Head of Public Policy (UK & Ireland)

WHO ARE WE? Zora Ecosystems is a leading, tech-led developer of high-integrity nature restoration projects. We work at the intersection of applied science, land management, and emerging natural capital markets to deliver real, measurable environmental outcomes at scale. With 35 active projects, over 100,000 hectares of contracted landholdings, and a 600,000-hectare UK pipeline, we are scaling rapidly. Our work spans peatlands, woodlands, biodiversity, and catchment restoration, supported by a proprietary technology platform, cutting-edge analytics and a team of industry-leading practitioners. We focus on doing restoration properly - grounded in ecological integrity, robust evidence and practical delivery, while seeking to continuously improve and innovate. We are a venture-backed startup entering a new phase of growth. Following our success working with landowners to deliver nature-based projects on the ground, we are expanding into the demand side of the market. We’re partnering with large corporates and regulated utility companies to provide catchment solutions that target a broad scope of outcomes such as water quality, natural flood management, carbon sequestration, biodiversity uplift and more. More about working at Zora Ecosystems: https://careers.zora.eco/ YOUR MISSION This role sits close to the engine room of the business. You’ll see how a scaling, venture-backed company runs day-to-day - finance, people, systems, stakeholder relations, revenue ops - and you’ll have room to shape how it runs next.   This role is a backfill, but the business has changed a lot since the job description was last written, so we’ve updated it. We’re looking for someone with the right aptitude, ambition and fit for how we work, more so than a specific list of experience. Nobody will tick every box below. If there are three or more functional areas (out of the five below) where you are particularly strong, let’s talk.  You'll report to the Head of Governance, Risk & Compliance, with direct and regular exposure to the CEO, the Board and wider Executive Leadership Team (XLT). You’ll also act as a representative for worker's voice across all parts of the organisation. What you'll own  People Ops  * Partner with the People Lead on recruitment - job specs, ATS/tooling, interview scheduling and offer management * Own the HR system (HRIS), employee records, org chart and headcount reporting * Run performance review and calibration cycles, and support compensation benchmarking and pay reviews * Manage onboarding and offboarding end to end, including contracts, right-to-work checks and equipment provisioning * Maintain the employee handbook and HR policies, and keep them current with UK employment law * Coordinate health & safety, benefits, wellbeing initiatives and office management * Support internal comms, culture initiatives and all-hands/team event logistics Financial reporting  * Own the monthly management accounts process and produce the KPI/board pack the C-suite and Board actually use * Build and maintain the annual budget, rolling forecasts and cashflow model * Run variance analysis against budget and forecast, partnering with department heads on cost centre reporting * Model unit economics across projects and support pricing decisions for commercial deals * Own carbon accounting and reporting, keeping our footprint metrics accurate, audit-ready and moving in the right direction * Manage project-level cost tracking across our nature-based portfolio as it scales, working closely with delivery teams on budgets and spend * Support fundraising due diligence processes - data rooms, investor Q&A and document tracking * Support grant and subsidy reporting and compliance * Maintain statutory registers and support share issuance/transfer administration Financial control  * Manage accounts payable and receivable, invoicing, expense processing and payment runs * Support payroll processing and act as liaison with our payroll provider and pension scheme administrator * Support year-end audit preparation, acting as the day-to-day liaison for audit queries and schedules * Oversee treasury: bank accounts, cash management and short-term cash planning * Design and maintain financial controls, approval workflows and spend policies as the business scales * Prepare and file VAT returns, R&D tax credit claims and other routine tax filings, working closely with our external accountants * Administer the EMI share option scheme and related filings, alongside cap table changes * Maintain the risk register and manage insurance renewals and policy reviews Systems  * Manage IT, procurement and software/data licencing, working directly with our external managed IT provider * Drive AI governance and tooling decisions as we embed AI further across the business * Managecyber security posture - access controls, certifications (e.g. ISO, Cyber Essentials), policies, incident response and staff training * Own and document standard operating procedures (SOP) across all areas of the business * Manage data protection and GDPR compliance as it relates to internal systems  * Manage vendor contracts, renewals and procurement across our core operating stack * Support business continuity and disaster recovery planning Marketing & Revenue Ops  * Manage our website CMS and CRM (HubSpot) - configuration, data hygiene, automations and reporting * Build and own commercial and financial dashboards, translating between the two for internal stakeholders * Manage our intellectual property assets, including trademark applications and renewals * Plan and coordinate our presence at industry events and conferences, fromlogisticsthrough to follow-up * Own our social media channels and external content calendar, keeping our voice consistent across platforms YOUR PROFILE * You care deeply about the planet and want to apply yourself with purpose * You bring experience in a FinOps or adjacent operations role * Comfortable multi-tasking and building autonomously with urgency, precision and discretion * You’ve experimented with AI tools, automations or agents * An exceptional communicator - managing key stakeholders well is the real secret sauce here * Entrepreneurial and solutions-oriented - a problem solver who ships quickly and iterates in public  * Operators, not consultants, please Nice-to-haves:  * Previous early-stage startup experience, ideally with ownership ofoperational excellence or a key function, is a strong plus * You don’t need to be an accountant (or working towards it) to apply - equally, if you are and want to be more hands-on, this is an opportunity to add more strings to your bow * You don’t need to be a subject-matter expert in environmental science or markets but a genuine interest in the space helps WHY US? * Salary: benchmarked to experience level, headroom for finance/accounting qualification holders if you lean further this way * Equity: EMI share option plan * Location: Hybrid – 60% in our London office * Hours: Full-time, though we will exceptionally consider strong candidates who need flexible working arrangements * Contract: Permanent * Equipment: NewMacbook (or computer of choice) * Benefits: Private health insurance, summer away day, enhanced parental leave, learning and development budget * Growth: As the business scales, this role is expected to scale with it. Different growth paths are on the table depending on where you excel  Interview process  1. Initial screening call with Head of People - 45minutes 2. Take-home exercise, prepared by the hiring manager - ~1 hour 3. Hiring manager interview - take-home task discussion + your chance to interview the Head of GRC back* and evaluate if this is a role worth trading your time for (*you own the agenda!) - 1 hour, online or in-person 4. CEO + XLT interview - 30minutes, online or in-person 5. Start date - ASAP!

ABOUT US PhysicsX is a deep-tech company with roots in numerical physics and Formula One, dedicated to accelerating hardware innovation at the speed of software. We are building an AI-driven simulation software stack for engineering and manufacturing across advanced industries. By enabling high-fidelity, multi-physics simulation through AI inference across the entire engineering lifecycle, PhysicsX unlocks new levels of optimization and automation in design, manufacturing, and operations — empowering engineers to push the boundaries of possibility. Our customers include leading innovators in Aerospace & Defense, Materials, Energy, Semiconductors, and Automotive. The Opportunity We’re looking for a Content & Communications Strategist to join our Marketing & Communications team, reporting directly to the Head of Marketing & Communications. This is a rare opportunity to help shape the public voice of a fast-scaling, deeply technical company operating at the frontier of engineering and AI. In this role, you’ll translate complex, high-value work into clear, compelling narratives across every channel where PX shows up — the website, social platforms, events, executive stages, partner channels, and internally. You’ll collaborate closely with engineers, product leaders, partner teams, leadership, and designers to turn our work into stories that build credibility, attract talent, and deepen customer engagement and confidence. We're looking for someone who thrives at the intersection of storytelling, creative execution, and strategic alignment. You will operate as a core part of PX’s comms engine, helping build a scalable content operation and raising the creative bar across everything we publish. We operate in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment where priorities can shift quickly and the path isn’t always linear. As we grow the team, you’ll be one of the core operators driving content delivery — which means real ownership, real impact, and real learning. If you thrive under pressure, enjoy solving problems on the fly, and like stretching beyond your comfort zone, you’ll feel at home at PX. What You’ll Do * Partner with the Head of Marketing & Communications to develop and maintain a unified editorial calendar across blog, website, social, events, and PR moments. * Write and edit high-quality content — blog posts, web pages, one-pagers, long-form thought leadership, scripts, and event materials — that reflects PX’s tone of voice and raises the signal across all channels. * Support the development of messaging and materials for executive and technical speaking engagements. * Lead PX’s voice on LinkedIn and Instagram, sourcing content, shaping narratives, and publishing a consistent drumbeat of high-signal updates, helping amplify key moments across product, platform, partnerships, and talent. * Ensure stylistic consistency and creative excellence across all digital touchpoints. * Collaborate with internal teams and external agencies on the creation of video content — storyboarding, scripting, production, and review. * Support internal communications and employer brand storytelling (#comms announcements, people-related updates, talent events, and recruiting content). * Partner with Talent to support employer brand storytelling, creating compelling content that attracts world-class engineers and researchers. * Work with partner organizations to produce and amplify joint content, case studies, and announcements. * Uphold and evolve PX’s tone of voice and editorial standards across all communications. * Track performance through comprehensive dashboards, gather qualitative and quantitative insights, and continuously refine what great looks like. What Success Looks Like (First 90 Days) * Develop a PX-specific content strategy grounded in our positioning, technical domain, and target audiences, with clear priorities, themes, and a structured editorial plan. * Publish 4-6 high-quality blog posts that meet PX editorial standards (clear thesis, strong narrative, technically grounded, visually supported), supported by short-form video content for social amplification. * Own and maintain a clean, reliable editorial calendar used by the wider team. * Deliver event and executive materials end-to-end (slides, talking points, social), ensuring they're on-brand and engaging. * Build strong working relationships with engineers and technical stakeholders, proactively sourcing stories and insights. * Demonstrate clear understanding of PX’s positioning, customers, competitors, and technical domain. About You * 5-6 years of experience in communications, marketing, or editorial roles (agency or in-house), ideally within B2B tech, AI, engineering, or deep-tech environments. * Exceptional writer and editor with the ability to distill technical concepts into accessible, incisive stories. * Strong narrative and tone of voice instincts — you know what makes a story compelling and how to adapt it for different audiences and formats, while staying true to the company/stakeholder tone of voice. * Comfortable working cross-functionally with engineers, designers, technical leaders, and commercial teams. * High-agency, proactive, and comfortable with ambiguity; you can drive projects forward with minimal oversight. * Strong judgment and discretion, able to handle sensitive information and high-stakes content. * You operate with high ownership and motivation — you don’t wait to be told what to do. * You don't compromise on quality or level of attention to detail, regardless of the format you're working with. * You are comfortable working at pace and flexing when needed. * You are excited to engage deeply with technical material, not just simplify it. * You can develop PX-specific content strategy grounded in our technical domain, customers, and positioning — not templated frameworks. * You demonstrate editorial judgment: identifying what’s new, what’s redundant, and what’s worth saying. Bonus Points * Experience supporting executives with talks, presentations, and event materials. * Familiarity with visual design workflows (Figma, Adobe Suite) or working closely with design teams/agencies. * Experience working with or around video production. This role is the right fit if: * You do your best work when you have ownership and room to shape things, rather than waiting for a fully formed brief. * You're genuinely comfortable — maybe even energized — by complex technical subject matter, and you know how to get up to speed fast. * You use AI as a tool to streamline projects and sharpen your thinking, not as a substitute for it. * You're flexible about how and when you work, and you take deadlines seriously. * You hold yourself to a high standard and actively look for ways to raise the bar on your own output. What We Offer Build what actually matters Help shape an AI-native engineering company at a formative stage, tackling problems that genuinely matter for industry and society. This is work with real-world impact - and something you can be proud to stand behind. Learn alongside exceptional people Work with a high-caliber, collaborative team of engineers, scientists, and operators who care deeply about doing great work, and about helping each other get better. We come from diverse backgrounds, but we share a commitment to operating at the highest level and addressing some of the most complex challenges out there. If you’re ambitious, thoughtful, and driven by impact, you’ll feel at home. Influence over hierarchy We operate with a flat structure: good ideas win - wherever they come from. Questioning assumptions and challenging the status quo isn’t just welcomed, it’s expected. Sustainable pace, long-term ambition Building meaningful technology is a marathon, not a sprint. We believe in balancing focused, ambitious work with a life beyond it. Our hybrid model blends time together in our Shoreditch office with work-from-home days, giving you the flexibility to work sustainably while staying connected in person. And it doesn’t stop there … 🚀 Equity options - share meaningfully in the company you’re helping to build. 🏦 10% employer pension contribution - because investing in future matters. 🍽️ Free office lunches - to keep you energised and focused. 👶 Enhanced parental leave - 3 months full pay paternity and 6 months full pay maternity leave, to provide extra flexibility during the moments that matter most. 🍼 YellowNest nursery scheme - to help working parents manage childcare costs. ☀️ 25 days of Annual Leave (+ Public Holidays) - because taking time to rest matters. 🏥 Private medical insurance - 100% employee cover, giving you complete peace of mind. 💪 Wellhub Subscription - gain access to thousands of gyms, classes and wellness apps, supporting both physical and mental wellbeing. 👀 Eye tests - because good work depends on good health. 📈 Personal development - dedicated support for learning, development, and leveling up over time. 💛 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - confidential wellbeing support, available whenever you need it. 🚲 Bike2Work scheme and 🚆 Season ticket loan - to make getting to work easier and greener. 🚗 Octopus EV salary sacrifice - for a simpler, more sustainable way to drive electric. 🔎 Watch this space, we’re continuing to build this as we grow…   We value diversity and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity. We strongly encourage individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in tech to apply. To help make a change, we sponsor bright women from disadvantaged backgrounds through their university degrees in science and mathematics.    We collect diversity and inclusion data solely for the purpose of monitoring the effectiveness of our equal opportunities policies and ensuring compliance with UK employment and equality legislation. This information is confidential, used only in aggregate form, and will not influence the outcome of your application.