Head of Operations
Carnall Farrar
Head of Operations
Carnall Farrar
Carnall Farrar · London, United Kingdom (Hybrid) · Full-time · Posted 2026-10-13
Workplace: hybrid
Department: Corporate
About us
We are a leading consultancy with a purpose to make an enduring impact on health and healthcare. We work with leaders and frontline teams to improve health, transform healthcare, drive adoption of innovation and create value through investment.
Our consultancy serves the entire healthcare sector, from payors and providers of care, to life science companies, health tech and sector suppliers and health investors. We provide end-to-end services, from strategy through implementation, accelerated by data, digital and AI.
We shape opinion through evidence-based thought leadership on key issues affecting health. With unmatched ability to access and use health data, our consultants are a driving force for delivering positive and meaningful change.
About the role
CF is growing, and the way we plan, resource and report on that growth needs to keep pace. This role exists to turn our ambitions into a clear, deliverable business plan, to make sure the right people are on the right work at the right time, and to give the firm a single, trusted view of how it is performing. Our profitability turns on utilisation, day rate and leverage, and you will own the operational levers behind all three.
You will report directly to the Chief Operating and Commercial Officer (COCO) and lead the Operations and Resourcing team. Day to day, you will lead business planning and forecasting, run resourcing across every practice and geography, and produce the performance reporting that our Executive Operating Committee (EOC) and Board rely on. You will work as a business partner to Partners and Heads of Practice, and sit on the Leadership Team. This is a critical role for the day-to-day operations of the company, as well as growth and international expansion, and you will have a leadership role in shaping how a growing consultancy plans and runs its work.
Our strategic intent
We are focused on building the leading consulting company dedicated to health. We serve the entire healthcare sector, including healthcare systems (providers, payors and regulators), life sciences (pharmaceuticals, biotech, devices and diagnostics), health technology, health investors, and the wider supplier landscape.
We provide end-to-end services, from strategy through implementation, supporting organisations to improve population health and healthcare outcomes. Our work spans strategy and transformation, finance and performance improvement, and delivery accelerated by data, digital and AI. We help clients understand their ambitions, identify opportunities to create value, apply innovation in practice, and deliver sustainable, measurable change.
Our consulting is accelerated by data. With an unmatched ability to access and use health data, we are recognised for our expertise in its safe and responsible application, improving health and healthcare delivery, supporting adoption of innovation, generating evidence, and informing decision-making. Our engineering and data science capabilities underpin our consulting and are also deployed directly with clients, often as part of multidisciplinary teams.
We are building a community of expert consultants who want to operate at the leading edge of the profession and who share a passion for health. Through structured career development from Analyst to Partner, underpinned by apprenticeship, mentorship and formal training, we are cultivating the leaders of the future and supporting individuals to develop distinctive expertise that creates value for our clients.
Responsibilities
The role’s responsibilities are organised into the following key areas:
Operational excellence
Own and continuously improve the company's core operational and commercial processes working closely with the Chief People Officer, Head of Finance, and the Business Development teams
Proactively identify and lead operational improvements, using AI and automation safely where they add value
Own CMap as the firm’s resourcing, project and pipeline system, setting standards for data quality and use
Take on other operational requirements as they arise; this is an evolving role that will develop as CF grows
Resourcing and capacity planning
Own resourcing across all practices and geographies, and lead the Resourcing Team matching consultants and associates to client work based on skills, development needs, availability and commercial priority
Keep an accurate, forward-looking view of capacity and demand, flagging gaps and surpluses early to Partners and Heads of Practice
Run regular resourcing forums, resolving competing demands and escalating the trade-offs that need a leadership decision
Manage the associate pool and associate costs with the practices, keeping spend within budget and protecting margin
Track utilisation and timesheet compliance, and work with practices to close gaps
Partner with the People team on workforce planning, using pipeline and demand data to shape hiring plans across levels and geographies
Business planning and pricing
Lead the annual business planning cycle, bringing practice plans, the financial model and the operating model together into one reconciled document, with a clear narrative about the strategy and ambitions for the financial year
Own the internal costing table, and work with business leaders to develop the costing model
Model scenarios for the leadership team, with clear recommendations and trade-offs
Support pricing, bid and commercial decisions with data on day rates, margin and capacity
Collaborate with the Leadership Team to develop, refine, and implement long-term strategic plans for the group
Performance reporting and management information
Own the monthly Integrated Performance Report (IPR) for the Executive Operating Committee and the Board, making sure the numbers are consistent, accurate and tell a clear story, with insights into business performance
Define and maintain core performance measures, including utilisation, average day rate, leverage, pipeline conversion and lock-up
Lead the move from static spreadsheets to live dashboards, working with the Data Operations team
Make sure every geography is fully and visibly represented in all reporting
Compliance
Direct CF's ISO certifications as a whole, covering ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and ISO 14001, managing the ISO audits, ensuring accreditation is maintained
Own ISO 9001 for CF, keeping our quality management system current and audit-ready
Own CF's carbon reporting, including the annual Carbon Reduction Plan and progress against our Net Zero targets
People and team leadership
Line manage and develop the Operations and Resourcing team
Build a high-performing, inclusive team that works as a trusted delivery partner to the consulting practices
Work closely with Finance, People, Marketing, the CEO Office and Data Operations
Contribute to the Leadership Team, to recruitment and to CF’s learning and feedback culture
Mandatory
At least 8 years' experience in operations, resourcing or business planning within a professional services firm
A track record of leading resourcing or capacity planning for a fee-earning workforce, balancing utilisation, client needs and people’s development
Strong commercial and financial understanding, including forecasting, budgeting and the drivers of professional services profitability
Advanced Excel and data skills, with experience producing management information and insight for a board or executive committee
Experience leading and developing a team
Confidence to influence and constructively challenge senior leaders, including Partners
Thrives in a lean, fast-moving environment: adaptable, hands-on and able to deliver without relying on established processes or large support teams
Clear, concise written and verbal communication
Desirable
Experience in healthcare, life sciences or a health-focused consultancy
Experience with resourcing or professional services systems (CMap or similar) and Power BI
Experience of operations across more than one country
Experience using AI tools to improve how operations work
Consulting experience preferred
Knowledge of ISO standards (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and ISO 14001) and carbon reporting, with experience supporting audits and accreditations
A relevant finance or operations qualification, such as CIMA or ACCA
Flexible working
Our default is to work in person with our clients, but we also support remote working. Team members can work from home one day per week as standard, and we offer an additional 44 remote working days per year. This allows you to work from home up to two days per week, subject to client needs, or use your allowance in blocks, depending on what works best for you. Office hours are flexible within our core hours of 10am–4pm.
Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
We are committed to building an inclusive and supportive culture where diversity thrives, and all our people can excel. We only recruit, promote and reward our people based on their skills and contribution, without regard to gender, race, disability, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or other characteristics.
We are Disability Confident Accredited, and we want you to feel comfortable and able to perform at your best in the recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments for any part of the recruitment process, please let us know.
Benefits
We offer a competitive and flexible reward package designed to support you at work and beyond it. You will benefit from a generous holiday allowance that grows with your career (minimum of 25 days), a strong employer pension contribution, and the freedom to tailor benefits to suit your lifestyle, from wellbeing and fitness to financial protection.
We are committed to supporting life’s important moments, with enhanced family leave, income and life protection, and access to practical benefits that make everyday life easier, such as interest-free loans and travel support.
Your wellbeing matters to us. You will have access to a comprehensive wellbeing and employee assistance programme, preventative health benefits, and initiatives that support an active, balanced way of working.
Above all, we invest in our people; offering flexibility, security, and benefits that grow with you, so you can do your best work while building a sustainable and rewarding career.
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