Chief Operating Officer (HDRS)

The Health Data Research Service (HDRS) is seeking its inaugural Chief Operating Officer, to join Melanie Ivarsson, HDRS CEO, to deliver and shape the service that will transform access to the UK’s health data. HDRS will provide a simpler, more joined‑up way for approved researchers to access health and care data, helping to drive major advances in patient care and improve health outcomes.

This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to lead the operational function for a new public body, right from the very beginning.

Please note: as HDRS is not yet formally established, this role is being advertised by the Wellcome Trust on HDRS’s behalf. The successful candidate will initially be employed by Wellcome and will transfer to HDRS once it is able to employ staff directly. Any offer of employment for this specific role will reflect the interim HDRS terms and benefits.

What is the Health Data Research Service (HDRS)?

The government and Wellcome Trust agreed to invest up to £600m to create HDRS and transform access to NHS data by providing a secure, single access point for approved researchers. The NHS holds some of the richest health data in the world, however, access to this data for research is currently complex and fragmented. HDRS will address this by creating a more joined‑up approach to health data access, while maintaining strong safeguards around privacy, security and public trust.

HDRS is being set up as a government-owned company, enabling it to operate at arm’s length from central government. This model gives HDRS the independence and flexibility it needs to work across the health and research system, while remaining publicly owned and accountable.

Main Purpose of the Position:

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is responsible for leading the HDRS operations and to set up the company to ensure it has strong and effective operational foundations, governance, and delivery capability. This includes oversight of procurement, contract management, communications (internal and external), delivery and operations, portfolio management, annual planning, the long‑term company roadmap, estates and internal IT. The COO will also hold interim accountability for Finance and HR until the CFO and CPO are recruited.

Main Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Lead operational strategy alignment with HDRS vision and business objectives.

• Develop and maintain the long‑term organisational roadmap ensuring alignment with HDRS strategic goals.

• Own strategic stakeholder relationships including with Government, Wellcome, industry, NHS and wider partners as required and appropriate

• Support the Executive Team and strategy function to shape the HDRS business strategy and organisational design to enable delivery

• Alongside the wider Executive Team set and be an exemplar for an inclusive culture

Operations and Delivery

• Oversee day‑to‑day operational management to ensure high‑quality, efficient delivery of HDRS services.

• Ensure operational processes meet agreed service levels, regulatory requirements, and user expectations, working in close collaboration with the Chief Technology Officer and Chief Commercial Officer once appointed.

Procurement and Contract Management

• Lead procurement governance and ensure compliance with public sector procurement standards.

• Oversee contract management ensuring value for money, performance oversight, and risk mitigation.

Communications (Internal and External)

• Shape and own the communications strategy for HDRS with the CEO and wider experts in the business

• Lead HDRS internal communications ensuring clarity, coherence, and alignment across teams.

• Oversee external communications supporting HDRS reputation, stakeholder relations, and strategic messaging.

Portfolio and Planning

• Set out the long, medium, and short term roadmap of HDRS alongside the Director of Strategy, ensuring HDRS matches vision with delivery.

• Lead portfolio management, prioritisation, and organisational planning cycles, including identifying critical risks, dependencies, and issues, as well as the system to manage these.

• Oversee annual planning ensuring alignment to long‑term strategic goals and resource availability.

CEO Office, Estates and Internal IT

• Work with the Chief of Staff to ensure smooth and effective operation of the CEO Office including governance and coordination.

• Oversee estates management ensuring appropriate accommodation and facilities for HDRS staff, including compliance with all relevant regulations and in line with HDRS company culture.

• Lead internal IT ensuring staff have secure, reliable, and effective technology tools are available for HDRS colleagues, empowering them to act at their best.

Interim Finance and HR Oversight

• Provide interim oversight of Finance ensuring financial governance, reporting, and controls remain strong until CFO recruitment is complete

• Provide interim oversight of HR ensuring effective people processes until CPO recruitment is complete.

Essential Experience:

• Demonstrable experience of successfully serving on a leadership team of a complex organisation, and successfully working in partnership with a CEO and Board;

• Experience of the set up and governance of a government company, the healthcare and life sciences sector, and a government network.

• Experience of having delivered ambitious strategic plans, preferably with a focus on health data

• Experience of managing significant budgets, leading positive, high performing and inclusive working cultures, and working across strategy, operations and communications

• Enthusiasm for the vision and mission of the Health Data Research Service and a genuine interest in healthcare and improving the lives of patients

Skills:

• A track record of bringing a wide range of operational functions together to deliver complex and ambitious strategic plans at pace.

• Highly numerate with advanced critical thinking skills, with a commercial outlook and experience of best practice across a wide range of sectors; able to get to the heart of the matter quickly and implement simple solutions.

• Strong interpersonal skills, collegial with high integrity and committed to the highest ethical standards.

• Excellent leadership and management skills, able to lead, motivate and develop multi-disciplinary inclusive teams across a wide range of professional disciplines and organisational priorities.

• A fluent and persuasive communicator, who can represent the organisation externally and internally, including key stakeholders like the Board.

• Ability to coach and mentor other senior leaders.

Education & Qualifications:

• Degree

Personal Specification:

• Robust and resilient but tactful and open in approach, able to command respect through personality, professional credibility and capabilities.

• Open-minded with a flexible approach and ability to demonstrate a breadth of vision

• Accountable for own actions and able to appropriately hold others accountable for their actions.

• Able to address conflict and take difficult decisions.

• Desire to be part of a team delivering the strategy of the organisation

How to apply

To apply for this role, please provide the following:

• An up-to-date CV. Please submit a PDF document labelled ‘CV’ with your name and the role title.

• Answer 2 application questions outlining your interest in the Health Data Research Service (HDRS) and the role, and your fit against the essential experience, skills and person specification set out in the role description.

• If you would like to know more about the role or selection process, please contact Jenny Tucker, Head of People Operations for HDRS on j.tucker@wellcome.org

Diversity and Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do

Diversity and Inclusion is a priority at Wellcome. We are committed to cultivating a fair and inclusive environment, where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We are happy to discuss flexible working options for all roles. We work to ensure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible to everyone. This includes making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition. Please visit our website for more information on adjustments and accessibility, or contact us at jobs@wellcome.org.

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