Business Operations & Growth Manager

Business Operations & Growth Manager (Part-Time)
Remote | Independent contractor | 20 hours per week | $800/month (approximately £600) + discretionary six-monthly performance bonus + opportunity for future rate progression

Help us build the future of compassionate leadership in healthcare.

Nurse Wellbeing Mission works with NHS organisations and healthcare leaders to create cultures where compassion becomes part of everyday practice, and healthcare workers thrive.

Our flagship programme, Empatheum, supports nurse and midwife leaders to develop more reflective, connected and compassionate cultures with their colleagues and patients.

This is a rare opportunity to join a growing, mission-driven business at an exciting stage of its journey. You'll have the opportunity to shape systems, influence how we work, contribute ideas and see the direct impact of your work.

If you're someone who enjoys variety, autonomy and helping build something that makes a genuine difference to healthcare, we think you'll love this role.

About the role
Nurse Wellbeing Mission is a UK business led by Dr Nathan Illman (Clinical Psychologist) and he works alongside a small team of nurses and another psychologist. We provide coaching, consultation and training to health and care organisations.
You'll work closely with Nathan, helping turn ideas into reality whilst also taking ownership of projects yourself. Nathan is a supportive founder who takes care of his team, caring about them as human beings and not just “workers”.

Our direction for 2026
In 2026 we are focusing on marketing and running our Empatheum programme - a 12 month development programme for nurses that helps them learn skills to support the wellbeing of their colleagues. With funding and future demand now in place for this programme, our aim is to scale it to reach a wider national, then international audience.

We are looking for an Operations and Growth Manager to join us and help us on our next step of the business journey. This role combines business operations and creating growth.

Approximately 60% of your time will be spent ensuring our programmes and business operations run smoothly.
Approximately 40% of your time will be focused on helping us improve, grow and identify new opportunities for partnerships with our programmes.

This isn't a role where you'll simply be given a list of tasks every day. Instead, we're looking for someone who enjoys taking ownership, improving systems and helping move the business forward.

We'll work together to agree on a number of success milestones for the role, and there will be the opportunity to receive a discretionary performance bonus each 6 months based on your contribution to the growth and development of the business.

Above all else, we're looking for someone who naturally asks:
"How could we make this better? rather than "What would you like me to do next?"

Hours & working arrangements
This remote role will be for 20 hours per week, with some flexibility in how this is spread across the week
Availability is required for the UK time zone. This doesn’t necessarily mean the whole UK working day, but definitely the morning and up to around 1pm.

You will have a weekly meeting, training and support with Nathan. Additional meetings and training will be provided during onboarding. Nathan aims to be approachable, supportive and available to help his co-workers be their best.

Contract type
This is a self-employed subcontractor role. The successful candidate will invoice Nurse Wellbeing Mission monthly for their agreed hours and will be responsible for managing their own taxes and any legal obligations in their country of residence.

This role will probably suit you if...
You enjoy figuring things out.
You notice opportunities that other people miss.
You enjoy organising complex projects and making them run smoothly.
You like improving systems rather than simply following them.
You like getting stuck into the data, numbers and feedback that can help improve a service.
You're comfortable using AI as part of your everyday work.
You enjoy taking ownership and initiative.
You communicate confidently and professionally.
You like working with a high degree of autonomy.

This role probably isn't for you if...
You prefer detailed instructions before getting started.
You enjoy administration but not improving systems.
You’ve got a great eye for design, but little interest or skill with numbers.
You'd rather execute ideas than help generate them.
You find ambiguity uncomfortable.
You're not interested in using AI to improve the way you work.

What you'll be responsible for:
OPERATIONS
The operations side of this role will primarily involve the timely and effective management and running of our Empatheum programme.

The programme operates in a similar way to a traditional membership, though we work with organisational (B2B) clients, bringing them on board for 3 different launch windows per year. Following each launch, hundreds of participants embark on our 6 and 12 month programe which provides a range of support and training sessions to help improve the functioning and effectiveness of healthcare teams.

Below is a summary list of the kinds of tasks that are involved in the running and management of the programme:

-Managing participant onboarding and enrolment, and developing and improving systems to monitor and enhance engagement, and liaise with the partner organisations.
-Maintaining our LearnWorlds (LMS) platform, including the internal pages of the programme and on-demand courses that form part of Empatheum.
-Supporting programme launches.
-Monitoring participant engagement and identifying people who may benefit from additional support.
-Developing further robust systems for collecting participant data and feedback to help promote the programme.
-Managing our business systems and administration.
-Coordinating bookings and programme logistics for our coaching and workshops.
Improving operational systems as the business grows.

GROWTH
Every week you'll have protected time dedicated to helping the business grow. Once you have first got your head around the business, our systems and the Empatheum programme, we’ll be guiding and empowering you towards spending time on business growth related activities such as:

-Following up warm leads.
-Leveraging our other existing network, clients and relationships.
-Building relationships with decision makers in NHS organisations.
-Supporting LinkedIn outreach.
-Researching opportunities, for example using AI and traditional Google search.
-Improving customer journeys.
-Identifying opportunities we haven't yet spotted.
-Bringing ideas to our weekly meetings.

How we'll measure success together
Rather than measuring success by simply counting completed tasks, we'll regularly review how you're helping the business become stronger, more organised and better able to grow.

Examples of success in this role might include:

Operations
-Empatheum cohorts launch smoothly and participants receive an excellent experience.
-Participant engagement is actively monitored, with clear visibility of who is attending, who may need support and which organisations are engaging well.
-Operational issues are identified and resolved before they become problems.
-Systems become more organised, documented and efficient over time.
-Nathan spends less time coordinating day-to-day operational details because you've taken ownership.
Growth
-Warm leads are consistently followed up.
-Contracts with existing customers are renewed, and expanded
-Meaningful conversations are being initiated with prospective organisations.
-AI is being used effectively to improve efficiency and generate new ideas.
-New opportunities are researched and brought forward proactively.
-Customer journeys and business systems are continually improving.
-Practical ideas are regularly brought to our meetings and turned into action.

Initiative & Ownership
This is probably the most important aspect of the role. Success doesn't mean waiting to be asked what to do next. Success means regularly saying things like:
"I've noticed something that we could improve."
"I've been thinking about how we could make this process easier."
"I've put together a draft system for us to look at."
"I spotted this pattern in our participant engagement."
"I think this could become a growth opportunity."

We don't expect every idea to be implemented. What matters is that you're naturally curious, proactive and continuously looking for ways to make the business better.

Performance Reviews & Bonus
We'll have regular informal check-ins throughout your time working with us, alongside a more structured review every six months.

During these reviews we'll reflect on your contribution to the business, discuss your development, agree new priorities and review your success milestones.

There will also be the opportunity to receive a discretionary performance bonus in recognition of exceptional contribution to the growth, systems and long-term development of Nurse Wellbeing Mission.

Experience, Skills & Mindset
We believe people can grow into roles, and we're much more interested in finding someone with the right mindset than someone who ticks every box.

We don’t need you to have had tons of experience in our specific sector, though some experience of working in healthcare, and/or a B2B setting is definitely helpful.

Because this role will involves a high level of autonomy, we're looking for someone who already has experience of taking ownership, improving systems and helping a business run effectively.

We'd love to hear from you if you can demonstrate experience of:
-Working remotely with a high degree of autonomy.
-Managing multiple projects or priorities at the same time.
-Identifying opportunities to improve systems or processes, rather than simply following existing ones.
-Working closely with a founder, senior manager or leadership team.
-Communicating professionally with customers or clients.
-Using AI thoughtfully to improve the quality and efficiency of your work.

Software & Digital Skills
We're not expecting someone who already knows every platform we use. We'll support you to learn new systems where needed.

However, you should already feel confident using technology and be comfortable learning new software independently.
Ideally, you'll have experience with many of the following:

-Professional email communication and document creation (without relying on AI to do the writing for you).
-Microsoft Excel and/or Google Sheets, including organising, analysing and presenting data.
-Project management software (such as Trello, Asana, ClickUp, ---------- or similar).
-Canva or similar design software.
-AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini.
-CRM, email marketing or customer management software.
-Learning Management Systems (experience with LearnWorlds or similar would be an advantage, but is not essential).

Above all, we're looking for someone who enjoys learning new systems and quickly becomes confident using them.

Our Recruitment Process
We know applying for jobs takes time and energy, and we genuinely appreciate every application we receive.
Rather than relying solely on a traditional interview, we've designed a recruitment process that allows us to get to know how people naturally think, solve problems and communicate.

Our recruitment process looks like this:

Stage 1 – Application
Please send us:

Your CV
A short covering letter (no more than one page) explaining why you're interested in this role and why you think you'd be a good fit. Please also tell us about one system, process or way of working that you've improved in a previous role. What did you notice, what did you change, and what difference did it make?

We value authenticity. Please write your cover letter yourself rather than relying on AI to generate it. We don't expect it to be perfect. We are much more interested in hearing your own voice.

We'll then take approximately 1-2 weeks to review all applications and invite a small number of candidates to progress to the next stage.

Stage 2 – Short Introduction Video
If you're shortlisted, we'll ask you to record a short (1–2 minute) video introducing yourself and telling us a little about why this role interests you.

You don’t need any fancy editing. Just show us an authentic snap shot of who you are. We find this a much better way to get a sense of someone's communication style and personality than reading a CV alone.

We will give you clear instructions on where to send this video, if you are successful in the first stage.

Stage 3 – Practical Skills Assessment
Candidates who progress to the next stage will be invited to complete a practical assessment. This involves recording a Loom (or similar desktop recording) of yourself completing a series of real-world business tasks that reflect the kinds of work you'd be doing in the role.

The mock tasks will range from responding to an email, doing a short market research exercise, to solving a problem involving some basic data.

For this task, we are interested in both the output of what you do, but also how you go about it, including how you think through the problem. Throughout the assessment, we'll ask you to explain your reasoning as you work through each task.

The assessment takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.

If you are selected for this stage we will make further contact and provide detailed instructions to support you in participating.


Stage 4 – Interview
Following Stage 3 above, we'll invite a small handful of candidates to meet with Nathan, our Founder, for a relaxed interview.

By this stage we'll already have a good understanding of your experience and skills, so the interview is less about testing you and more about getting to know each other.

We'll explore how you like to work, answer any questions you have, and d ---------- together whether the role feels like a good fit.

Stage 5 – Reference Conversation
As one of the final stages of our recruitment process, we'll ask for the contact details of a previous manager or someone who has directly supervised your work.

Rather than requesting a standard written reference, we'd much prefer to have a short telephone or video conversation with them.

This gives us the opportunity to better understand your strengths, how you like to work, and the kinds of environments in which you thrive.

We'll always ask for your permission before contacting anyone.

Stage 6 – Paid Trial
Our preferred candidate will then be invited to complete a 2 week paid trial period. We believe this is the best way for both of us to experience what it's would be like to work together before making a longer-term commitment.

Timeframe and Applying for the role
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this job application. We hope to invite prospective applicants for the practical task stage on week commencing 27th August, with interviews potentially occurring later that week and finalising the position on week of 3rd August.

Please contact us through ---------- only for this role. We look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Dr Nathan Illman, Director, Nurse Wellbeing Mission