Chief of Staff

The Role The Chief of Staff at OakNorth plays a pivotal role in driving commercial outcomes and operational excellence across our organisation. Reporting directly to the CEO and Co-Founder, this high exposure, multifaceted position spans strategic initiatives, project management, and executive collaboration across the organisation.

You work closely with senior leadership and deep subject matter experts, deploying your analytical capabilities, strategic business mindset, and exceptional organisational skills to keep the company aligned, ensure collaboration across areas and helping execute against what is most important as we grow our business. You will move seamlessly between being a catalyst for progress, a forward scout identifying new opportunities, and a dynamic unblocker that ensures the company is always moving forward. Whether operating at the 30,000 foot strategic view, or tackling “next five minutes” tactical steps, you will be an invaluable resource.

As Chief of Staff, you will also be a key advisor and “right hand” to the CEO and Co-Founder. You will help refine the strategic vision and operating cadence for the company, and ensure this is reflected throughout the organisation. Helping connect the dots across a variety of topics and subject matter, you will keep the CEO focussed on what’s most important, and source valuable insight internally and externally to drive better outcomes. 

Responsibilities

While there is no such thing as a “typical day” as Chief of Staff, you can expect to take on the following challenges at OakNorth:

Strategic Execution

• Work with CEO and others to refine the long-term vision for OakNorth

• Distil vision into measurable commercial results and milestones (OKRs)

• Monitor progress against strategic initiatives and core business operations, identifying 

roadblocks and helping clear them

• Develop dashboards and other tools to facilitate execution across the organisation

• Facilitate strategy sessions and offsites with leadership throughout the year

• Help take concepts from “0-to-1,” driving evolution from idea, to plan, to execution 

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build trusted relationships with senior leadership, functional heads, and team members

• Identify areas to improve efficiency and collaboration, and lead on breaking down barriers

• Interface between network of external advisors and partners and rest of organisation

• Serve as extension of CEO, standing in as appropriate in internal and external meetings

Communication and Alignment

• Share information across the organisation, and help reinforce core company messages in 

clear, comprehensive, and tangible manner

• Facilitate flow of information between the CEO Office and various departments

• Input into external communications, from investor presentations to executive speeches 

and marketing collateral

• Own company-wide events and initiatives, including weekly all parties calls, 

offsites/events, and employee recognition

CEO Optimisation

• Be “right hand” to CEO, distilling and aligning on weekly, monthly & quarterly priorities

• Provide insight, feedback, and recommendations, serving as a “sparring partner”

• Conduct research, analysis, and briefings for the CEO, ensuring he is well-informed

• Assist CEO in ensuring effective collaboration with his leadership team and vice-versa

• Manage extensive network of expert advisors and contacts

• Lead the CEO Office, providing guidance to the administrative support team in optimising 

usage of the CEO’s time and diary, while ensuring “white glove” logistical support

Core Competencies

• Uses exceptional judgment and data synthesis to determine what’s most important

• Quickly identifies the “critical path,” working backwards to ensure efficient execution

• Brings structure to ambiguous situations and can operate with minimal direction

• Moves seamlessly between qualitative and quantitative data and concepts

• Understands fintech, financial services, and tech (or clearly able to learn quickly)

Other Qualities We Look For: 

• Momentum: Energised by delivering results and outcomes

• High EQ: Ability to influence and operate discreetly across variety of stakeholders

• Strong communication: Clearly deliver the “so what” regardless of audience or medium

• Pattern recognition: Connect the dots across related concepts and disciplines

• Adaptability: Step into and pivot across new disciplines and conversations with ease

• Resiliency: Thrives in high pressure, high stakes conditions with directive feedback

• Growth mindset: Desire to be constantly learning and growing

• Humility: Low ego and willingness to work with and learn from all colleagues

What You May Bring: 

• Experience interfacing with and influencing executives

• Experience managing small, high-performing teams

• Demonstrable strategic and analytic foundations (MBB, top tier banking, tech strategy & 

ops, PE/venture, early-to-mid stage start-ups, etc.)

• Preference for candidates with in-house operating experience

• Preference for candidates with external-facing experience (client, investors, etc.)

• Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time, often on short notice • Exposure to UK, US, and India markets helpful but not required

• Expected 5-15 years relevant experience (we will consider candidates outside this range)

Note that the above list is an indicative list, rather than a set of requirements. As a company that thinks innovatively, we are open to a range of backgrounds and experience, whether you’re a rising start earlier on in your career, or a seasoned operator looking for an out-of-the-ordinary challenge. We encourage anyone who is interested to apply.

 Benefits & Perks:

• Equity – we want people to have a stake in the business so that all our interests are aligned

• 25 days holiday

• Personalised benefits – opt-in to what matters to you

• Enhanced family leave

• Paid volunteering days off

• Wellbeing and social events

• Barista bar

About Us

We’re OakNorth Bank and we embolden entrepreneurs to realise their ambitions, understand their markets, and apply data intelligence to everyday decisions to scale successfully at pace.  

Banking should be barrier-free. It’s a belief at our very core, inspired by our entrepreneurial spirit, driven by the unmet financial needs of millions, and delivered by our data-driven tools. 

And for those who love helping businesses thrive? Our savings accounts help diversify the high street and create new jobs, all while earning savers some of the highest interest on the market.  

But we go beyond finance, to empower our people, encourage professional growth and create an environment where everyone can thrive. We strive to create an inclusive and diverse workplace where people can be themselves and succeed. 

Our story 

OakNorth Bank was built on the foundations of frustrations with old-school banking. In 2005, when our founders tried to get capital for their data analytics company, the computer said ‘no’. Unfortunately, all major banks in the UK were using the same computer – and it was broken.  

Why was it so difficult for a profitable business with impressive cashflow, retained clients, and clear commercial success to get a loan?  

The industry was backward-looking and too focused on historic financials, rather than future potential. 

So, what if there was a bank, founded by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs? One that offered a dramatically better borrowing experience for businesses? 

No more what ifs, OakNorth Bank exists.  

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