Global Head of Operational Excellence, Rides

Bolt; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading mobility tech company in Greater London seeks a Global Head of Operational Excellence to enhance operational standards across the Rides business. This role involves building scalable operations, leading a high-performing team, and driving automation and cost-efficiency initiatives in over 50 countries. Qualified candidates should have 15+ years of progressive operational experience, an MBA or similar qualification, and exceptional problem-solving skills. A competitive salary, hybrid work flexibility, and wellness perks are offered.

Benefits

Stock options

Flexible hybrid work

Wellness perks

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in Operations, Operations Excellence, or similar roles.
• Proven track record of driving automation and operational scaling.
• Strong business and financial acumen with hands-on experience in ROI logic.

Responsibilities

• Define OKRs and success metrics for Operations Excellence.
• Lead automation of high-volume operational processes.
• Drive improvements in automation coverage and quality.

Skills

Operational Excellence

Strategy Development

Process Automation

Cross-functional Leadership

Financial Acumen

Problem-solving

Education

MBA or Master's degree in Business, Economics, Engineering, or Operations

Job description

Global Head of Operational Excellence, Rides

We’re looking for a Head of Operations Excellence to own and scale how Operations runs across Bolt’s Rides business. You’ll build the systems, standards, and automation that make our driver, fleet, and market operations faster, leaner, and more reliable, so Bolt can grow without adding complexity or cost. If you love turning strategy into simple, scalable execution, this role is for you.

About the role

As Head of Operations Excellence, you will be responsible for building, scaling, and institutionalising world‑class operational standards across Bolt’s Rides business. You will act as the system builder for Operations – defining how work gets done, how performance is measured, and how we reduce complexity as we expand into more markets. You will turn multi‑year strategic priorities into concrete, scalable operational programmes across drivers, vehicles, and fleets. Working closely with Product, Engineering, Growth Analytics, Finance, and Local Operations, you will drive a step‑change in automation, cost efficiency, and execution quality across our core operational processes. You will lead and develop a high‑performing Operations Excellence team, set a high bar for planning and governance within Central Operations, and ensure that global standards are translated into clear, actionable expectations for local teams.

Main tasks and responsibilities

• Own the Operations Excellence domain within Central Operations, defining OKRs, success metrics, and execution cadence, and translating 3‑year strategy and annual priorities into scalable operational programmes across 50+ countries and 600+ cities.
• Lead the design and automation of high‑volume operational processes (e.g. driver, vehicle, and fleet onboarding; document and compliance renewals; market‑level workflows) in close partnership with Product and Engineering, supporting a platform operating at €10B+ GMV scale.
• Drive step‑change improvements in automation coverage, speed, and quality, systematically eliminating manual, fragmented, or market‑specific processes that do not scale globally.
• Lead Operations‑driven cost‑efficiency initiatives across payroll productivity, customer support, and process‑driven cost avoidance, with clear ROI logic, benefit tracking, and accountability.
• Bring structure and rigour to operational planning and execution through clear prioritisation frameworks, cross‑functional dependency management, and quarterly execution and risk reviews at global scale.
• Enable and empower regional and country teams by translating central initiatives into clear local execution expectations, embedding them into regional plans, and building frameworks that scale globally without creating bottlenecks.

About you

• 15+ years of progressive experience in Operations, Operations Excellence, Strategy & Operations, or similar roles within scaled tech, marketplace, or platform businesses, including leadership across multiple countries or regions.
• Hold an MBA or Master’s degree in Business, Economics, Engineering, Operations, or a related field (or equivalent experience leading at similar scope and complexity).
• Proven track record of driving automation, process redesign, and operational scaling in close partnership with Product, Engineering, and Analytics teams.
• Strong business and financial acumen, with hands‑on experience building ROI logic, understanding unit economics, and making rigorous cost/benefit trade‑offs for operational initiatives.
• Exceptional structured thinking and problem‑solving skills, comfortably moving between high‑level strategy and hands‑on execution in complex, ambiguous environments.
• Set a high bar for clarity, ownership, and delivery, with demonstrated experience leading high‑performing teams, challenging the status quo, simplifying complexity, and acting as a credible partner to senior leaders.

Experience is great, but what we really look for is drive, intelligence, and integrity. So even if you don’t tick every box, please consider applying!

Why you’ll love it here

• Our teams work on local and global processes in over 50 countries, launching cities, onboarding new restaurants, and enabling 200+ million people to commute.
• Play a direct role in shaping the future of mobility, impacting millions of customers and partners in 600+ cities across 50+ countries.
• Work in fast‑moving autonomous teams with some of the smartest people in the world, accelerating your professional growth with unique career opportunities.
• Get a rewarding salary and stock option package, enjoy flexibility of hybrid work (minimum 3 days in the office each week), and benefit from wellness perks.

About us

With over 200 million customers in 50+ countries, Bolt is one of the fastest‑growing tech companies in Europe and Africa. We believe in creating an inclusive environment where everyone is welcome, regardless of race, colour, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability. Our ultimate goal is to make cities for people, not cars, and we need your help to achieve this mission!