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TechOps Manager

Team: Technology

Prolific is not just another player in the AI space – we are the architects of the human data infrastructure that's reshaping the landscape of AI development. In a world where foundational AI technologies are increasingly commoditized, it's the quality and diversity of human-generated data that truly differentiates products and models.

The Role

TechOps at Prolific isn't a traditional IT team; we're lean, agile and engineering-driven. We don't just maintain systems — we solve problems before they happen, automate relentlessly, and build solutions that help Prolificos do their best work. From internal infrastructure to tooling, security to automation, we take a proactive, hands-on approach to be an enabler for teams, making sure they have everything they need to move fast, make an impact and help Prolific scale.

As TechOps Manager, you'll lead and grow the TechOps team while remaining deeply hands-on — expect to spend 50–70% of your time doing technical work alongside your team. You'll own the team's strategy and roadmap, set the standard for how TechOps operates, and build strong relationships with department leaders across the business to ensure TechOps is a true partner, not just a support function.

You'll manage a team of 3–5 specialists, coaching them to do their best work while also rolling up your sleeves on the hardest problems yourself. You'll own projects end-to-end across infrastructure, automation, security and compliance — and you'll make sure your team can do the same. As TechOps Manager, you'll play a defining role in shaping the team's culture, capabilities, and impact as Prolific scales.

What you'll be doing

Leadership & Team Development (30–50%)

• Lead, coach and develop a team of 3–5 TechOps specialists, running regular 1:1s, setting clear goals, and providing meaningful feedback that helps people grow.
• Own the TechOps roadmap — working with department leaders across Engineering, People, Finance and Security to understand their needs and translate them into a prioritised plan.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders across the business, positioning TechOps as a proactive, strategic partner rather than a reactive support function.
• Drive hiring as the team grows, defining roles, raising the bar in interviews, and shaping the team you want to build.
• Foster a team culture of ownership, automation-first, process thinking, and clear documentation.

Hands-On Technical Work (50–70%)

• Own and drive complex technical projects from problem identification through to delivery, including scoping solutions, evaluating trade-offs, and making recommendations.
• Act as the senior escalation point for the TechOps team, providing technical guidance and helping unblock issues across the stack.
• Design, build and maintain automation that reduces manual toil and scales our operations — from access provisioning to onboarding workflows and beyond.
• Take ownership of critical areas of our technical infrastructure and tooling, ensuring they remain secure, well-documented and fit for purpose as the company grows.
• Support and contribute to our information security and compliance programme, working closely with our Information Security and Compliance teams to maintain certifications like ISO 27001, SOC 2 and Cyber Essentials.
• Manage supplier relationships and budgets, ensuring we get value from our software stack and that renewals are planned and executed on time.
• Write and maintain clear, useful documentation that supports the team and the wider business.

What you’ll bring

• Significant experience in a TechOps, IT Operations, or Systems Administration role, including experience leading or managing a small team.
• A track record of owning and delivering technical projects independently — you're a manager who still does the work, not just delegates it.
• Strong experience with Google Workspace administration, macOS fleet management (e.g. Kandji or similar MDM), and identity and access management.
• Demonstrable ability to take ambiguous problems, break them down, and drive them to well-reasoned solutions — and to coach others to do the same.
• Experience with scripting and automation (e.g. Python, Bash, or low/no-code platforms like Zapier and n8n) to solve operational problems at scale.
• A solid understanding of information security principles and experience working within compliance frameworks like ISO 27001, SOC 2 or Cyber Essentials.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills — you can explain technical concepts clearly to non-technical stakeholders, influence without authority, and build trust across departments.
• Experience with performance management, coaching, and developing team members at different levels.
• The ability to balance hands-on delivery with team leadership, managing competing priorities and exercising good judgement about where to spend your time.
• A collaborative, proactive mindset; you spot problems early, propose solutions, take ownership, and empower your team to do the same.

Even better if you have

• Experience with SSO/SAML implementation and identity lifecycle management.
• Familiarity with API integrations and building internal tooling or self-service workflows.
• Experience with developer tooling such as Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, GitHub and Docker, and cloud platforms like GCP.
• Experience working in a scaling company where you've had to build processes, infrastructure, and teams from the ground up.
• Exposure to vendor management, procurement, budget ownership, or contract renewals.
• Experience defining and owning a team roadmap or strategy in partnership with senior stakeholders.

Why Prolific is a great place to work

We've built a unique platform that connects researchers and companies with a global pool of participants, enabling the collection of high-quality, ethically sourced human behavioral data and feedback. This data is the cornerstone of developing more accurate, nuanced, and aligned AI systems.

We believe that the next leap in AI capabilities won't come solely from scaling existing models, but from integrating diverse human perspectives and behaviors into AI development. By providing this crucial human data infrastructure, Prolific is positioning itself at the forefront of the next wave of AI innovation – one that reflects the breath and the best of humanity.

Working for us will place you at the forefront of AI innovation, providing access to our unique human data platform and opportunities for groundbreaking research. Join us to enjoy a competitive salary, benefits, and remote working within our impactful, mission-driven culture.

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By submitting your application, you agree that Prolific may collect your personal data for recruiting and global organisation planning. Prolific's Candidate Privacy Notice explains what personal information Prolific may process, where Prolific may process your personal information, its purposes for processing your personal information, and the rights you can exercise over Prolific use of your personal information.