Head of Operations

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).

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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

1. 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)

1. 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

1. 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