Fidus is a specialist Quantity Surveying & Contract Administration Consultancy operating in the high-end and super-prime residential property market. We're growing, and our senior team's time is increasingly consumed by operational and administrative tasks that pull focus from delivery, client relationships, and business development.
This role exists to fix that. We're looking for an Operations Lead who can take ownership of the commercial, contractual, and administrative machinery of the business - the things that need to happen reliably and on time, but that our QS team shouldn't be the ones doing.
This is not a PA or EA role. It's an Operations Lead role with a strong commercial and contractual backbone, for someone who wants to build something rather than just maintain it.
Total ownership & excellence is the foundation, a defining feature of the role will be to progressively automate and streamline your own responsibilities, freeing you up to take on higher-value work as the business grows. In line with this, we’re looking for someone who sees AI as opportunity, not a threat, a practical tool to build smarter systems over time.
You may have had a Commercial Management or Operational Leadership role that focusses on building operational improvements over time (not just delivering tasks). You’ve potentially worked within a construction or property related business.
However - what matters more than your specific background is your approach, mindset and ability to learn fast. A proven ability to develop systems & processes improving output quality & efficiency.
Managing consultant appointments - reviewing and negotiating contractual terms
Collateral warranties - compiling, tracking, and issuing
Insurance - becoming the in-house expert on terms, negotiation, and tracking renewal dates across consultants and contractors
General internal risk and data management
Fidus appointment contracts with Clients
Client on-boarding (KYC / AML)
Commercial Structures for Projects
Working with lawyers & accountants to ensure company structures are agreed, set up & operational
Implementation & negotiation of contracts, novation agreements & warranties required in relation to these structures
Proactively chasing and coordinating internal and external parties to keep things moving
Manage trackers & processes to ensure full ownership and delivery of all responsibilities Business Improvement & AI Integration
Researching, championing, and building AI/agentic AI tools to streamline operations
Continuously improving and automating your own role as the business scales
This is a growth area - what it looks like in year one will differ from year two as the business and its needs evolve
Commercially sharp – understands contracts, risk allocation, insurance, and what a fair and normal commercial balance looks like
Execution-obsessed – gets genuine satisfaction from solving problems that aren't straightforward, and from seeing things through to completion
Confident and credible – comfortable challenging senior people respectfully, pushing for action, and negotiating
Fast learner – comes from an environment where they've had to figure things out themselves
AI-curious and ambitious – excited by the opportunity to build a leaner, smarter operation using modern tools
Report to: Managing Director
Stakeholders: Clients, Design Teams, Contractors, Consultants, Funders, Lawyers, Accountants
Internal Collaboration: All Fidus team members across seniority levels
Salary Range: £50,000 - £70,000
Location: Putney (Hybrid is preference)
