Chief of Staff - Operations & Supplier Management Lead

Role overview

Portofino is looking for a highly capable Chief of Staff / Operations & Supplier Management Lead to work closely with the leadership team and ensure the smooth running of internal operations, vendor-partner ecosystems, and strategic initiatives. You will be the central liaison between executive priorities and operational execution, driving efficiency, commercial negotiations, and cross-functional alignment.

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Responsibilities

• Work directly with senior leadership to translate strategic goals into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
• Lead operational process improvements and formalise workflows that scale with the firm.
• Manage relationships with external suppliers, technology vendors, data providers, consultants, and strategic partners.
• Drive contract negotiations, service levels, pricing, and SLA improvements in collaboration with legal and finance teams.
• Act as an internal coordinator for initiatives spanning trading, engineering, finance, legal, and marketing.
• Identify bottlenecks, propose solutions, remove blockers, and ensure progress on key deliverables.

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Must Have

• Proven experience in a Chief of Staff, operations, vendor management, or similar cross-functional leadership role.
• Strong negotiation skills with demonstrated ability to manage commercial contracts and supplier relationships.
• Excellent organisational skills, able to prioritise and drive multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills across technical and business audiences.
• Proven problem-solving capability in fast-moving technology or trading environments.

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Nice to Have

• Experience in financial services, trading, or crypto market-making.
• Familiarity with SLA, contract law basics, and KPI performance frameworks.
• Experience leading cross-team operational transformations and process automation.

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Personality

• Highly proactive, pragmatic, and execution-oriented.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and influencing without authority.
• Commercial mindset with strong analytical and strategic thinking orientation.

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This is a high‑impact role at the centre of the firm, offering deep exposure to leadership decision‑making, trading operations, and the inner workings of a global crypto market‑making business. The role is expected to evolve with the company and offers a clear path to broader leadership responsibilities.

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