Chief of Staff
£65,000 – £80,000 / year
Salary
Within the market range
£56,500
Going rate
Offer clears by 1.2×
This role may qualify for a Skilled Worker visa
SOC 2440 is an eligible occupation, but we are only 57% sure that is the right code. Cnuic Technologies Limited is a licensed sponsor, so if the code fits, the role should qualify. Check the occupation eligibility rules against what the job actually involves.
Worth checking: this could also be SOC 4214 (Company secretaries and administrators), which is not on the eligible-occupation list. Ask Cnuic Technologies Limited what the duties actually are.
New graduate or PhD holder? Pick one of the lower rates.
What each route needs for this job
| Occupation code | New entrant 70% of going rate | STEM PhD 80% of going rate | Relevant PhD 90% of going rate | Standard rate 100% of going rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2440 Business and financial project management professionals Most likely code | £39,500 Clears | £45,200 Clears | £50,800 Clears | £56,500 Clears |
4214 Company secretaries and administrators Also possible | £33,400 Clears | £41,700 Clears | £41,700 Clears | £41,700 Clears |
2431 Management consultants and business analysts Also possible | £35,100 Clears | £40,200 Clears | £45,200 Clears | £50,200 Clears |
We use the lowest threshold across the plausible codes. Likelihood is Possible at most when the pay clears only a lower rate, or only under a less likely code. A mark is for the top of the advertised pay. How the Home Office picks the code
About the role
Chief of Staff
Location: West Edinburgh, Scotland (on-site most days) · Type: Full-time, permanent · Level: Senior · Reports to:the founders
About the role
Cnuic Technologies is a venture-backed deep-tech company building next-generation optical systems, with cleanrooms and laser labs in Edinburgh. As Chief of Staff, you will take the running of the company off our two founders so their time goes on strategy and growth. You will own planning, board and investor work, finance and contracts, and turn strategy into delivery across our R&D, partner and grant-funded programmes.
You will work closely with our Project Manager, HR Manager and Business Development team, leading mostly through influence rather than line management. This is the most senior non-engineering role in the company, and it is built to grow as we do.
Key responsibilities
Founders' office
- Shape the founders' priorities and protect their time for strategic work.
- Prepare them for key meetings, keep the record and make sure actions are closed.
- Run projects they hand over, such as market and competitor research.
- Keep customer and partner conversations moving, with follow-ups done.
Board, investors and fundraising
- Own board papers and the regular investor update.
- Keep company records, the share register and the data room in order, working with our accountants and lawyers.
- Get the next funding round ready well ahead of need: numbers, metrics and milestones, investor list, timeline and paperwork, and support the founders on the story.
Planning and delivery
- Run annual and quarterly goals and a monthly review with the founders.
- Keep the R&D plan, hiring plan and budget aligned, and settle clashes over priorities.
- With the Project Manager, turn strategy into delivery across R&D, partner and grant-funded programmes: clear priorities, regular check-ins and early action when work slips.
People, money and contracts
- With the HR Manager, own the hiring plan, lead senior hires and make sure contracts, policies, share options and payroll are right.
- Own the budget and cash forecast, know our runway to the month, and check large spend against budget before it reaches the founders.
- Manage key contracts, NDAs and partner agreements, along with insurance and office set-up.
- Protect the culture as the team grows.
What success looks like
- By 6 months: the board pack, investor update and cash forecast run monthly, and the quarterly planning cycle is in place.
- By 12 months: materials and data room for the next round are ready, and partner pilots are converting to paid NRE work.
About you
Essential
- At least 5 years' experience, including 2 or more in a startup or scale-up, ideally venture-backed.
- A track record of running things across a business, in operations, strategy, finance or a Chief of Staff role.
- Strong with numbers: you can build a budget and cash forecast and defend it to a board.
- Clear, short, accurate writing for board papers, investor updates and funding applications.
- You get things done through people who don't report to you, and make sound calls on incomplete information.
- Technical enough to follow engineering conversations, through a science or engineering degree or years in a technical company.
Desirable
- Experience of a funding round, from the company or investor side.
- Public funding bids (such as Innovate UK) or large commercial bids.
- Semiconductors, photonics, optics or other hardware.
You are trustworthy with confidential detail, tell the founders bad news early, and add order without red tape. You are as happy writing a board paper on Tuesday as chasing a shipment on Wednesday. No MBA needed: we care about what you have run, not the route you took.
Benefits
- £65,000 to £80,000, depending on experience
- Meaningful equity from our option pool, reflecting the foundational nature of this hire
- Life insurance & Death in Service
- Modern, well-equipped workspace in West Edinburgh
This description is the source posting as it read when we added it. We are not affiliated with Cnuic Technologies Limited, so check their own site for the current details.
Where this offer sits in the market
Business and financial project management professionals (SOC 2440) · UK · ONS ASHE 2025 · basic pay · ~314k in sample- Offer £65,000–80,000
- Middle half £45,968–76,128
- Median £58,812
- Going rate £56,500
- Threshold £41,700
- New entrant £39,500–50,800
The range sits inside the market's middle half (£45,968–76,128), so this is typical pay for the occupation.
Similar sponsored roles
See all UK visa jobsNo close matches live right now.
Browse more sponsored jobs at Cnuic Technologies LimitedAbout sponsorship for this role
Does this job guarantee visa sponsorship?
Not necessarily. Cnuic Technologies Limited holds a sponsor licence, but sponsorship for a specific hire is always the employer's decision. Be upfront in your application that you'll require it.
What salary is needed for this role to be eligible?
The offer must clear both the general threshold and the SOC 2440 going rate of £56,500. New-entrant and shortage discounts can lower it.