Operations & Business Development Lead

Floward; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £50k–£60k per year

Job summary

Floward seeks a commercially minded operator to lead its UK business, overseeing a high-performing florist team and the vending machine network. You will drive partnerships and client relationships to propel growth, while ensuring delivery standards and seamless operations across sites.

The role blends hands-on floristry operations with strategic business development, requiring 7–10 years of ops and commercial experience and a strong UK market understanding.

Qualifications

• 7 to 10 years of combined operations and commercial experience, including leading a team.
• Hands-on experience in floristry operations and day-to-day florist leadership.
• Proven track record of building and closing a business development pipeline.
• Experience in vending or unattended retail is an advantage.
• Strong proposals, pricing, and commercial presentation skills.
• Good understanding of the UK market.
• Self-driven, organized approach and high service standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead the UK Operation by building a high-performing florist team with clear quality, service and productivity standards.
• Develop processes and ways of working and improve them as the business grows.
• Monitor performance and resolve issues before they reach customers.
• Recruit, onboard, and train florists with People & Culture.
• Own the UK flower vending machines end-to-end, from stock to uptime and presentation.
• Manage site hosts, machine suppliers, and maintenance partners.
• Track sales and performance by location and secure new high-footfall sites.
• Own the UK business development pipeline from first conversation to signed agreements.
• Build relationships with corporate clients and UK partners; develop revenue-generating alliances.
• Ensure opportunities can be delivered to our standard before commitment; update Country Manager on progress.

Skills

Operations leadership

Commercial development

Team management

Floristry operations

Vending/retail

Proposals & pricing

UK market knowledge

Relationship building

Strategic partnerships

Self-driven

Job description

We are looking for a commercially minded operator to lead our UK business on two fronts: running a high-performing florist operation and growing our commercial pipeline. You will lead the florist team, own our vending machine network, and build the partnerships and client relationships that drive our next stage of growth in the UK.

This is a broad, hands-on role for someone who understands the practical realities of floristry operations and enjoys turning opportunities into signed business.

What You Will Do

Lead the UK Operation

• Lead and develop the florist team, setting clear standards for quality, service, and productivity.
• Build clear processes and ways of working, and improve them as the business grows.
• Monitor performance and solve issues before they reach our customers.
• Recruit, onboard, and train florists alongside our People & Culture Department.

Run and Grow the Vending Machine Network

• Own our UK flower vending machines end-to-end, from stock and freshness to presentation and uptime.
• Manage relationships with site hosts, machine suppliers, and maintenance partners.
• Track sales and performance by location, and secure new high-footfall sites.

Drive Business Development

• Own the UK business development pipeline, from first conversation through to proposal and signed agreement.
• Build relationships with corporate clients, partners, and organisations across the UK market.
• Develop strategic partnerships that generate revenue and strengthen our UK presence.
• Grow existing client relationships and bring forward new ideas for growth.

Work Across the Business

• Make sure every new opportunity can be delivered to our standard before it is committed.
• Keep the Country Manager updated on operational performance, pipeline, and growth opportunities.

What You Will Bring

• 7 to 10 years of combined operations and commercial experience, including leading a team.
• Hands-on experience in floristry operations, and a clear understanding of what it takes to run a florist team day to day.
• A proven track record of building a business development pipeline and closing partnerships.
• Experience in vending or unattended retail is an advantage.
• Confidence with proposals, pricing, and commercial presentations.
• A strong understanding of the UK market.
• A self-driven, organised approach and a high standard of service, even without close supervision.

What We Offer

• A salary range of £50,000 to £60,000 per annum, based on experience.
• Real ownership of a growing UK business, with direct visibility to leadership.
• The chance to shape our UK operation and growth plans from the ground up.

About Floward :

Founded in 2017, Floward is an online flowers and gifting company; we pride ourselves in creating a seamless experience for our customers and making sending flowers and gifts as enjoyable as receiving them. We source our flowers daily from the best growers and farmers around the world to create one of a kind stunning arrangements and plants that fit every occasion. We also partner with local and international brands to offer a wide range of gifts including chocolate, perfumes, cakes and more, coupled with our arrangements to create the perfect gift. Operating in 36 cities in nine countries across the MENA region and UK, we guarantee same-day delivery across the board through our own refrigerated fleet to ensure our arrangements arrive fresh to the customer