Operations Manager

Walker Hamill; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits Package

Job summary

Walker Hamill is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to streamline UK operations, from buying stock to fulfilment, delivery and customer service. You’ll work as a commercial partner, improving processes and measuring outcomes across the business.

You’ll lead procurement, supplier management, and the rollout of new systems, with occasional involvement in US and European operations. A strong emphasis on cost-efficiency and KPI-driven performance.

Qualifications

• Experience in operations role, ideally in retail or consumer products.
• Experience running e-commerce operations including stock and fulfilment (Shopify experience is a strong advantage).
• Procurement experience including sourcing suppliers, negotiating prices and terms, and managing purchase orders.
• Experience working with third-party fulfilment centres, warehouses, carriers and freight forwarders.
• Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills for forecasting, tracking performance and supporting decisions.

Responsibilities

• Review UK operations from order to delivery, spot bottlenecks, reduce cost and risk, lead improvement projects.
• Set up and report KPIs such as order accuracy, dispatch times, delivery performance, stock availability, returns rates and cost per order.
• Document standard ways of working for core processes and improve them over time.
• Roll out new systems and tools, collaborating with finance, e-commerce and tech teams.
• Manage day-to-day operations of partner e-commerce stores, stock, and order flows.
• Plan operations for product launches, pre-orders, album releases, and merchandise drops to meet demand.
• Coordinate with fulfilment partners and carriers on stock, dispatch, delivery, and returns.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Commercial acumen

Project management

Vendor relations

Negotiation skills

Tools

Shopify

Excel/Google Sheets

Job description

Salary Guide: £70,000 - £90,000 + Benefits Package

REF: JD54195

Our client is an entertainment company built around artists and their fans. It’s a one-stop shop for content production and fan engagement, and it’s growing fast. Working for some of the most iconic names in music, it leverages IP to drive maximum commercial value. The group creates award winning content, runs a variety of audience management platforms and creates high quality official merchandise.

The Role

This is a standout opportunity for an ambitious professional who wants more than a back-office seat. As Operations Manager, you’ll make the UK organisation run more efficiently, reliably and cost-effectively. You’ll sit at the centre of the artist merchandising business, covering everything from buying stock and managing suppliers to fulfilment, delivery and customer service, and supporting the media content and other group businesses where needed. You’ll be a trusted commercial partner as well as a hands‑on problem-solver. You’ll find where processes, suppliers and systems are falling short, put improvements in place and measure the results. From time to time you’ll also work with the CFO to assess and support operations in the US and Europe.

What you’ll be doing:

• Reviewing how UK operations work from order to delivery, spotting bottlenecks, unnecessary cost and risk, and leading improvement projects to fix them.


• Setting up and reporting on KPIs such as order accuracy, dispatch times, delivery performance, stock availability, returns rates and cost per order.


• Documenting clear, standard ways of working for core processes so they can be followed consistently and improved over time.


• Making the case for, choosing and rolling out new systems and tools, working with finance, e-commerce and tech colleagues.


• Managing the day-to-day operations of partner e-commerce stores, keeping products, stock levels and order flows accurate.


• Planning operations for product launches, pre-orders, album releases and tour merchandise drops, so spikes in demand are met without delays or overselling.


• Working with the fulfilment partner and carriers to manage stock, dispatch, delivery and returns, holding them to agreed service levels.


• Working with customer service to understand why customers get in touch, and fixing the root causes of common problems.


• Running procurement for merchandise and operational spend, including sourcing suppliers, negotiating prices and terms, and placing and tracking purchase orders.


• Setting up and maintaining supplier contracts and service agreements with input from finance and legal advisers, and tracking savings and supplier performance.


• Forecasting demand with the merchandise and finance teams to plan purchasing, keep stock at the right level and reduce leftover stock.


• Managing the import process for goods brought into the UK and making sure the supply chain meets UK requirements.


• Working with the CFO to review how the US and European operations run, comparing cost, service levels and processes against the UK.


• Supporting decisions on fulfilment, warehousing and carriers in those markets, such as whether to fulfil locally or ship from the UK.


• Managing the operations budget, monitoring spend against it, and providing cost information to the finance team for forecasts and month-end.


• Producing regular operations reports for leadership, highlighting performance, risks and planned improvements.


• Supporting operational needs across the business, from logistics for events to suppliers for studio productions.

About You

For this Operations Manager role, you’ll be analytical, curious and commercially switched on. You don’t just fix the symptom; you find the root cause and make sure it stays fixed. You’re comfortable juggling several projects and day-to-day issues at once, and you build strong, fair relationships with suppliers and partners.

Required experience and skills:

• Prior experience in an operations role, ideally in retail, consumer products, fashion/apparel or a fast-growing business.


• Proven, hands‑on experience running e-commerce operations, including managing an online store, stock and fulfilment (Shopify experience is a strong advantage).


• Proven experience in procurement, including sourcing suppliers, negotiating prices and terms, and managing purchase orders and supplier performance.


• Experience working with third-party fulfilment centres, warehouses, carriers and freight forwarders.


• A track record of improving processes and measuring the results.


• Working knowledge of UK importing and customs procedures since Brexit, and of UK consumer law as it applies to online sales.


• Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills, and confidence using data to forecast, track performance and support decisions.


• Experience managing a budget.


• Confidence as a negotiator, and good communication skills, able to explain changes clearly and bring colleagues across teams with you.


• Comfort working with senior leaders, including the CFO, and with colleagues in other countries.


• Initiative and a genuine commitment to the company’s vision.