Ferns N Petals - Head - Operations

FNP; Gurugram District; On-site; INR 5,500,000 - 9,500,000; Full time

Job summary

FNP in Gurgaon, India is seeking a hands-on Head of Operations to own and scale the end-to-end supply chain and distribution network. You will manage centralized kitchens, warehouses, and last-mile delivery while owning the P&L and driving profitability.

The role requires 15+ years of experience in supply chain and operations, with a track record of building scalable, cost-efficient models for perishable products.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in supply chain, operations or distribution leadership.
• Experience leading multi-format distribution networks (COCO/FOFO) is preferred.
• Proven track record of building scalable operating models for perishable goods.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end procurement strategy for raw materials and indirect spend.
• Build a resilient vendor base with quality SLAs.
• Drive cost savings via consolidation, negotiation and strategic sourcing.
• Collaborate with Finance on make-vs-buy decisions and risk management.
• Own end-to-end supply chain from central kitchens to last-mile.
• Forecast demand and manage inventory to minimize wastage of perishables.
• Scale central kitchen ops with strong safety and compliance standards.
• Optimize network design for cost efficiency and speed.
• Own last-mile distribution across formats and build SOPs by format.
• Develop franchise governance and performance management support.
• Lead customer service end-to-end and improve NPS in collaboration with CX.

Skills

P&L ownership

Supply chain leadership

Last-mile distribution

Vendor management

WMS

Demand planning

Strategic sourcing

Lean/Six Sigma

Stakeholder management

Franchise operations

Tools

WMS

ERP

Route optimization

Job description

Job Description:

Job Description

Location: Gurgaon, India (HQ) | ~20% travel across regions/hubs

Reports to: Global CEO | Board exposure (regular presentations/updates to the Board)

Experience: 15 - 25 years

P&L Ownership: Direct - full accountability for supply chain and distribution cost of business (COGS, logistics cost/order, wastage, inventory carrying cost) and contribution margin

Functional Scope: Procurement, Supply Chain, Retail Operations, Customer Service, and overall Operations

About The Role

We are looking for a hands‑on, commercially sharp Head of Operations to own and scale our end‑to‑end supply chain and distribution network - from central kitchens and warehouses to the last mile. This is a P&L-owning leadership role responsible for building a profitable, sustainable, and scalable operating model across owned (COCO), franchised (FOFO), and specialized fulfillment formats (Cake Fulfilment Centers, Dark Stores), while significantly improving customer experience (NPS).

This role sits on the leadership team and will be central to the company's next phase of growth - balancing operational excellence, cost discipline, and customer delight across a perishable, time‑sensitive, high‑SKU‑complexity product portfolio (flowers, cakes, gifting).

Key Responsibilities

• Procurement:
• Own end‑to‑end procurement strategy for raw materials (flowers, cake ingredients, packaging, gifting SKUs) and indirect spend (logistics, equipment, store fit‑outs).
• Build a resilient, cost‑effective vendor/supplier base - including direct farm/flower sourcing relationships where relevant - with strong quality and reliability SLAs.
• Drive cost savings through vendor consolidation, contract negotiation, and strategic sourcing, without compromising on quality or availability.
• Partner with Finance and Category teams on make‑vs‑buy decisions and input‑cost risk management (e.g., seasonal flower price volatility).
• Supply Chain & Manufacturing Ownership:
• Own end‑to‑end supply chain: procurement‑to‑delivery flow across central kitchens, warehouses and regional hubs.
• Drive capacity planning, demand forecasting and inventory management to minimize wastage (especially for perishables - flowers, cakes) while ensuring product availability.
• Build and scale central kitchen operations with strong food safety, hygiene and FSSAI compliance standards.
• Optimize network design (hub‑and‑spoke) for cost efficiency and delivery speed.
• Last‑Mile & Distribution Network Management:
• Own and scale last‑mile distribution across all formats: COCO (Company Owned Company Operated), FOFO (Franchise Owned Franchise Operated), Cake Fulfilment Centers and Dark Stores.
• Design differentiated operating models and SOPs for each format based on their unit economics and ownership structure.
• Build franchise governance: audit frameworks, SOP compliance, partner performance management and unit‑economics support for FOFO partners.
• Customer Service & Experience:
• Own the Customer Service function end‑to‑end - query resolution, complaint management, refunds/replacements and turnaround‑time SLAs.
• Build root‑cause and feedback loops between last‑mile/production operations and Customer Service, so recurring issues are fixed at the source rather than just resolved at the ticket level.
• Own and drive NPS improvement as a core success metric, in close collaboration with marketing/CX teams to close the loop between operational issues and customer sentiment.
• Profitability & Unit Economics:
• Own full P&L for procurement, supply chain and distribution.
• Build cost‑to‑serve models per format (COCO/FOFO/Dark Store/CFC) and drive continuous cost optimisation (logistics cost per order, cost per delivery, fixed versus variable cost structuring).
• Identify and execute network/format rationalisation to eliminate loss‑making nodes.
• Partner with Finance to build budgets, forecasts and margin‑improvement roadmaps; present performance and strategy updates to the board.
• Process, SOPs & Systems:
• Design and institutionalise SOPs across sourcing, inventory, production, quality control, dispatch and last‑mile delivery to build a repeatable, scalable and audit‑ready operating model.
• Drive technology adoption: WMS, route optimisation, demand planning tools and real‑time visibility dashboards.
• Build a culture of continuous improvement (Lean/Six Sigma mindset welcome) across all operating nodes.
• Team Leadership:
• Build, mentor and lead a leadership team across Procurement, Warehousing, Central Kitchen, Hub Operations, Last‑Mile/Franchise Ops, Dark Store Operations and Customer Service.
• Instill accountability, ownership and a performance‑driven culture across a ~200 - 500 person organisation (direct + indirect).
• Act as a key member of the leadership team with regular exposure to the board on operational and financial performance.

Key Metrics Of Success

(Illustrative - to be finalised with leadership)

• Area: Metric
• Customer: NPS improvement, OTIF delivery %, order accuracy %
• Cost: Logistics cost / order, wastage / spoilage %, cost‑to‑serve by format
• Efficiency: Inventory turns, hub / warehouse utilisation %, fleet utilisation
• Profitability: Contribution margin by format (COCO/FOFO/CFC/Dark Store), EBITDA impact
• Compliance: SOP adherence %, FSSAI/quality audit scores, franchise audit scores

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 15 - 25 years of progressive experience in supply chain, operations or distribution leadership roles, with at least 5 - 7 years in a P&L‑owning, senior leadership capacity (COO/CXO/SVP‑Ops or equivalent).
• Proven experience managing multi‑format distribution networks - a mix of owned and franchised/partner‑led operations is highly preferred.
• Background in any of the following (open to a strong mix): quick‑commerce/D2C logistics, QSR/bakery/perishable retail chains or FMCG/traditional supply chain - as long as it involves high‑SKU, time‑sensitive, last‑mile‑heavy operations.
• Strong track record of building SOPs, scaling operations profitably and improving customer experience metrics simultaneously.
• Hands‑on with supply chain technology (WMS, route optimisation, ERP, demand planning tools).
• Experience with perishable/cold‑chain or quality‑sensitive product categories is a strong plus.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills - this role interfaces heavily with franchise partners, category/merchandising, tech and CX teams.
• Entrepreneurial, execution‑first mindset; comfortable operating in a fast‑paced, high‑growth environment.

(ref:iimjobs.com)