Business Operations Lead – Knowledge sharing and Optimisation

Job Title: Business Operations Lead – Knowledge sharing and Optimisation
Team: Business Operations Desk

Contract: Permanent

Level: Advanced
Please refer to our Capability Framework
Location: Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, UK

Apply by: We're interviewing on a rolling basis until we close the role. We advise you to apply early as we may close the role early if we have a sufficient pool of candidates. 

ABOUT US

At Climate KIC, we are wholeheartedly committed to building a diverse and representative team and an inclusive workplace that values different life experiences and perspectives, and we encourage personal development, learning and growth.

When recruiting, we look to achieve diversity in the candidate pool. We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups and are happy to consider reasonable adjustments that will foster success in potential colleagues from diverse backgrounds and life situations. And because our team has differing needs and personal circumstances, we offer a high degree of flexibility to accommodate working patterns. We’re happy to discuss your situation during the interview and see how best we can support you.
Don’t let Imposter Syndrome stop you from applying!

Climate KIC (Knowledge and Innovation Community) is Europe’s foremost climate innovation initiative. We understand that keeping global temperature rise below 1.5˚C demands unprecedented change. It requires new social dynamics, ways of doing business, capital flows, policymaking, economic models, and new ways of living. That is why our mission is to leverage the power of systems innovation to transform whole places, industries and value chains by 2030, working across sectors to develop and scale ambitious, mission-led programmes. Climate KIC’s strategy 2024-2030, Transformation, with Urgency, is available here. 

Climate KIC operates as a not-for-profit platform working through public-private partnership, wielding both public and private funding. Established in 2010 and headquartered in Amsterdam, we orchestrate a community of more than 150 organisations including large corporations and SMEs, municipal and regional governments, universities and research institutes, as well as non-governmental organisations and civil society actors.  

Climate KIC leads the implementation of the European Union’s Mission on Climate Neutral and Smart Cities and the launch pilot of the Mission on Climate-Adaptation both with the objective of catalysing rapid and deep transformation on a large scale, creating the precedent and economic transition conditions for demonstration, learning, capacity building, fast followership and investment. Achieving the EU Cities Mission will mean avoided scope 1 and 2 emissions alone of an estimated 0.7GT CO2e between now and 2040. 

Climate KIC has a Remote-First strategy, where colleagues work remotely from home based in one of the countries where we have a branch or employing entity (and can work out of local offices or co-working seats, where they exist). We meet at our local offices to exchange and connect and use online collaboration tools to work with each other and with our community. On occasion, we meet in person as teams, and once per year as an organisation. 

As a mission-driven organisation dedicated to climate transformation, we consider the climate impact of our own actions, for example travel, catering, or IT equipment. 

ABOUT THE ROLE

In response to our strategic initiative to diversify funding streams and set up the business for success in a multi-funder environment, the Business Operations Desk is a one-stop shop assisting business process optimisation with focus on standardising and quality assurance of practices around project and grant management incl. facilitating an internal community of practice for knowledge sharing and learning. In relation to core organisational funding, the Business Operation Desk serves as Secretariat to the likes of The Collaborative. The Business Operations Desk also plays a key role in supporting a healthy funding pipeline through the deal desk review process. 

As  Business Operations Lead – Knowledge sharing and Optimisation, you will play a pivotal integrating role, working closely with the  Business Operations Desk Orchestrator  to drive  operational excellence across grant management, project delivery, and knowledge-sharing practices. 

You will be hands on with Grant Management. You will play a leading role in developing project management discipline, building a vibrant Community of Practice, and ensuring  smooth operational alignment  across the  grant lifecycle. You will lead the development and standardisation of project management processes, foster  rigorous adherence to grant policies, and act as a key integrator—ensuring that systems, processes, and policies  are not only effective  but also streamlined and consistent across the grant lifecycle. You will  bridge teams, optimise cross-functional workflows, and foster collaboration, supporting Climate KIC’s mission to deliver multi-funder, portfolio-driven impact. 

This role is a strategic anchor for Climate KIC’s transition toward multi-funder excellence,  improved project delivery, and collaborative knowledge-sharing. You will play a central part in building systems, empowering teams, and ensuring operational coherence – driving Climate KIC’s capacity to deliver transformative climate action.  

Key Responsibilities:

Grant Management Discipline & Operational Excellence 

• Lead and Improve Grant Management Practices: Ensure rigorous adherence to grant policies and compliance across the entire grant lifecycle—from pre-award to post-award delivery. 

• Operational Oversight: Manage day-to-day grant operations, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and alignment with funder requirements and internal policies. 

• Streamline Grant Processes: Design, document, and implement standardised workflows to improve efficiency and consistency in grant management. 

• Compliance & Reporting: Ensure all grant-related processes meet internal and external audit and compliance requirements while supporting data integrity and accurate reporting. 

Project Management Leadership & Process Standardisation 

• Develop Project Management Discipline:  harmonise, set professional standards and share internal as well as external good practices (knowledge) around project management, ensuring these practices are robust, repeatable, and scalable. 

• Ensure Alignment & Consistency: Integrate and align project management methodologies with broader business operations—ensuring processes across teams are coherent and connected. 

• Operational Tools & Systems: Support the adoption and optimisation of project management and ERP systems (e.g., GRETA, and the introduction of the PPM tool), ensuring tools are fit-for-purpose and embedded across the organisation. 

Knowledge Sharing & Community of Practice Development 

• Moderate the Project Management Community of Practice: Establish and maintain a vibrant Community of Practice to foster peer learning, knowledge exchange, and cross-functional collaboration. 

• Operational Knowledge Management: Systematise lessons learned, ensuring the continuous capture, documentation, and dissemination of best practices across project and grant management. 

• Centralised Tools & Templates Platform: Develop and maintain project management assets incl. guidelines, templates, good practices and training material. 

• Design & Deliver Learning Initiatives: Develop and deliver training sessions, guides, and toolkits to ensure consistent understanding and application of project management and grant processes. 

Business Process Optimisation – Multi funder fit 

• Process Reengineering: contribute to the redesign and ongoing refinement of end-to-end business processes, moving beyond grant-specific workflows, incl. by identifying and implementing process improvements to streamline operations, reduce complexity, and enhance collaboration across the organisation. 

• Process Clarity: Contribute to defining sequential phases and key decision points essential for successful project execution, that reflects decision makers, key accountabilities, gating factors and hand-off points. 

• Act as an Organisational Integrator: Ensure alignment across grant management, project delivery, and business operations—eliminating silos and fostering a connected operating system. In particular, collaborate closely with the Deal Desk, Finance, Legal, and Portfolio teams to ensure smooth handoffs and alignment across end-to-end workflows. 

• Support Systems & Workflows: Ensure operational systems and workflows are designed to support a diverse range of funder types and adapt to evolving funding requirements. 

Key Working Relationships

• Business Operations Desk Orchestrator 

• Business Operations Desk including Grant Management Business Partners and Deal Desk 

• COO and Operations Leads 

• The Project Management Community

• The Hub, including the Transformation Lead