Head of Operations

Furchild; Dubai; On-site; AED 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

As Head of Operations at a leading pet care company, you'll integrate production, supply chain, and customer operations while driving growth and efficiency across the UAE. Your leadership will ensure operational excellence as we take bold steps towards innovation and market expansion.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in operational leadership roles in manufacturing, FMCG, D2C, or food production sectors.
• Proven experience managing multi-site operations in fast-paced growth environments.
• Familiar with Lean/Kaizen principles.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional operational leadership across departments.
• Oversee supply chain and inventory fulfillment.
• Institutionalize SOPs and implement process excellence systems.

Skills

Operational Leadership

Strategic Planning

Continuous Improvement

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or Supply Chain

MBA or equivalent preferred

Tools

ERP Systems

WMS Systems

CRM Systems

Job description

Position Summary

As Head of Operations at Furchild, you will be the integrator and orchestrator of the company’s core functions - Production, Supply Chain, Customer Operations, Logistics, and Cross-Departmental Coordination. You will lead with a strategic mindset and execution discipline to ensure that business objectives translate into seamless operational outcomes across departments. This is a senior leadership role, with the mandate to align people, process, and performance toward scalable growth across the UAE and new regional markets. The ideal candidate brings a proven track record in end-to-end operational management, continuous improvement, and is primed to evolve into a COO or Director of Operations role.

Key Responsibilities

• Cross-Functional Operational Leadership
• Serve as the operational counterpart to the CEO, ensuring executional alignment between departments (Production, Commercial, Marketing, Finance, CX, and Tech).
• Translate strategic goals into integrated, executable operational plans and monitor progress through KPIs and dashboards.
• Lead the weekly business rhythm including operating reviews, issue resolution, and cross-departmental coordination.
• Supply Chain, Inventory Fulfilment Oversight
• Oversee inbound and outbound logistics, procurement, inventory accuracy, cold chain management, and last-mile delivery (internal and 3PL).
• Implement demand-supply balancing in coordination with Production and Commercial teams.
• Ensure OTIF (on-time-in-full) delivery performance, stock coverage, and minimal spoilage or obsolescence.
• Customer Experience Operations
• Work with Customer Experience and Tech teams to ensure scalable, tech-enabled service excellence across subscriptions, complaints, retention workflows, and contact centre operations.
• Optimize service SLAs, resolution rates, churn reduction processes, and feedback loops for continuous improvement.
• Process Excellence Systems Implementation
• Institutionalize SOPs across departments, introducing process documentation, training, and audit mechanisms.
• Drive the implementation and integration of ERP, WMS, CRM, or similar platforms in collaboration with Tech/IT.
• Embed performance management systems and data-driven decision-making across business units.
• New Market Operational Readiness
• Plan and operationalize market entry readiness in coordination with Commercial and Production teams (e.g. GCC).
• Navigate regulatory, logistics, customs, and partner alignment for regional rollout.
• Design scalable operational infrastructure including regional warehousing, partner SLAs, and fulfillment strategies.
• Compliance, Risk Regulatory
• Own operational compliance with UAE labor laws, health safety, food safety, environmental regulations, and municipality/authority requirements.
• Oversee risk identification and mitigation across supply chain, production, and logistics.
• Implement contingency planning for operational disruptions or emergencies.
• Financial Performance Management
• Manage departmental budgets for operations, logistics, and fulfillment.
• Monitor cost drivers and improve operational efficiency to enhance gross margin and EBITDA contribution.
• Work with Finance and CEO to build rolling forecasts and operations-driven financial models.
• Team Leadership Culture
• Build and lead a team of department heads and managers across production, logistics, customer ops, and supply chain.
• Drive a high-performance, collaborative, and accountable culture.
• Mentor functional leaders for succession and professional development.
  
  

Qualifications

Qualifications Competencies

• 10+ years in operational leadership roles in manufacturing, FMCG, D2C, or food production sectors; experience in UAE/GCC markets strongly preferred.
• Proven track record managing multi-site, multi-function operations in fast-paced growth environments.
• Strong systems thinker, able to see the big picture while driving detail-level execution.
• Familiar with ERP, WMS, and CRM systems; process-oriented with Lean/Kaizen background a plus.
• Experience managing both internal teams and third-party providers (3PL, co-packers, regulatory consultants).
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or Supply Chain; MBA or equivalent preferred.
• Bilingual proficiency (English mandatory; Arabic an advantage).
  
  

Additional Information

Why Join Us?

We’re not just feeding pets – we’re changing the way people care for them. At The Furchild, our work is driven by a shared love for animals and a commitment to making a real difference in their lives. When you join us, you’re part of something bigger – a company that values innovation, customer satisfaction, and most importantly, the health of pets.

Our Hiring Process

• We make the hiring process as straightforward as possible, with the following steps:
• Apply: Submit your application, and our team will review your profile.
• Initial Interview: If your qualifications align, we’ll schedule an initial conversation with you.
• Hiring Manager Interview: Shortlisted candidates will meet with hiring managers.
• Assessment: Depending on the role, you may be invited for a case study, trial assignment, or coding session.
• Offer: Successful candidates will receive an offer within 2-3 weeks from their initial application.
  
  

Ready to Join Us?

If you’re excited about making a difference in the lives of pets and being part of a fun, innovative company, we’d love to hear from you!