into practical plans and actions.
- Recruiting, onboarding and coordinating volunteers.
- Supporting the development of the website and content programme.
- Researching potential partners, collaborators and opportunities.
- Helping develop programmes, services and community initiatives.
- Coordinating projects and ensuring that agreed actions actually happen.
- Developing simple processes where none currently exist.
- Supporting meetings and following through on decisions.
- Helping build relationships with external organisations.
- Working with Dr Cohen and the Advisory Board to implement agreed priorities.
- Identifying problems and proposing practical ways to solve them.
- Taking increasing ownership of operational areas as the organisation develops.
The precise role will evolve because the organisation itself is evolving.
Who We Are Looking For
We are not necessarily looking for an established CEO or senior executive.
This opportunity may be particularly suited to someone who has already developed useful professional experience and now wants the opportunity to take greater responsibility and learn how an organisation is built.
You might currently work in operations, project management, programme management, partnerships, marketing, communications, community development, a startup, a charity or another environment where you have learned how to get things done.
You do not need previous experience in ageing.
You do not need to have run an organisation.
You do need to be comfortable learning, taking responsibility and working without a large infrastructure around you.
We are particularly interested in people who are:
- Organised and reliable.
- Resourceful when faced with something they have not done before.
- Comfortable working independently.
- Able to move from discussion to action.
- Willing to tackle practical work rather than simply delegate it.
- Curious and willing to learn.
- Comfortable working directly with a founder.
- Able to create structure where very little currently exists.
- Interested in developing their own leadership experience as the organisation grows.
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You will receive guidance and mentoring from Dr Cohen, including support in understanding how the organisation is being developed and how to approach areas that may be new to you.
We are not expecting someone to arrive knowing how to do everything.
We are looking for someone who wants to learn and build.
What This Role Is Not
We want to be particularly clear about the stage we are at.
This is not an advisory position.
It is not a board position.
It is not a conventional executive role with an established staff team underneath it.
And it is not a role where you will spend all your time discussing strategy while other people implement it.
Initially, you will be one of the people doing the work.
If you are looking primarily for strategic oversight or to manage an established team, this is unlikely to be the right opportunity.
If you enjoy taking an idea, working out what needs to happen next and then helping make it happen, it may be a much better fit.
Commitment and Remuneration
This is currently a voluntary, unpaid position.
We want applicants to understand this before applying.
Understanding Ageing is being built from the ground up, and the initial team will be contributing their time while the organisation develops its audience, partnerships, services and longer-term financial model.
The intention is that, if the organisation becomes financially sustainable, this role could develop into a paid operational leadership position.
That cannot currently be guaranteed, and we do not want applicants joining on the assumption that a paid position will automatically follow.
What the role offers now is the opportunity to work directly with an experienced founder, learn how an organisation is built from its earliest stages, take genuine responsibility and potentially develop into a significant leadership role as Understanding Ageing grows.
The position is remote and flexible.
Please note again that this position is voluntary and hands-on at this stage. We would rather be completely clear about that now so that applicants can decide whether this is genuinely the kind of opportunity they are looking for.
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