Customer Operations Manager (EMEA)

PENTLAND; Sunderland; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Flexible start and finish times

Generous holiday allowance

Product discounts

Sample sales

Enhanced family-friendly policies

Healthcare support

Gym and fitness discounts

Cycle to work scheme

Electric car scheme

Job summary

Pentland Brands is seeking a Customer Operations Manager to lead a high-performing team delivering best-in-class service across a regional customer portfolio. You will own day-to-day orderbook management, OTIF outcomes and cross-functional coordination with Planning, Logistics and Finance.

You will build capability, use data to drive improvements, and shape processes to deliver exceptional customer experience across the EMEA & APAC region.

Qualifications

• Experience in Customer Operations or Sales Operations.
• Experience leading and developing teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to interpret large data sets.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day performance of the Customer Operations team and manage the customer orderbook.
• Own OTIF performance for the customer portfolio and escalate issues as needed.
• Drive regular review of orders, stock allocation, delivery risks and opportunities to maximise sales.
• Build relationships with Commercial teams and customers to translate requirements into operational execution.
• Collaborate with Planning, Logistics, Finance to resolve issues and ensure end-to-end delivery.

Skills

Customer Operations

Team coaching

Stakeholder management

End-to-end order management

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

SAP

CRM platforms

Reporting systems

Tools

SAP

CRM systems

Reporting tools

Job description

We're Pentland Brands: a global family business behind some of the world's most iconic active and lifestyle brands. We bring integrity, energy and ambition to our work, setting high standards and striving to deliver great outcomes without ego.

Shape the work behind some of the world's most loved sport, outdoor and lifestyle brands.

At Pentland Brands, every role helps move our brands forward. Whether you're supporting our people, improving our systems, growing our commercial performance, strengthening operations or shaping better ways of working, your impact reaches across a portfolio of iconic brands used by consumers around the world.

The Customer Operations Manager is responsible for leading a team delivering best-in‑class service to a portfolio of customers across the region.

The role has responsibility for the day‑to‑day performance of the Customer Operations team, ensuring customer orders are managed effectively from order placement through to delivery, with a strong focus on Customer OTIF, orderbook conversion, overdue orderbook, customer satisfaction and operational excellence.

The Customer Operations Manager will work closely with Commercial, Planning, Finance, Logistics, Distribution Centres and other Supply Chain teams to identify and resolve issues that may impact customer service, sales, margin or inventory.

The role is responsible for building a high‑performing and customer‑focused team, ensuring consistent execution of agreed processes and standards, developing capability and using data and insight to improve performance.

What you'll be doing:

• Lead the day-to-day performance of the Customer Operations team, creating clear priorities, maintaining high service standards and ensuring effective management of the customer orderbook.
• Own Customer OTIF performance for the relevant customer portfolio, proactively identifying risks, driving corrective actions and ensuring issues are escalated appropriately across the business.
• Drive effective orderbook management, including regular review of current and overdue orders, stock availability, allocation, delivery risks and opportunities to maximise sales and customer service.
• Build strong relationships with Commercial teams and customers, ensuring customer requirements are understood, communicated and translated into effective operational execution.
• Work cross-functionally with Planning, Logistics, Distribution Centres, Finance to resolve operational issues and ensure effective end-to-end delivery for customers.
• Ensure consistent execution of agreed Customer Operations processes, policies and standards, working closely with the Business Process Owner and Customer Operations Development Manager where process, system or capability changes are required.
• Lead, coach and develop the Customer Operations team, setting clear objectives, providing regular feedback and creating individual development plans that improve both capability and performance.
• Use data and operational insight to drive performance improvement, identifying trends, root causes and opportunities to improve Customer OTIF, productivity, orderbook health and customer experience.
• Champion continuous improvement within Customer Operations, encouraging the team to challenge inefficient ways of working and supporting the adoption of new tools, systems, automation and ways of working.
• Contribute to the Customer Operations functional game plan, working with the Head of Customer Operations and wider management team to deliver regional priorities and build a more consistent, scalable and customer-focused operation across EMEA & APAC.

What you'll bring:

• Strong experience within Customer Operations, Customer Service, Sales Operations or a closely related operational function.
• Proven experience managing and developing teams within a fast-paced operational environment.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end order management, including orderbook management, stock allocation, delivery management and customer requirements.
• Experience managing relationships with major retailers, distributors or commercial partners.
• Strong customer focus, with the ability to balance customer requirements with wider commercial and operational priorities.
• Strong analytical capability and confidence interpreting large amounts of operational data.
• Ability to identify root causes, resolve problems and drive corrective actions.
• Excellent stakeholder‑management skills, with the ability to work effectively across Commercial, Supply Chain, Finance and Technology teams.
• Strong communication and presentation skills across different levels of the organisation.
• Good understanding of SAP or an equivalent ERP environment.
• Experience using Customer Operations tools, CRM platforms and reporting systems would be advantageous.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Comfortable working within a geographically dispersed and matrixed organisation.
• Experience coaching, mentoring and developing others.
• A continuous‑improvement mindset and willingness to challenge existing ways of working constructively.

Why Pentland Brands?

Pentland Brands is the name behind some of the world's best-known sport, outdoor and lifestyle brands, including Speedo, Berghaus, Canterbury, Endura, Ellesse, Kickers and Mitre.

We are a global family business with a clear purpose: pioneering brands that make life better. Across our teams, functions and locations, we work together to create products, experiences and partnerships that help people live more active, confident and positive lives.

Joining Pentland Brands means becoming part of a business where your work can have real reach, across multiple brands, markets, teams and disciplines. It is a place for people who want to contribute, collaborate, improve how things are done and help build the future of brands with heritage, ambition and global impact.

Perks & Benefits

• We offer a competitive salary
• discretionary bonus
• hybrid working
• flexible start and finish times
• generous holiday allowance
• product discounts
• sample sales
• enhanced family-friendly policies
• healthcare support
• gym and fitness discounts
• cycle to work scheme
• electric car scheme

You can find full details of our benefits and perks on our UK Benefits page.

The Interview Process

1. Talent Team Intro Call - A 30-minute video call with our Talent Team to get to know each other, talk through the role and your experience, and answer any questions you have.
2. Experience Interview - A more in-depth interview (usually online) with the hiring manager to explore your skills, experience and approach, and how these align with the role, our principles, and our ways of working.
3. Final Interview - A final in-person interview at our office, focused on deeper discussion and practical application, giving you the chance to meet more of the team and see Pentland Brands in action.