Senior Operations Manager

Role: Senior Operations Manager – CI & Innovation or Performance focussed.

Location: South West – Hybrid (2-3 days on a site/distribution centre)

Salary: up to £60k per annum

Overview of the Senior Operations Manager

Looking for a new challenge?

We are partnering with an expanding retailer who are seeking 2 x Senior Operations Manager with extensive Supply Chain experience to join the team! We are looking an innovative individual who can help drive Continuous improvement and innovation across the supply chain Function. If you also have experience driving performance we’d love to hear from you.

About the Role

We are seeking a passionate, analytical, and customer-obsessed leader to join our senior leadership team. This newly created, high-impact role is pivotal in ensuring our supply chain supports business growth, innovation, and operational excellence across both our high street and online retail operations.

You’ll lead the development and execution of optimisation strategies that balance cost, speed, and quality—empowering the business to remain agile, proactive, and aligned in a fast-paced retail environment. This is a field-based operational role with visibility across senior stakeholders and a remit to drive short-term improvements, medium-term structural change, and long-term innovation.

Key Responsibilities

Network Optimisation & Strategy

• Develop and deliver a comprehensive roadmap for supply chain network optimisation.
• Lead initiatives to improve cost, quality, and speed across the network.
• Align network design with strategic business goals and growth plans.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Procurement, Operations, Logistics, IT, and other departments to identify and implement performance improvements.
• Facilitate workshops and performance reviews to drive continuous improvement.
• Support the commercialisation of decisions through supply chain capabilities.

Innovation & Automation

• Introduce automation and digital tools across systems, transport, and warehouse processes.
• Stay ahead of industry trends and integrate best practices into the network.
• Lead modelling of multiple network scenarios to optimise capacity, service, and cost.

Performance Monitoring & Reporting

• Establish and track KPIs to assess network performance.
• Provide regular updates and insights to senior leadership.
• Deep dive into operational performance to identify and resolve issues.

Scalability & Growth Enablement

• Ensure the network is resilient, flexible, and scalable to meet future demand.
• Build long-term capacity and capabilities to support strategic decision-making.
• Embed robust plans and mechanisms to sustain delivery and performance.

What We’re Looking For

Essential Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain, Engineering, or similar.
• 5–10 years in supply chain network performance or planning leadership roles.
• Experience in retail and omnichannel environments, including FMCG.
• Strong understanding of network optimisation, planning, inventory, and execution.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel and Office Suite skills.

Essential Skills

• Strong organisational and governance skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, including to executive board level.
• High-energy self-starter with a collaborative and hands-on approach.
• Proven ability to influence and manage senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical thinking and data interpretation skills.
• Demonstrated project management and decision-making capabilities.
• Familiarity with retail-specific challenges such as seasonal trends and promotional cycles.

Desirable

• Proven track record of delivering measurable improvements in cost, quality, and speed.
• Financial background and P&L responsibility.
• Experience with tools such as Supply Chain Guru, Data Guru, SAP APO/IBP.