CAREERS

Senior Business Management & Operations Lead

Freelance | Fixed-Term Role | 3 months
~1.5 days/week | £400 per day

HELP BUILD THE FOUNDATION FOR NATURAL HEALTH FOR ALL

ABOUT COMMON NATURE

Common Nature was created on the belief that every person has the right to be healthier through time in local nature. Our mission is to connect a network of communities, businesses, outdoor places and guides over the next ten years, together inspiring 1 million naturally healthier lives. At the heart of our goal is a vision to work with 100 places and 1000 organisations, together promoting events, tools and stories to support Natural Health for all. Our Natural Health Programmes are the practical means of making this possible.

THE ROLE

As the business grows, we're looking for a senior operational and business-planning partner to help put solid financial, legal and organisational foundations in place for the future. This is a hands-on role – building and implementing an exciting start-up business.

This is a paid role for an initial 3-month block of work with the potential for it to extend. You'll work directly with Simon Lamb (Founder), as well as Andres Roberts (Mentor and Strategic Advisor), and Gold Dot Creative (Marketing and Comms). The focus is to strengthen the operational footing of the business: CRM process, business development, business planning, strategic direction, financial modelling, and infrastructure.

Location: Remote, UK-based

Duration: 3 months, mid-September to mid-December 2026

Commitment: Approx. 18 days across the 3 months (average ~1.5 days/week), with flexibility on rhythm agreed during contracting

Rate: £400 per day

Reporting line: Works directly with Simon (Founder)

CORE WORKSTREAMS

The role spans five areas of work identified as priorities for Common Nature's next stage of growth. There will be flexibility as the role progresses as to which is agreed as the priority, based on business need and candidate skills.

  1. Business plan & financial foundations: stress-test and deepen our existing three-year business plan, identifying the key operational steps for year one, and the framework for how the business scales operationally and governs itself over that period. Build realistic revenue projections and pricing (charity/nonprofit, SME, corporate) across current and upcoming products; identify which routes reach revenue fastest; prepare a cash-burn/break-even timeline to share with investors.

  2. Business development & relationship systems: put in place practical systems (e.g. a lightweight CRM) to track and manage the growing number of conversations, leads and partnerships across networks, farmers, businesses and supporters — so outreach and opportunities don't get lost as they scale.

  3. Organisational infrastructure: review, design and implement the legal, insurance, contracts, policies and waivers needed to make Common Nature watertight on a 3-year horizon.

  4. Advisory board: design and help stand up a process for inviting an advisory board, drawing initially from Simon and Andres's networks.

  5. Operational and strategic sounding board: ongoing thought-partnership on curriculum and syllabus design, the first certificate programme, and the route to guide training.

Success criteria by mid-December

  • A working CRM / relationship-tracking system in place, capturing live conversations and partnership opportunities across networks 

  • A stress-tested, deepened year-one operational and financial plan with realistic revenue projections and pricing tiers

  • A cash burn / break-even timeline ready to share with investors

  • Core legal, insurance, waiver and contract templates in place and usable

  • A 3-year operational scaling framework, including a governance structure developed with the team

IDEAL PROFILE

  • Senior small-business or startup operations experience in the UK, genuinely energised by legal, insurance, contracts, tax and compliance detail; nonprofit or charity governance experience is a plus

  • A strong project and systems thinker, able to design lean, effective systems that work now and hold up as the business grows

  • Experience setting up practical business development, CRM, or relationship-management systems - comfortable turning a flow of conversations and leads into something organised and trackable

  • Comfortable as a close working partner to a founder: collaborative and encouraging, focused on operationalising an agreed direction rather than resetting it

  • Able to hold both challenge and support: willing to stress-test decisions while helping deliver what's already agreed

  • Works at a sustainable, steady pace

  • Genuinely motivated by Common Nature's mission and vision

  • Available for a focused, fixed-term 3-month role

How to Apply

Please submit your CV together with brief answers (up to 250 words each) to two short questions to hello@wearecommonnature.com.

  • The two questions:

    • What relevant experience do you have for the role (particularly working with start-ups and/or non-profits), and what part of this work really energises you?

    • This role is a close working partnership with the founder, not a task list to work through: what does that kind of collaborative relationship look like for you, and why does this role appeal to you now?

Application deadline: Wednesday 2nd September

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a conversation in the week commencing 7th September, with the aim of confirming and starting contracting by mid to late September.