Head of Operations

Head of Operations

Role summary

Motion Ventures is building a compounding, product-led institutional investment platform. We are hiring a senior Head of Operations to design and run the firm’s operating system: cadence, execution rhythm, decision hygiene, and cross-functional integration — enabling consistently high-quality investing and founder outcomes at scale.

Reporting line and working model

• Reports to: Founder and General Partner (Shaun)


• Partnership model: Founder owns institutional direction, standards, and reputation-setting decisions. The Head of Operations owns the operating system and day-to-day execution.

Mission

Build and operate Motion Ventures’ operating system so the firm runs with:

• Clear ownership and decision rights


• Predictable cadence and execution throughput


• Decision-ready artefacts (not meeting-driven work)


• High trust and governance-by-design


• Minimal overhead and maximal clarity

Success outcomes (what you will deliver)

1) Operating cadence and visibility

Outcomes - Implement and run a firm-wide cadence (weekly/monthly/quarterly) that reliably produces decisions and ships. - Create lightweight visibility so progress is obvious without meetings.

Signals - Owners acknowledge within 12 hours; status signals within 48 hours become normal. - A single priority slate exists and is used (what we will and won’t do).

2) Decision hygiene and follow-through

Outcomes - Decision-ready artefacts become the default (clarity, options, trade-offs, reversibility). - Decisions are logged and followed through without chasing.

Signals - Key decisions can be reconstructed from the decision log (who/what/why). - Re-litigation reduces; fewer last-minute escalations.

3) Clean interfaces across the core loop

Outcomes - Standardise handoffs across: sourcing/signal → underwriting → portfolio support → mobilisation → insights/distribution. - Introduce simple templates and “done means…” acceptance criteria at boundaries.

Signals - Less thrash and fewer dropped balls at handoffs. - Handoffs increasingly happen via templates, not ad hoc pings.

4) Governance-by-design (with Finance/Compliance)

Outcomes - Embed practical controls for confidentiality, fairness, disclosure and conflicts into day-to-day flows. - Ensure sensitive comms and external-facing materials follow agreed pre-flight checks where required.

This is not a learning role

We are looking for someone who has done it before — built and run a horizontal operating cadence and accountability system in a fast-moving, high-judgement environment.

What “done it before” means at Motion Ventures

You have previously:

• Implemented and operated a high-discipline cadence that senior stakeholders actually follow.


• Embedded decision hygiene: clear ownership, decision-ready artefacts, documented decisions and follow-through.


• Designed clean interfaces between functions so execution is repeatable (clear inputs/outputs; minimal ambiguity).


• Raised standards without bureaucracy: speed with rigour, not process theatre.

Core responsibilities

1) Operating system design and execution

• Implement and run the firm-wide cadence (weekly/monthly/quarterly rhythms)


• Establish practical operating mechanisms:

• work intake and prioritisation


• escalation and decision routing


• decision logging and follow-through


• templates and acceptance criteria for recurring work

• Create lightweight visibility mechanisms (status signal, priority slate, decision log) that reduce noise and increase throughput

2) Cross-functional integration

• Ensure clean handoffs across core activities:

• sourcing/signal → underwriting → portfolio support → mobilisation → insights/distribution

• Standardise the artefacts at handoff points (templates, acceptance criteria, service levels)

3) Governance-by-design (in partnership with Finance/Compliance)

• Embed appropriate controls for confidentiality, fairness, disclosure and conflicts into day-to-day flows


• Ensure external-facing materials and communications follow agreed pre-flight checks where required

4) Performance cadence and “People Ops Lite” (no HR bloat)

• Own work allocation and performance cadence for internal execution teams (including analysts)


• Build structured hiring and onboarding loops: scorecards, interview processes, and role expectations


• Keep it lightweight: high standards without unnecessary process

Scope and authority

The Head of Operations is expected to have real operating authority to:

• Set execution rhythms and enforce standards of clarity and delivery.


• Own prioritisation mechanics (what is in/out; sequencing), including stopping work that does not fit current priorities.


• Implement operating artefacts and ensure consistent adoption.


• Allocate internal execution capacity day-to-day (including analysts), aligned to priority work.

Clear boundaries:

• Investment decisions and underwriting quality remain with the Investment Director.


• External insight/editorial quality remains with the Insights/Marketing owner.


• Confidentiality, fairness, disclosure, and conflicts are gated with Finance/Compliance.

External-facing work is secondary: the role is primarily an internal operating-system builder.

Candidate profile

Experience (non-negotiable)

• Senior operator who has built and run operating cadence, accountability systems, and cross-functional execution