What Does A Head of Operations Do?

WHAT DOES A HEAD OF OPERATIONS DO?

Published: Aug 12, 2025 - The Head of Operations works closely with the CEO to set and execute business strategies, oversee day-to-day operations, and ensure the achievement of annual and quarterly targets. This role involves managing the full employee lifecycle, leading HR functions, overseeing client success and operational teams, and driving process improvements across all business areas. The position also manages budgets and P&L, ensures exceptional client experiences, and optimizes systems and workflows to enhance efficiency and profitability.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Head of Operations

1. Head of Operations Key Accountabilities

Sales Support: Support the Sales team in building proposals during the pre-sales stage.
Vendor Negotiation: Negotiate and deal with vendors to secure the best terms and services.
Media Planning: Create and manage media plans aligned with campaign objectives.
Creative Development: Contribute to the development of creative concepts.
Campaign Management: Manage campaigns effectively in the post-sales phase.
Influencer Coordination: Oversee influencer management and coordination.
Production Coordination: Coordinate with production houses to ensure timely execution.
Stakeholder Management: Handle all internal and external stakeholders.
Cost Control: Control costs to stay within budget while maintaining quality.
Reporting: Prepare and deliver performance and results reports.
Process Improvement: Build and improve operational and campaign processes.
Team Leadership: Lead and manage the assigned team.
General Duties: Fulfill other responsibilities to meet campaign requirements.

2. Head of Operations General Responsibilities

Business Strategy Implementation: Plan and implement all business strategies and procedures.
Procedure Development: Create procedures that are flexible and detailed while allowing operations to move quickly.
Team Coordination: Coordinate with all teams and ensure objectives and targets are met, providing hands-on support to help achieve results.
Process Optimization: Measure the efficiency of current operational processes and continuously optimize them.
Team Leadership: Mentor and lead the teams to ensure the organization has a proper structure to deliver and scale while maintaining speed.
Supply Chain Management: Ensure optimal supply chain management and warehouse operations.
Business Expansion: Participate in expansion activities.
Executive Reporting: Work and report directly to the CEO, planning the budget, KPIs, forecasts, and reports.

3. Head of Operations Role Purpose

KPI Management: Own the delivery SLAs and key distribution centre KPIs and translate company KPIs into both individual and team KPIs.
Customer Experience: Ensure teams continue to deliver a best-in-class experience.
Operational Scaling: Design how operations functions will scale to meet demand.
Service Development: Develop and execute plans to build strategically defensible services and experiences into the customer offering (e.g., Next Day Delivery).
Process Improvement: Help establish procedures and processes that enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and maintain a safe work environment.
Technology Collaboration: Work with the technology team to identify new features to increase efficiency.
Performance Culture: Build a results-oriented, high-performance culture in the team through commitment to and belief in continuous improvement.
Learning and Safety Culture: Foster a culture of learning and safety with a focus on efficiency.

4. Head of Operations Essential Functions

Operations Strategy: Define operations strategy, objectives, priorities, and budgets for contract manufacturing plants.
Warehouse Transition: Oversee the transition from warehouse operations to the 3PL.
Inventory Management: Manage inventory for FGI, Spares, and DG for multiple warehouses.
Cultural Development: Develop and advance the global business culture locally.
Daily Operations Management: Execute daily operations, including the achievement of revenue targets, safety, quality, delivery, and financial targets.
Team Leadership: Provide leadership to the plant manager, materials/planning, and procurement teams to support the timely acquisition of materials.
Outsourcing Management: Manage the outsourcing of medical devices and dangerous goods warehousing.
Strategic Vision: Drive strategic vision and CI initiatives.
Logistics and Planning: Guide logistics and planning to support timely receipt, shipment, and overall material management.

5. Head of Operations Additional Details

Operational Strategy: Establish, develop, and implement strategies to drive operational efficiencies.
Business Planning: Participate in business planning and budget processes, cascading the plan to the operations team to drive profitability.
Performance Monitoring: Review and track operational performance to meet the company's target performance.
Issue Resolution: Identify issues and concerns, and promote efficiency in operations through practical solutions and value-added recommendations.
Team Leadership: Demonstrate strong leadership capabilities, coach and manage team members to deliver high morale and performance to drive company growth.
Transformation Initiatives: Think out of the box and drive transformation where deemed fit to enhance operational performance.
Sustainability Program: Create and implement a business sustainability program.
Process Optimization: Streamline processes and identify areas to improve and eliminate waste to drive better efficiencies.

6. Head of Operations Roles

Banking Operations: Oversee day-to-day banking operations.
Public Relations Oversight: Support and oversee the public relations team.
Project Management: Manage high-profile projects with cross-functional stakeholders to improve implementation deficiencies.
Analytical Solutions: Leverage analytical skills and business judgment to create and implement operationally efficient, scaled solutions.
Industry Leadership: Lead the team as the market leader and a key advocate of industry digital development related to payment and banking.
Competitive Analysis: Maintain an understanding of external competitive digital developments and their impact on business and innovation strategy.
Strategic Planning: Identify and develop long-term strategies that include initiatives such as portfolio mix, growth strategies, and market penetration objectives.
Product Management: Drive the implementation of advanced banking through forward-thinking product management.
Strategic Partnerships: Play a key role in building strategic alliances and business partners for customer acquisition.

7. Head of Operations Tasks

Team Management: Manage a team in line with core management requirements to achieve excellent results by coaching, developing, and supporting them to reach their full potential.
Staff Supervision: Directly manage a team of six individuals.
Strategic Implementation: Implement new ideas and strategies across the department.
Operational Efficiency: Streamline operations across all company developments and improve resident satisfaction.
Performance Monitoring: Monitor and drive property and estate management performance against targets and KPIs.
Board Participation: Attend board meetings regularly and sit on the panel.
Compliance Management: Ensure adherence to legislation and compliance standards.
Performance Evaluation: Evaluate and report property and estate management performance against set targets and KPIs.

8. Head of Operations Details and Accountabilities

Team Supervision: Supervise day-to-day activities in the local operations team.
Process Development: Create effective operational procedures, policies, and standards.
Goal Management: Develop team goals and coordinate with the team to meet them on a steady basis.
Record Keeping: Maintain accurate records and document operational activities.
Data Analysis: Collect and analyze operations statistics, including fulfillment rate, cancellation rate, refunds, and service provider performance metrics.
Onboarding Design: Design seamless service providers’ onboarding processes and ensure that systems and tools are in place for local execution.
Quality Assurance: Own and drive quality initiatives locally to strengthen the promise made to customers and service providers.
Solution Building: Build automated and scalable solutions to solve operational problems and enable cities for faster and leaner execution.
Process Optimization: Proactively identify new avenues of optimization for processes and systems.
Collaboration: Work closely with Segment Leads and the Sales Team to ensure the operationalization of plans agreed to achieve targets.
Human Resource Management: Accomplish the Operations function’s human resource objectives by recruiting, selecting, training, and coaching employees.

9. Head of Operations Overview

Target Achievement: Ensure Health & Safety, Quality, Cost, and Delivery targets are met while expanding capabilities to meet unit requirements.
Process Improvement: Streamline operational processes and manage them using structured methodologies such as Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, and Control.
Problem Solving: Address problems as they arise and proactively remove scaling obstacles to prevent operational delays.
Production Management: Take overall responsibility for production to ensure food is produced and delivered on time.
Team Leadership: Lead and supervise a team of managers.
Team Morale: Maintain a positive team dynamic to boost staff morale and ensure collaborative performance.
Staff Development: Mentor, train, and develop staff to help them realise and unlock their full potential.
Training Compliance: Ensure consistent staff training and development in compliance with Health & Safety, Food Safety, and Warehousing Regulations.
HR Collaboration: Work closely with HR on team progression, reward and recognise performance, and apply progressive discipline.

10. Head of Operations Job Description

Objective Delivery: Deliver strategic and operational objectives.
Financial Management: Manage budgeting and forecasting processes with full accountability for monitoring and controlling all financials, including Opex and Capex expenditure.
Process Enhancement: Develop and enhance systems and processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
Guest Experience: Manage and exceed guest expectations consistently.
Performance Monitoring: Deliver KPIs aligned with business performance targets.
Operational Improvement: Proactively develop and implement operational improvement initiatives.
Culture Building: Develop a strong and positive staff culture.
Team Development: Train and develop the team to exceed their potential.

11. Head of Operations Functions

Responsibility Management: Take responsibility for the practices and service units of Proservia and Proservia Field Services, covering approximately 900 employees.
Service Delivery Oversight: Oversee the entire service delivery of the Proservia Group and the solution design during the offer phase.
IT Optimization: Continuously increase and optimize IT delivery with a focus on automation, utilization, and profitability.
Vendor Management: Manage and optimize purchased sub-company services.
Operational Optimization: Optimize the organization, processes, and KPIs across operations.
ITIL Implementation: Implement the ITIL framework and ensure adherence to security guidelines.
Process Compliance: Ensure proper process implementation and monitor compliance.
Process Improvement: Develop suggestions for improving processes and structures in collaboration with the team to optimize defined contracts and services.
Team Management: Manage and develop the team in alignment with a portfolio coordinated with Portfolio Management.

12. Head of Operations Accountabilities

Operations Management: Responsible for managing all operational groups for Hedge Fund Services.
Team Oversight: Liaise with and provide oversight of offshore teams supporting client operations.
Performance Management: Conduct performance management and career development processes, provide input on staffing and disciplinary actions, and deliver hands-on training to staff.
Staffing and Compensation: Make staffing decisions, manage expenses, and oversee the salary review process for the division.
Workflow Management: Develop periodic goals, organize workflows, set short-term priorities, monitor activities, and ensure timely and accurate completion of work.
KPI Delivery: Ensure operational teams meet deliverables and KPIs for both clients and internal partners.
Process Execution: Execute complex initiatives and liaise with business stakeholders to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity.
Risk Mitigation: Collaborate with relationship managers to streamline client operational processes and mitigate risk.
Strategic Collaboration: Work alongside regional leadership to provide input into and execute the business strategy plan.
IT Prioritization: Coordinate the strategic direction of business operational functions and prioritize IT development initiatives.

13. Head of Operations Job Summary

Team Leadership: Lead and manage a team of Manufacturing Supervisors and Operators, ensuring they have the skills, tools, and support needed through performance management and training.
Operational Planning: Design, develop, and deliver an annual operating plan for manufacturing to meet production targets within budget and timeframes.
Supply Chain Management: Develop and manage a supply chain function covering supplier contracts, transport control, outside storage, budget adherence, and on-time, in-full customer deliveries.
Workplace Safety: Create and maintain a safe and healthy working environment by ensuring adherence to best practice systems and processes.
Employee Relations: Promote a culture of positive employee relations through proactive communication, participation, and engagement.
Continuous Improvement: Lead a continuous improvement programme using Lean methodologies to optimise systems, eliminate waste, and drive efficiency and quality.
Regulatory Compliance: Maintain and implement industry approval standards following EU regulations.
Contractor Coordination: Liaise with contractors on internal and external site development and report progress to management.

14. Head of Operations Responsibilities

Team Leadership: Lead and manage a team of Operations, Planning, Procurement, Logistics, and Maintenance.
Team Development: Build and grow a high-performing team, developing personnel who exemplify manufacturing culture and prepare the organization for the scale-up of commercial equipment and facilities.
Training Management: Identify training needs and leverage resources within the company to provide necessary growth opportunities.
Workflow Optimization: Organize and streamline work-streams, programs, troubleshooting approaches, and supporting systems to enable a highly effective team.
KPI Management: Drive the adoption and use of goal setting, tracking, and KPI reporting.
Project Management: Manage improvement projects and oversee project management of ongoing initiatives, including lean implementation, theory of constraints, and material flow improvements.
Financial Coordination: Work closely with the Finance team to reduce manufacturing variances, report COGs, and monitor and report on inventory levels.
System Development: Grow and further develop Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) capabilities.
Talent Management: Hire, coach, and support talent through consistent feedback, navigation of challenges, and celebration of wins.

15. Head of Operations Details

Operational Ownership: Own operational performance end-to-end with a forward-thinking approach.
Inbound Management: Manage inbound performance across all relevant sites.
Outbound Management: Take full accountability for total outbound network performance, aligning future demand with unit-level capacity.
Infrastructure Implementation: Support the implementation of new infrastructure advancements.
Kitting Oversight: Oversee kitting and B2B IWT performance by balancing future demand with capacity.
Warehouse Management: Manage warehouse allocation and utilisation drivers at the SKU level across all regions and categories, providing transparent reporting.
Line Performance: Drive the performance of fast-moving lines through daily actions and continuous behavioural corrections.
Service Improvement: Improve premium and NDD service performance by aligning front-end forecasting with available operational capacity.
Stock Management: Oversee dead and aged stock management with structured and proactive planning.
GWP Governance: Own GWP governance, support finance forecasting, measure usage, and forward-plan for all warehouses a minimum of three months in advance.
Delivery Performance: Encourage improvements in delivery service performance, speeds, and costs.
Operational Expertise: Act as the operations expert for all operational aspects within the nominated category.
Efficiency Alignment: Ensure the group remains first to mind of improvements and efficiencies through cross-departmental coherence.
Damage Reduction: Reduce damaged parcel ratios by implementing scalable global actions.

16. Head of Operations Duties

Site Leadership: Lead the site management team as part of the Senior Management team.
Operational Direction: Take overall responsibility and direct the leadership team in all aspects of planning, organizing, and directing operational activities.
Target Achievement: Achieve company targets for production, profit, cost reduction, and customer expectations within a Lean and continuous improvement environment.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with Finance, IT, Sales, Project Management, and HR leads to achieve operational excellence.
Best Practice Implementation: Create and implement best practice manufacturing vision, strategy, policies, processes, and procedures to enhance business performance.
Strategic Alignment: Ensure manufacturing strategies and processes support business objectives and operational needs related to price, quality, and delivery targets.
Market Competitiveness: Enable the company to function and compete effectively in the market.
Risk Management: Evaluate business challenges and take actions to mitigate risks and develop opportunities.
Strategic Contribution: Contribute to the overall business strategy and participate in the annual budget process.
Policy Ownership: Take ownership of the manufacturing and procurement, or sourcing policy, guidelines, and associated documentation.
Process Innovation: Initiate and develop creative and innovative manufacturing and procurement, or sourcing processes.

17. Head of Operations Roles and Details

Data Analysis: Apply analytical skills to make data-driven decisions and guide teams through performance analysis and KPI dashboards.
KPI Management: Create dashboards with the right KPIs and improve key metrics, such as Cost Per Order and Utilisation Rate.
Team Leadership: Lead the Warehouse Captain and Rider Captain to ensure seamless coordination.
Operations Planning: Plan and direct all rider and warehouse operations, including onboarding, shift management, route planning, picking, and delivery efficiency.
Rider Availability: Ensure sufficient rider availability at all times, including during expansion and new location launches.
Warehouse Expansion: Manage warehouse expansion and collaborate with the expansion team to ensure smooth city launches.
Crew Management: Oversee teams responsible for recruiting, training, assisting, and scheduling the rider crew.
Driver Quality: Ensure high driver quality through structured training and performance management to maintain delivery timelines.
Operational Optimization: Monitor, measure, and improve warehouse operations to transition from improvised solutions to optimized systems.
Performance Enhancement: Create and implement plans to enhance rider performance.
Project Management: Apply strong project management skills to share best practices and operational improvements across locations.
Employee Support: Ensure riders and pickers feel supported and valued as employees.

18. Head of Operations Responsibilities and Key Tasks

Operational Oversight: Direct and oversee operational performance efficiency of all plant functions through the establishment and monitoring of plant-level Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Performance Reviews: Set monthly reviews (Plant Operating Systems - POS) to build team cohesiveness on shared performance expectations.
Budget Management: Partner with Finance to develop yearly budgets to manage and improve costs.
Cost Alignment: Review site performance to ensure costs are aligned with budget expectations.
CapEx Management: Set yearly CapEx budgets and conduct periodic reviews to ensure money is spent according to plans and delivered on committed financial goals.
Safety and Quality: Ensure plants operate with the right safety mindset, quality expectations, and delivery performance to meet the company’s goals and objectives.
Shop Floor Visibility: Drive the management team to be visible on the production floor to identify plant issues through GEMBA walks and drive shop floor accountability.
Process Improvement: Be process-driven and seek to understand problem sources to implement permanent corrective actions and procedures to improve organizational effectiveness.
Lean Leadership: Act as the Lean Champion for the business and manage with a focus on continuous improvement, utilizing lean tools such as visual management, Kanban, and kaizen.
Capital Management: Manage working capital to achieve cash flow targets.
Employee Development: Provide support and guidance in the management of employee performance and development to ensure succession plans are in place for all key roles.
Culture Building: Guide the management team in both union and non-union sites to create a performance culture that is curious and always seeking new ways of working.
Policy Compliance: Ensure all performance issues are addressed on time, and all employees and management adhere to company policies and procedures.

19. Head of Operations Duties and Roles

Partner Recruitment: Recruit and onboard food partners through online searches, network building, and ongoing communication.
Event Scheduling: Schedule food partners for events across a rapidly growing list of sites in multiple markets.
Marketing Production: Produce, distribute, and post printed marketing collateral weekly.
Financial Reporting: Generate weekly event invoices and compile sales summary reports.
Document Preparation: Produce detailed, site-specific RAMS documents for each client development.
Team Management: Hire and manage part-time field operations team members to support events in various geographic markets.
Site Assessment: Conduct event location site assessments.
Partner Training: Train food partners by clearly communicating operational processes.
Launch Supervision: Oversee pilot launches and provide ongoing supervision.
Problem Solving: Adopt a flexible, solutions-focused approach to real-time problem solving.
Customer Relations: Manage customer relations with development managers, consumers, and food partners.

20. Head of Operations Roles and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership: Set, agree, implement, and deliver a clear and compelling Supply Chain and operational strategy across airline, private label, and owned brand business units.
Inventory Planning: Focus on strategic inventory planning, enhanced operating systems, and process efficiencies to drive company profitability and high client service levels.
Function Oversight: Oversee, direct, and organise Purchasing & Logistics, Supplier Management, Quality Assurance, Social Responsibility, Client Services, Inventory Management, Business Intelligence, and Technology functions.
Target Management: Ensure ownership of projects, targets, and deliverables across departments to maximise gross margins while meeting inventory and critical path goals.
Client Operations: Build strong client relationships and take full responsibility for all client-facing operations to ensure timely sales order fulfillment and exceptional execution.
Supplier Relations: Nurture and strengthen supplier relationships to secure consistent service levels, competitive pricing, fast lead times, and favourable trading terms.
Financial Collaboration: Collaborate with the Commercial and Finance teams to set budgets, deliver on operating profit and inventory targets, and digitise supply chain processes through the TIM operating system.
Global Supply Chain: Establish and maintain a strong global beauty supply chain network across Asia, Europe, and America to minimise risk and build strong relationships.
Coaching and Culture: Coach individuals and teams to success, while regularly communicating and protecting Matrix’s culture and values.
Talent Development: Ensure that current and future talent needs are met, and that critical skills, career paths, and succession plans are in place.
Vision Communication: Work with the senior leadership team to communicate the organisational vision and ensure staff understand how their roles contribute to its achievement.

21. Head of Operations Key Accountabilities

Operational Strategy: Define and execute operational strategy to meet business growth, regulatory, and mandatory requirements, and strategic initiatives.
Team Leadership: Nurture a high-performing team while navigating a transformational landscape.
Transaction Management: Manage daily payment transactions and the settlement of securities transactions, and optimise processes through increased automation.
Process Control: Ensure full visibility and control over payment processing and enable performance measurement for each component.
Reporting: Draw up reports and present findings at regular intervals to management and the wider organization.
Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with correspondent banks, payment system providers, and suppliers on operational matters.
Effective Communication: Communicate effectively with peers, subordinates, and executive management.
Industry Awareness: Stay abreast of industry developments in payment services and best practices.

22. Head of Operations General Responsibilities

Team Leadership: Build and lead an operations team focusing on fresh and grocery products from the wholesaler to end distribution points.
Recruitment Management: Define hiring needs, recruit, and manage an operations team.
Operations Oversight: Take end-to-end accountability for effective operations, including inbound and outbound processing, quality control, cross-docking, sorting, and repacking.
Performance Management: Review and evaluate performance data across all operational functions, address performance gaps, and take corrective action to ensure each functional area meets established targets.
Process Design: Design and establish key processes across the value chain from wholesaler to sorting facilities, transhipping points, and end distribution points.
Compliance Management: Oversee record keeping, inspections, audits, and safety training.
Vendor Management: Build vendor management processes to ensure product quality and delivery reliability.
Customer Excellence: Provide clear and active operational leadership to foster a strong culture of customer excellence and a relentless focus on continuous improvement in all client delivery and internal operations.

23. Head of Operations Role Purpose

Senior Leadership: Take a leading role in a senior management position at a market-leading manufacturing organization.
Site Management: Lead a busy manufacturing production site and contribute to strategic, financial, commercial, quality, production, process, and engineering decisions.
Team Leadership: Apply technical and people management skills to lead teams of operators, machinists, technicians, fitters, engineers, and design professionals through the reporting management team.
Production Oversight: Oversee production output that supplies equipment to multiple industries, including packaging, FMCG, polymer processing, food and drink, automotive, rail, and machining sectors.
Continuous Improvement: Lead continuous improvement and lean manufacturing strategies across the production environment.
Project Management: Drive new product introduction and manage manufacturing projects within a dynamic and fast-paced setting.
Team Relations: Build effective team relations, resolve conflicts, document corrective actions, and conduct performance evaluations.
Executive Reporting: Report directly to senior leadership and make key decisions to support the organization’s short-term, medium-term, and long-term growth plans.

24. Head of Operations Essential Functions

Process Development: Build out operations processes from the ground up while re-assessing existing processes to drive efficiencies.
Performance Tracking: Implement internal metrics to track success and highlight areas for improvement.
Solution Implementation: Work across internal teams to propose and implement effective solutions.
Proactive Problem Solving: Predict challenges in advance and solve ahead of time to ensure the organization is operationally future-proofed before bottlenecks arise.
Operations Oversight: Oversee the entire operations lifecycle, including how customers are onboarded, serviced, and offboarded, alongside all intermediate touchpoints.
Cross-Functional Engagement: Wear multiple hats and immerse across Technical, Sales, and Customer Success teams to gain a full-picture view.
Team Leadership: Lead and motivate an operations team built out during scale-up, acting as their direct report and taking daily responsibility for tasks and outputs.
Operational Strategy: Deliver on an overall operations strategy, pioneering solutions that ensure the company can run efficiently at scale within a remote or hybrid model.
Operational Excellence: Act as the standard-bearer for operational excellence and the go-to person when operational expertise is sought.
Comprehensive Management: Assume overall responsibility for company performance across HR and Recruitment, Finance, IT, Office Management, Health and Safety, Security and Certification, Legal and Compliance, and Internal Processes and Tools.
Board Reporting: Work closely with and report directly to the board.
Project Leadership: Lead any large or cross-functional operations projects as they arise.

25. Head of Operations Additional Details

Business Leadership: Lead and direct the Ingredients businesses across regions with the Senior Leadership Team to build and maintain a sustainably profitable business.
Team Development: Develop team awareness and ownership of business values, vision, behaviours, and functional strategies, including objectives, goals, measures, and initiatives.
Operational Standards: Develop and maintain the highest operational standards, ensuring best practices are followed across all Operations functions and manufacturing sites.
Capability Building: Develop operational capability in all functions with succession plans in place.
Culture Building: Foster a culture of high performance, collaboration, and strong engagement across the Operations functions.
Global Collaboration: Contribute to the development and leadership of the Global Operational agenda by building strong relationships with group peers and colleagues.
Resource Management: Direct operational activities to ensure labour, plant, materials, and overheads are used within agreed budgets and at the highest standards.
Operations Oversight: Lead planning, purchasing (materials and packaging), production, and warehousing activities to meet approved sales requirements and lead the S&OP process.
Cross-Functional Integration: Integrate business plans with Sales, Procurement, Supply Chain, HR, and Finance teams.
Profitability Management: Manage proposals to maximise profitability and output of the Ingredients business.
Manufacturing Optimisation: Identify and execute opportunities to optimise the manufacturing footprint.
Standards Management: Ensure the highest safety, technical, and quality standards are maintained, developed, and standardised across all manufacturing sites.
Capital Strategy: Develop the capital strategy along with supporting justifications.
Health & Safety Leadership: Lead the delivery of a "safety first" ethos across the team, embedding top Health & Safety performance and ensuring immediate action on risks and issues per regulations.
Team Development: Manage, monitor, coach, and develop team members to maximise performance, achieve standards, and continuously grow capabilities and experience.

26. Head of Operations Roles

Strategic Leadership: Work with the CEO to set and implement business strategy and achieve annual and quarterly targets and objectives.
Employee Lifecycle Management: Manage the full employee life cycle of the internal team, including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, professional development, and offboarding activities.
Team Performance Management: Manage the Client Success and Operations team by setting up scorecards, KPIs, and performance targets for individual team members, and ensuring targets are met.
HR Leadership: Lead all HR activities, manage policies, payroll, and employee benefits, and oversee company culture and staff happiness.
Client Experience Management: Oversee client communications staff, ensure high quality of service, and manage strategy for both B2B and B2C client experience.
Program Oversight: Oversee holiday camps, after-school clubs, private tuition, and online classes, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Customer Support: Support the team in handling complicated customer queries or complaints.
Financial Management: Manage P&L of products by setting revenue targets and ensuring products remain on target, and ensure margins from all product revenue are high enough to cover overheads.
Budget Management: Set and manage budgets within the Operations team.
Process Improvement: Proactively identify and implement operational improvements in systems and processes to drive efficiency and value, including project management, CRM, and internal communication tools and systems.
Operational Oversight: Oversee the day-to-day execution in all areas of the business with the CEO.
Website Management: Oversee website management and maintenance.

27. Head of Operations Tasks

Supply Chain Management: Take responsibility for the full end-to-end supply chain across all product lines.
Cost Optimisation: Drive innovation and efficiency to optimise and improve COGs.
Inventory Systems: Implement correct procedures and tools for inventory management and supply chain mapping, including setting up a new ERP system.
Production Coordination: Work alongside the Head of Production to create and manage production schedules and stock management.
Fulfilment Management: Move fulfilment to a 3PL and manage the relationship.
Sustainable Practices: Embed sustainable supply chain practices at the core of the company, ensuring complete transparency at all times.
Partner Management: Manage and develop all key partner relationships.
Performance Reviews: Undertake regular partner reviews to improve efficacy.
Product Development: Work closely with the founders to develop and take responsibility for the product development strategy (NPD), covering both short-term and long-term goals, including improvements to existing products and the creation of new products.
Customer Insights: Undertake customer research and analysis to inform business strategy, ensure proximity to customers, and foster a sense of community.
Inventory Forecasting: Manage and model inventory forecasts to ensure the right stock is available at the right time while optimising cash flow and securing best-in-class payment terms.
Innovation and Improvement: Identify areas for improvement and innovation while considering business constraints.
Process Setup: Review and set up internal operations and processes to ensure effective operation of the business.

28. Head of Operations Details and Accountabilities

Operational Planning: Support the Operations Director in generating the operational plan and budgets.
Plan Delivery: Lead the communication and delivery of operational plans and budgets through the operational transport and sortation teams.
Performance Improvement: Ensure the plans meet customer expectations, improve productivity, and reduce costs while achieving legislative requirements and standards.
HR Collaboration: Work closely with the HR Business Partner on all people-related projects, including talent management, management capability, resourcing, performance management, compliance, engagement, and high-level employee relations cases.
Team Leadership: Provide effective team leadership and communication by managing, monitoring, and coaching direct reports to create a motivated and appropriately trained operational team.
Leadership Support: Support the Operations Director in leading the operations team by exemplifying business practices and fostering a trusting, inclusive, and productive working environment.
Behavioural Management: Challenge inefficient behaviours or practices and set team and individual objectives that promote business growth.
Team Engagement: Encourage engagement of team members.
Policy Implementation: Ensure all people policies are implemented consistently and fairly.
Succession Planning: Contribute to the ongoing development of succession plans in the operational teams.

29. Head of Operations Overview

Customer Focus: Maintain a customer-focused culture by ensuring transparency across operations and encouraging reporting of system and process exceptions to drive improvement.
Policy Implementation: Support the development and lead the implementation or renewal of all necessary policies and procedures to ensure a safe and healthy working environment at all operational locations.
Safety Management: Challenge unsafe behaviours or practices and follow through to a satisfactory outcome.
Performance Evaluation: Evaluate operational performance by analysing, interpreting, and discussing operational data and metrics.
Operational Improvement: Utilise the output of operational evaluation to recommend, lead, and sponsor change to achieve consistent operational improvements.
Budget Contribution: Contribute to the development and communication of operational budgets while promoting continuous improvement.
Budget Accountability: Assume accountability for the delivery of operational Opex and Capex budgets and appropriately share responsibility across the operational team.
Cost Management: Effectively influence colleague and customer behaviour to achieve cost targets.
Union Relations: Develop productive relations with the trade union to support the delivery of company objectives.

30. Head of Operations Job Description

Business Planning: Support business planning and financial goals for the hub and locations.
Pricing Support: Support the calculation of hourly pricing for each location based on planned head count and margin targets.
Cost Allocation: Support the calculation of local and regional allocation costs, negotiate reductions, and ensure fairness.
Strategic Goal Support: Support the achievement of strategic goals for the hub and locations.
Performance Targeting: Support the development of Individual Performance Measurement Targets for General Managers.
Forecast Review: Review the Digital Fee Forecasting Sheet (DFFS) monthly for each location, verify data accuracy, and assess risks and opportunities.
Financial Review: Review each location’s P&L monthly, check accuracy, and compare against financial plans.
Process Compliance: Check sales process compliance with system protocols and limits of authority, advise on staffing, models, scope, agreement formats, and pricing.
Talent Pipeline: Maintain a virtual bench of senior role candidates to support recruitment needs.
Project Oversight: Complete regular business and project reviews, issue corrective actions, and ensure timely closure.
Training Delivery: Conduct ad-hoc training on specific processes, policies, and system implementations.

31. Head of Operations Functions

Health & Safety Management: Set annual Health & Safety objectives and targets for all locations and monitor performance.
Incident Response: Respond to incidents, follow up on flash reports, and ensure closure of corrective actions.
Safety Reporting: Monitor Health & Safety reporting through the designated system and provide feedback.
Risk Management: Monitor risk management reporting monthly and deliver feedback to improve compliance.
Resource Tracking: Track resource utilization and data entry in project tools to ensure accurate reporting of profitability.
Training Support: Support completion of employee training needs assessments.
Training Tracking: Ensure each location tracks monthly training hours and achieves targets.
Accounts Receivable: Support the achievement of annual accounts receivable targets and manage outstanding debts.
System Compliance: Promote compliance with internal systems and contribute to improvements for global and regional teams.
Workshop Facilitation: Organize and facilitate workshops, including agenda planning, preparation, and logistics.
Escalation Management: Resolve internal and client escalations by providing input to close short-term issues and enable long-term improvements.
M&A Management: Manage and close M&A and collaboration agreements, including due diligence, legal reviews, and financial model validation.
ISO Certification: Plan and implement ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certification initiatives for project and construction management functions across locations.

32. Head of Operations Accountabilities

Strategic Planning: Plan and execute strategies to enhance profitability, productivity, and operational efficiency across the plant.
Production Management: Meet and exceed production targets while increasing product quality standards with cost-effectiveness and manufacturing discipline.
Facility Leadership: Lead facility operations with a focus on culture management related to Safety, Compliance, Regulatory Affairs, Engineering, Procurement, Process Development, Productivity, Efficiency, and Employee Engagement.
Budget Preparation: Prepare annual budgets for capital investments, maintenance, production operations, and engineering departments.
Budget Monitoring: Review departmental budgets periodically with managers to ensure target adherence.
Scheduling Oversight: Direct the production manager in scheduling daily, weekly, and monthly operations aligned with production plans to optimize quality, productivity, and cost.
Stock Utilization: Coordinate manufacturing requirements with buying point teams to ensure optimal stock utilization.
Operational Coordination: Direct and coordinate with plant resources to operate within company policies, providing technical support and leadership to maintain efficiency standards.
Quality Assurance: Review production quality reports regularly and collaborate with QA to ensure compliance with product specifications.
Maintenance Coordination: Coordinate and support post-season maintenance activities.
Capital Project Support: Support capital investment projects by interacting with engineers, contractors, and technical personnel.

33. Head of Operations Job Summary

Profitability Management: Operate within budgetary frameworks to optimize profitability.
Regulatory Compliance: Monitor legal and regulatory compliance.
Logistics Coordination: Liaise with logistics, shipping, and sales teams to ensure timely order processing, accurate inventory control, and cost-efficient shipping.
Hygiene Standards: Maintain hygiene standards consistent with a world-class food ingredients supplier.
Capacity Planning: Integrate commercial planning elements to ensure sufficient product capacity by quantity, quality, and type to meet customer requirements.
Product Development Support: Provide guidance, support, and oversight for new product development.
Maintenance Leadership: Lead and direct maintenance managers in parts procurement and inventory control to reduce costs and minimize downtime.
Quality and Safety Audits: Participate in quality and food safety audits, document reviews, and customer visits.
Team Motivation: Mentor, motivate, and guide team members to meet profitability targets.
Training Review: Review employee training programs in technical, safety, quality, regulatory, engineering, procurement, innovation, and employee relations.
Operational Feedback: Provide feedback to management on operations, quality, regulatory affairs, engineering, procurement, innovation, safety, and personnel.

34. Head of Operations Responsibilities

P&L Management: Manage the business unit’s P&L to ensure the realization of profit and expense targets.
Growth Strategy: Develop and execute the unit’s overall growth strategy in alignment with that of the group and organizational objectives.
Operational Oversight: Manage, direct, and monitor the daily operating activities of the business unit to maximize value and profitability, delve deeply into operational issues, and develop creative solutions.
Cost and Quality Strategy: Drive and continually enhance the business unit’s overall strategy for differentiation through quality and service while closely managing costs.
Market Expansion: Increase market share.
Cost Reduction: Be in charge of driving down costs.
Product Safety Management: Limit the organization’s exposure to product safety issues.
Organizational Leadership: Build, lead, and inspire a world-class organization.
Communication Management: Establish, maintain, and promote an effective system of communications throughout the organization.
Policy Compliance: Ensure that all organizational activities and operations are carried out in compliance with company policies.
Team Development: Develop and mentor a strong team.
Performance Management: Set performance standards and goals for each team member, fostering an atmosphere of personal excellence.

35. Head of Operations Details

Accountability Management: Expect accountability for results at all levels of the organization and enhance the discipline and capacity for getting things done.
Leadership Oversight: Provide strong oversight, leadership, and mentoring of key direct reports, including Sales, Technical, Marketing, and Customer Service leadership roles.
Strategic Sales Involvement: Assume a proactive role in the formulation of all sales and marketing strategies and serve as the primary representative of the business unit with key customers and prospects in conjunction with and in coordination with sales and marketing leadership.
Market Intelligence: Take all necessary steps to enhance the vitality of the business unit through intelligence related to key domestic and global competitors, markets, product innovation, trends, and business development opportunities.
Organizational Growth: Provide for proper organizational growth through effective leadership of direct reports, succession and capabilities planning, and the recruitment, development, evaluation, and training of staff at all levels in coordination with Human Resources.
Financial Oversight: Provide specific oversight and evaluation of all financial controls and performance against plans and objectives in coordination with the Controller and divisional financial personnel.
Technical Resource Management: Ensure that technical and applications resources, structure, and organization effectively support the mission of the business unit and are recognized as industry leaders.
Inter-Unit Communication: Maintain effective and ongoing communication with other business units within the division.
Culture Promotion: Foster a healthy respect for company culture.

36. Head of Operations Duties

Site Operations Management: Deliver flawless site operations in close partnership with Quality, Commercial, Client Services, and support functions such as HR, IT, and Finance.
Goal Achievement: Be fully responsible for the department’s goals and objectives, including customer satisfaction, order cycle time, on-time delivery, inventory, cost savings, and more.
Expense Management: Manage expenses, process invoices, and payments across the business.
Administrative Oversight: Manage insurance, contracts, office arrangements, and maintenance.
Safety Compliance: Fulfill all applicable Safety, Health, and Environmental requirements following corporate group policy and local legal requirements.
Cost Reduction: Drive cost reduction initiatives to enable efficient and effective operations.
Team Development: Develop talent and build a high-performing team, coach the team to navigate business volatility and complexity, with a strong focus on change management.
Continuous Improvement: Embrace a continuous improvement culture to enhance end-to-end operations across all functions.
Operational Strategy: Develop a long-term operational strategy with a strong emphasis on growth, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
Supply Chain Partnerships: Set up long-lasting partnerships within the supply chain to consistently meet demand for products and services.

37. Head of Operations Roles and Details

Operational Support: Support the Mid-Level Manager in managing the day-to-day activities of Production and Logistics.
Audit Compliance: Ensure compliance with external audits and standards such as BSI, BRC, and Lion Code.
Change Management: Plan and control change by researching new technologies and alternative methods.
Cost Control: Monitor budgets and control costs effectively.
Staff Development: Identify staff training and development needs.
R&D Collaboration: Partner with R&D on specifications, material and ingredient requirements, and manufacturability to create a Bill of Materials.
Supplier Management: Establish relationships with key suppliers, negotiate pricing, and monitor the supplier landscape to evaluate evolving dynamics such as new technologies.
Quality Analysis: Analyze product quality metrics and trends, audit data from third parties, and customer feedback to ensure defect-free and safe products.
Contract Manufacturer Selection: Identify contract manufacturers by evaluating technology, expertise, cost, service levels, and geographical proximity to distribution points.
Logistics Coordination: Partner with third-party logistics firms to ensure the timely delivery of products.

38. Head of Operations Responsibilities and Key Tasks

Operations Strategy: Work closely with senior leadership to design and execute effective operations strategies.
Talent Management: Hire, train, and manage world-class talent to support long-term growth and success.
Warehouse Expansion: Scale warehouse operations nationally and build the processes necessary to support expansion.
Operational Standards: Set global standards for key operational metrics, including fleet availability, labor and parts spend, customer and employee satisfaction, and service throughput and productivity.
Safety Leadership: Lead safety initiatives and programs to ensure the safety of both customers and employees at scale.
Culture Development: Design a performance-driven culture that supports goal achievement and strengthens the employer brand.
P&L Management: Manage the P&L of the business.
Performance Focus: Ensure a clear focus on performance, process, governance, budget management, service delivery, and continuous improvement.
Strategic Involvement: Remain involved, visible, and energetic in helping to set strategic direction and deliver consistent commercial governance across the design, contracting, implementation, and execution of client services and enabling operational infrastructure.

39. Head of Operations Duties and Roles

Budget and Resource Management: Develop and control budgets (revenue and capital), production plans, and operating resources, ensuring delivery to plan.
Business Growth: Set comprehensive goals for business growth and success by identifying new business and generating new opportunities.
Best Practice Implementation: Collaborate with manufacturing excellence teams to contribute to, learn from, and implement engineering best practices, lean methodologies, and people development strategies.
Staff Development: Ensure that operational activities are suitably resourced, with staff possessing the required competencies, and are effectively coached, mentored, and developed, including issuing weekly production schedules in collaboration across sites.
Performance Monitoring: Monitor and report on production performance, implement corrective actions, and work with Continuous Improvement and Technical Managers to identify and implement improvement opportunities.
Expense Control: Develop the Operations Department’s expense budgets and ensure that costs are maintained within agreed limits.
Operational Excellence: Champion operational excellence, driving improvements in compliance, Right First Time (RFT), quality, working capital management, and EHS performance.
Audit Leadership: Lead and manage the annual audit process.
Supplier Management: Own supplier relationships, including those related to property, IT, and finance.
Stakeholder Reporting: Work with the Board of Directors and internal stakeholders to keep regular updates on business performance and progress.

40. Head of Operations Roles and Responsibilities

Infrastructure and Process Setup: Responsible for the overall setup of the infrastructure and processes of the operations service, including account onboarding (AML/KYC), payment processing, and the customer service center.
Banking Operations: Oversee banking operations by implementing operational policies and ensuring compliance with internal and external regulations.
Control Process Management: Build and manage control processes following internal and external policies and regulations, including sanctions screening, daily monitoring, and exception handling mechanisms.
Process Improvement: Ensure continuous process improvement for operational excellence, aligning with the latest market trends and technology advancements.
Complaint Handling: Act as the Complaint Officer for contact by regulatory authorities concerning customer complaints or complaint handling.
Team Leadership: Manage a team of 10-15 people, including two Line Managers, providing leadership and coaching to enhance team capability.
Strategic Contribution: Be a key part of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to the development of company strategy in collaboration with executive leadership.
Order Delivery Management: Ensure all orders are delivered in line with time, cost, and quality requirements.
Performance Management: Oversee performance management of the team, including conducting regular one-on-one sessions to review progress and set objectives.
Operational Problem-Solving: Apply experience and knowledge to help the organization address operational challenges and improve efficiency.

Relevant Information

What Does A Director of Operations Do?

What Does A Global Operations Director Do?

What Does A Chief Operating Officer Do?