Jones spent much of his early years as an actor in theatre and television, and was awarded an Arts Council director's bursary in 1984. In 1993, he joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art as Head of Acting, becoming the Academy's Vice-Principal in 1998, and Creative Director of RADA Enterprises in 2005. He works as a freelance director and producer in many parts of the world. He is a guest director at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, China, and directed the first-ever Chinese language version of an Alan Ayckbourn play, "Taking Steps" in 2010. He has been invited to become a Visiting Professor at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, Beijing.