Head of Business Operations and People in Basel

Head of Business Operations & People

Build the operational backbone, people environment and digital capabilities that enable LYO-X to grow without unnecessary complexity.

The opportunity

We are looking for a Head of Business Operations & People to take ownership of LYO-X's non-scientific operating platform and to help shape the next stage of our development.

Reporting directly to the Managing Director / Vice President, you will combine strategic responsibility with hands‑on execution across people, finance coordination, business systems, administration, customer contracting and selected corporate communications.

This is not a narrowly defined corporate function.

It is a broad leadership role for a structured thinker who can understand the whole business, translate growth needs into a practical operating model and personally ensure that critical work gets done.

You will act as a trusted partner to leadership while creating clear, proportionate and scalable processes for a company of approximately 20 employees.

YOUR MANDATEKeep LYO-X lean while making it more scalable: simplify the work, automate what makes sense, strengthen the employee experience and give leadership reliable operational visibility.

Key responsibilities

In this role you will

Own

operating model, people environment, business systems/process improvement, management visibility and prioritization.

Coordinate

accountant/payroll/legal/IT providers, contracting, HR administration.

Support/oversee

office logistics, selected communications, conferences and routine administration.

• Strategy and operating model
• Act as a strategic and operational partner to the Managing Director / Vice President and contribute to company‑wide planning and prioritisation.
• Translate LYO‑X's growth objectives into a practical roadmap for people, processes, systems, capabilities and external support.
• Design and continuously improve a lean operating model that can scale with the business without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Establish meaningful operational indicators and management information so that priorities, capacity, risks and open decisions are visible.
• Anticipate operational requirements arising from growth, international clients and the evolving expectations of the pharmaceutical industry.
• Process excellence, automation and AI‑enabled operations
• Map, challenge and streamline end‑to‑end processes across HR, finance administration, lead and customer management, contracting, document management and internal coordination.
• Identify repetitive work, hand‑off problems, duplicate data and avoidable administrative effort, then implement proportionate solutions.
• Own the evaluation, selection, configuration, integration and administration of modern business applications, including accounting, expense, CRM and lead‑management, HR, recruitment, document‑management, electronic‑signature and collaboration tools.
• Develop a pragmatic approach to AI‑enabled tools and automation, prioritising use cases that create measurable value rather than adopting technology for its own sake.
• Apply AI where appropriate to support activities such as document preparation and review, workflow coordination, knowledge retrieval, reporting, data quality and routine communications, while preserving human accountability.
• Establish proportionate safeguards for confidentiality, customer information, personal data, information security, access rights, supplier assessment and human review of AI‑assisted outputs.
• Lead implementation and adoption: configure workflows, document standards, train users, monitor effectiveness and adjust solutions based on evidence and feedback.
• Coordinate external IT or specialist providers when requirements extend beyond the role's own expertise; software development and infrastructure engineering are not expected.
• People and organisation
• Act as LYO‑X's senior people and HR lead, with operational responsibility for the employee lifecycle.
• Support workforce planning and manage recruitment, selection, offers, onboarding and offboarding in close collaboration with leadership and the scientific team.
• Coordinate employment administration, payroll, social insurance, work permits, employment documentation and external HR providers.
• Develop pragmatic and transparent approaches to remuneration, performance, feedback, professional development and career progression.
• Maintain fit‑for‑purpose HR policies, records and processes in line with applicable Swiss requirements and good practice.
• Strengthen an environment and culture in which highly specialised employees can perform at their best, collaborate effectively and remain connected as the company grows.
• Plan and coordinate team events and organisational development initiatives with appropriate support from the Executive Assistant & Office Coordinator.
• Finance and business administration
• Act as the primary operational contact for LYO‑X's external accountant and coordinate the timely exchange of complete and accurate information.
• Oversee expense bookkeeping, payment preparation and controls, receivables monitoring and the collection of overdue amounts.
• Coordinate quarterly Swiss VAT (MWST) accounting and filings and other recurring finance‑administration requirements with the relevant external specialists.
• Support budgeting, cash‑flow visibility, management reporting and financial follow‑up appropriate to a small consulting company.
• Own general business administration, including facilities, insurance, office equipment, purchasing, suppliers and communications infrastructure.
• Maintain clear responsibilities and sensible controls, including appropriate separation between preparation, review and approval of financial transactions.
• Customer contracting and corporate coordination
• Own and continuously improve the customer contracting process, from initial request and internal coordination through signature, filing, obligation tracking and renewal.
• Maintain templates, records and approval paths and coordinate external legal review when contractual matters require specialist advice.
• Ensure that contractual and administrative hand‑offs support efficient client onboarding and delivery.
• Coordinate selected company communications, including website and Linked In updates, with content support from the scientific team.
• Support LYO‑X's participation in relevant conferences and external events.
• Leadership and delegation
• Lead, prioritise and develop the Executive Assistant & Office Coordinator, creating clear ownership of recurring administrative and logistical activities.
• Build effective relationships with employees and external accounting, payroll, insurance, legal, IT and other service providers.
• Remain close enough to day‑to‑day operations to understand what is happening, while delegating routine execution and concentrating personal effort on higher‑value decisions and improvements.

What you bring

Must have

•Significant experience in a broad business operations, people, corporate services or comparable leadership role, ideally in a small or medium‑sized professional‑services, technology or life‑sciences organisation.

•A strategic perspective combined with a strong willingness to work hands‑on; you are comfortable moving from organisational design and management advice to resolving a practical operational issue.

•Strong digital fluency and demonstrated ability to evaluate, configure and improve business applications and workflows across functions.

•Practical understanding of process automation and AI‑enabled tools, including the judgement to distinguish valuable use cases from unnecessary complexity and to manage confidentiality, data‑protection and quality risks.

•Experience leading change and encouraging adoption through clear communication, involvement, documentation, training and follow‑through.

•Excellent interpersonal skills and the credibility to act as a trusted adviser to leadership while providing responsive support to employees.

•Excellent written and spoken English.

•High integrity, discretion and confidence handling sensitive employee, financial, contractual and customer information.

Preferred

•Sound knowledge of Swiss employment administration and familiarity with payroll, social insurance, work permits and the interfaces between a company and its external accountant or advisers.

•German is highly desirable for Swiss administration and relationships with local providers.

•Relevant higher education or professional qualifications in business administration, HR, finance or a related field, or equivalent experience.

•Experience in life sciences or consulting is an advantage but not essential.

•Specialist legal expertise.

•Deep IT/infrastructure knowledge.

What we offer

• A central leadership role with the opportunity to shape how a successful company operates and grows.
• Direct collaboration with the Managing Director / Vice President and a highly qualified, internationally active scientific team.
• Substantial autonomy to design pragmatic solutions, modernise business systems and introduce responsible automation and AI‑enabled ways of working.
• Short decision paths, visible impact and a culture that values scientific excellence, trust, collaboration and personal ownership.
• A professional international environment based in the Basel area, with no frequent travel required.

The position is available from November 1. 2026 or by mutual agreement.

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