Stephen Thomas is Centre Manager at the Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery, where he leads the coordination and delivery of a major research centre focused on restoring nature and reversing biodiversity loss.
He brings over a decade of experience managing complex projects in publishing, digital, and tech sectors, with a strong track record in operational delivery, team coordination, and stakeholder engagement. His career began in the humanities — studying English literature — before moving into publishing and then digital project management. A long-standing interest in nature and ecology, including time studying forestry at Bangor University, led him to shift his focus toward environmental work.
At Oxford, Stephen ensures the smooth running of a large, interdisciplinary research team. He manages internal systems, reporting, and planning, and supports collaboration across departments, funders, and external partners. He works closely with the Centre’s leadership to translate strategic goals into well-run programmes that deliver real impact.
Stephen is motivated by enabling others to do their best work — and by helping ambitious research and policy ideas become practical action in service of nature recovery.
