Head of Operations (FTC)

Overview

Intersect MBO is the member-based organization that underpins Cardano’s decentralized governance. Formed to ensure that the Cardano ecosystem remains community-led and self-sustaining, Intersect acts as both a convenor and enabler - connecting developers, Delegated Representatives (DReps), project teams, and members to shape the blockchain’s future collectively.

Through its committees, working groups, and open membership model, Intersect develops governance frameworks, coordinates ecosystem initiatives, and supports transparency across technical, strategic, and financial domains. Intersect operates independently of IOG, EMURGO, and the Cardano Foundation, while collaborating closely with them to deliver on Cardano’s long-term vision.

Intersect is currently administering over 400 million ADA worth of initiatives on behalf of Cardano’s ecosystem and decentralized treasury, while also playing a key role in supporting tier-1 ecosystem integrations and operational coordination across a rapidly evolving governance landscape.

At its core, Intersect is about community governance in action, giving the people who build and use Cardano the power to guide its direction.

The Role

The Head of Operations (/ Senior Operations Consultant) provides oversight across Intersect’s core operational functions, including Delivery Assurance & Administration, Finance, IT and Procurement.

The role ensures that operational activity is coordinated, reliable and appropriately governed, creating clarity across priorities, responsibilities, risks and dependencies and enabling Intersect’s operational functions to work effectively together.

Consulting and working closely with the Executive Director and other Heads within Intersect’s sector leadership team (SLT), the Head of Operations (/ Senior Operations Consultant) translates organisational priorities into effective operational delivery, strengthens systems and ways of working, and ensures operational risks or issues are surfaced and addressed appropriately.

Core Accountabilities:

Operational Leadership & Continuity

• Provide oversight of day-to-day functioning across Core Operations.
• Ensure effective delivery cadences, reporting rhythms and cross-functional alignment.
• Maintain operational continuity and clarity during periods of organisational change.
• Ensure operational functions have clear priorities, ownership and appropriate support.
• Act as the primary escalation point for material operational issues.

Delivery & Cross-Functional Alignment

• Enable effective coordination between Delivery Assurance & Administration, Finance, IT and Procurement.
• Ensure operational priorities are clear, appropriately sequenced and aligned with organisational priorities.
• Surface risks, dependencies and delivery concerns early and support their resolution.
• Identify where operational work or decisions require coordination across multiple functions.

Process, Systems & Operational Maturity

• Review, refine and introduce operational processes and systems that support organisational maturity.
• Identify inefficiencies, gaps or duplication across Operations and implement proportionate improvements.
• Support the transition from ad-hoc practices towards repeatable, scalable and well-understood ways of working.
• Maintain appropriate operational controls without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy.

Leadership & Decision Enablement

• Provide guidance, structure and decision support across operational functions.
• Create clarity around roles, responsibilities, ownership and decision rights.
• Act as a sounding board and escalation point for operational challenges.
• Provide the Executive Director with clear operational insight, recommendations and escalation where organisational decisions are required.
• Work alongside other Heads to ensure operational considerations inform wider organisational planning and decision-making.

Governance & Risk

• Ensure operational activity aligns with relevant governance requirements and organisational standards.
• Maintain visibility of operational risks and ensure appropriate mitigation, ownership and escalation.
• Partner with the Executive Director and relevant Heads on material operational risks or changes.
• Ensure appropriate oversight while enabling operational specialists to own and execute work within their areas.

Decision-making Scope

Owns:

• Operational continuity and cross-functional alignment.
• Core operational processes and ways of working.
• Operational risk identification and escalation.
• Operational improvement initiatives.

Leads:

• Cross-functional operational planning and coordination.
• Operational process and systems improvement.
• Budget recommendations and operational resource planning in partnership with Finance and the Executive Director.

Consults:

• Executive Director on material operational, resource or organisational decisions.
• Other Heads where operational decisions affect their sectors or organisational priorities.

Does not own:

• Organisational strategy or governance decisions reserved for the Executive Director or Board.
• Specialist execution that sits within Finance, IT, Procurement or Delivery Assurance & Administration.

Success Measures

Success in this role looks like:

• Stable and reliable operational performance across Core Operations.
• Clear priorities, ownership and delivery cadences across operational functions.
• Risks and dependencies are identified and addressed before they materially affect delivery.
• Improved clarity of roles, responsibilities, decision rights and workflows.
• Operational processes become increasingly repeatable, proportionate and scalable.
• Reduced operational friction and fewer issues caused by unclear ownership or coordination.
• The Executive Director and Heads have confidence in operational information, recommendations and execution.

Skills, Experience & Behaviours

• Significant operations leadership experience within a complex, scaling or evolving organisation.
• Strong process design, operational improvement and systems-thinking capability.
• Experience coordinating multiple operational disciplines or workstreams.
• Strong judgement with the ability to distinguish between issues that can be resolved operationally and those requiring executive escalation.
• Able to translate organisational priorities into practical operational plans and ways of working.
• Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional communication skills.
• Comfortable working with specialist teams without needing to be the subject-matter expert in every operational discipline.
• Comfortable operating in an evolving environment where structures and processes continue to mature.
• It is desirable that you have experience working with start-ups within the technology or blockchain industry.

Hiring process

The suitable candidate will be selected through a three-stage recruitment process. All interviews will be conducted remotely via Google Meets.

Introductory Call: An initial conversation with our People Team to confirm alignment and suitability for the role.

Formal Interview: A detailed interview to assess experience and fit from both technical and team perspectives. This will likely include a take-home task to complete and present in this interview.

Final Stage: A competency-based assessment and additional opportunity to ask questions.

Intersect is an equal-opportunity organization. We value diversity of thought, identity, experience, and culture and are committed to building a leadership team that reflects the decentralized community we serve.

To learn more about Intersect MBO and what we do, please visit our Knowledge Base - https://docs.intersectmbo.org/

Please note: This engagement may be via a 12 month fixed-term contractor agreement, subject to compliance.