Director of Operations

US Operations Director

The US Operations Director is a pivotal role within the Leadership Team. The operational function is at the heart of everything we do. We are on a mission to transform our operations, introducing more and more warehouse automation and reducing our carbon footprint as we grow. We are looking for an experienced senior leader with bags of knowledge regarding lean warehouse operations, automation, logistics, health and safety and high energy levels who wants to play an integral part in a purpose-led business.

This role will have overall accountability for the day to day running and strategic transformation of our United States fulfilment center. Responsible for managing financials, 300+ colleagues, and central to helping us spread the love of reading to over 20 million people around the world each year, this role is a great opportunity for someone looking to bring their skills and experience to help us grow global re-commerce and to further improve the sustainability of the book industry.

Key Responsibilities

Lead a warehouse team of ~300, creating efficient ways of working, a culture that people want to be part of and offering genuine career prospects for all.

Oversee the day-to-day excellence of our US warehousing operations, handling 150k item movements per day.

Oversee the design and delivery of our US Operations transformation programme, delivering $1m per annum, including process and system optimization, introducing warehouse automation to reduce manual working, improve the customer experience, and reduce cost per unit.

Sponsor our US WMS Product Team to deliver warehouse automation and technology solutions that help us to become a global leader in recommerce.

Transform our operational ways of working through the implementation of lean six sigma methodologies.

Oversee the procurement and management of postage and carrier contracts.

Sponsor a range of large-scale operational programs and projects requiring multi-million dollar capital investments, working closely with the central Program Management Office to develop clear business cases, project plans, and effective project governance.

Work in partnership with the Finance Team to oversee the development of complex operational budgets, accurately forecasting spend and activity levels, and being accountable for delivering against them.

Manage relationships with senior stakeholders across a range of third-party suppliers including logistics partners, postage carriers, automation, M&E, facilities management, recruitment, and waste recycling.

Champion a safe and healthy working environment across all our sites.

Create a fun, engaging and transparent culture, relentlessly trialling new ways to engage and excite our operational teams.

Challenge everything we do today…literally everything…and find ways in which we can be better for our customers, our colleagues and our local communities.

Skills and Experience

We are looking for someone who is passionate about people, continuous improvement, and the use of technology to make operations work more effectively. Here are a few of the key traits we are especially interested in for this role:

You are a natural born leader, self-aware, and role-model that inspire others to reach higher.

You are a strategic thinker, having the capability to research and analyze data to shape sound strategic plans.

You have a high level of commercial acumen and are confident in business financials, management accounts, and budgeting.

You embrace technology and are passionate about creating tech-enable operations.

Your verbal and written communication skills are awesome. You can communicate with people at all levels, both inside and outside the organization.

You demonstrate commitment, attention to detail and a strong work ethic.

You have a high degree of emotional intelligence and the ability to build broad and trusted relationships.

You are not afraid to constructively challenge individuals and will stand up for your own reasoned beliefs and values.

You are a great listener, proactively inviting feedback and curious to hear the ideas of others.

You are naturally curious with a love of problem-solving and a strong personal drive.

You care about the environment and are passionate about playing your part in a low-carbon future.

Your energy levels are off the chart.

Experience

Degree-educated

5 years proven experience of working at a Senior Management level within a large warehousing and logistics operation.

Experience of implementing and working with warehouse automation technologies.

Strong Lean Six Sigma background with relevant certifications.

Sound knowledge of technological trends relevant to warehousing.

Experience of managing complex budgets, spend forecasting, and budget reconciliation.

Proven senior leadership skills and a track record of building high-performing operations teams.

Experience of managing both in-house and outsourced operations.

Experience of managing domestic and international postage partner relationships.