Head of Operations

Forward Role Recruitment; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Forward Role Recruitment represents a premium retailer seeking an operational leader in Glasgow to unite Lab, Stock Room and Customer Service. You will own the full order journey and report to the CEO, embedding clear performance measures across teams.

You will build a KPI-driven culture, plan capacity, drive improvements, and help design an outbound telesales capability within Customer Service, ensuring consistent service and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Hands-on operational management in high-volume ecommerce/retail.
• Proven track record in implementing KPIs to lift productivity and service.
• Experience planning workforce and capacity for promotions and peaks.
• Strong knowledge of stock control, fulfilment and process improvement.
• Capability to coach managers and create a high-performing culture.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Glasgow site and three teams: Lab, Stock Room and Customer Service.
• Embed performance measures and KPIs across all three functions.
• Own the end-to-end order journey from goods-in to customer service.
• Plan workforce and capacity across Operations to match forecasts.
• Partner with Finance and People on budgets, cost control and recruitment.
• Build an outbound telesales capability within Customer Service.

Skills

Operational leadership

KPI implementation

Workforce planning

Stock control

Customer service

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Our client is a well-established premium retailer, trading across the UK and internationally. Their Glasgow site runs the Lab, Stock Room and Customer Service functions behind every order, and it needs a single operational leader to bring them together.

You'll be the operational lead for the Glasgow site, reporting directly to the CEO, owning the full order journey from goods-in and stock availability through lab processing, fulfilment, dispatch, returns and customer service. Three functional teams - Lab, Stock Room and Customer Service - report into you.

This is hands-on. Your first priority is embedding clear performance measures across Customer Service and the Stock Room, and sharpening what's already in place in the Lab, so all three run to the same rhythm. You'll also help build a new outbound sales capability inside Customer Service, planning and delivering telesales campaigns.

What You'll Be Doing

Lead the Site & the Teams

• Act as operational lead for the Glasgow site, owning day-to-day standards, health and safety, and escalation of operational issues
• Lead, coach and develop the Lab, Stock Room and Customer Service Managers, building a positive, accountable, high-performing culture
• Set clear operating rhythms and hold teams accountable for agreed performance and behavioural standards
• Own workforce and capacity planning across Operations, aligning headcount, rotas and skills to sales forecasts and seasonal peaks

Own the End-to-End Order Journey

• Own operational performance across the full order journey: goods-in, stock availability, lab processing, fulfilment, dispatch, returns and customer service
• Introduce and embed KPIs and performance reviews across all three functions, starting with Customer Service and the Stock Room
• Identify and implement process, system and automation improvements that cut errors, shorten lead times and lift the customer experience
• Track productivity, capacity and cost-to-serve, improving efficiency without defaulting to headcount

Run Lab, Stock Room & Customer Service

• Oversee lab operations, keeping glazing and lens processing on quality, accuracy and turnaround standards
• Own Stock Room and fulfilment, from cycle counting and discrepancy investigations to goods-in, picking and dispatch performance
• Own the Customer Service function, setting standards for response time, resolution time and quality across every contact channel
• Handle complaints and escalations with clear ownership and timely resolution, and use contact and returns data to drive fixes elsewhere in the business

Build the Outbound Sales Capability

• Help design and build a new outbound sales proposition inside Customer Service
• Plan, deliver and measure telesales campaigns in a way that protects service quality

Partner Across the Business

• Give the CEO clear, regular visibility of operational performance, capacity, risks and recommended actions
• Partner with Commercial and Merchandising on stock availability, returns and customer sentiment, including Trustpilot performance
• Work with Buying and Trading to ensure operational capacity and service levels support ranging, replenishment and trading decisions
• Partner with Finance and People on budgets, cost control, workforce planning, recruitment and health and safety

What We're Looking For

Must-Have:

• Proven, hands-on operational management experience across multidisciplinary teams in a high-volume ecommerce, retail, fulfilment or service environment
• A strong track record of introducing performance frameworks and KPIs, using data to lift productivity, service, quality and cost efficiency
• Experience of workforce and capacity planning, including preparing teams for promotions, seasonal peaks and changing demand
• Strong knowledge of stock control, fulfilment, customer service and process improvement
• A capable people manager who can coach managers, raise standards and build a positive, accountable, high-performing culture
• Confident acting as the main on-site lead for a multi-function site, making sound day-to-day operational decisions

You’ll Stand Out If You:

• Have experience of lab or technical production operations
• Have developed or run outbound sales or telesales operations