Head of Finance Operations

MyRunway; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 2,500,000 - 5,000,000; Full time

Job summary

MyRunway is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to build a high-performing team and lead operations across the business in Cape Town. You’ll bring a strong finance and operations background, turning data into decisions, balancing budgets with growth, and shaping strategy that aligns with customer experience and profitability.

You’ll lead hiring, performance management and culture, own logistics and process improvements, and partner with leaders to scale the organization.

Qualifications

• Built career in finance, financial operations or related field.
• Ability to influence beyond the numbers and drive business outcomes.
• Comfort with supplier negotiations and cross-functional leadership.
• Track record of leading teams through change and growth.

Responsibilities

• Hire and develop great people across the organisation.
• Make performance management meaningful with clear metrics.
• Lead people, culture and HR processes after probation.
• Deliver operational excellence in logistics and costs.
• Build for growth with scalable processes and systems.

Skills

Finance leadership

Operations management

Negotiation skills

Data-driven decisions

People management

Commercial mindset

Process improvement

Job description

Plot twist. We're actually looking for a COO.

Yes, you read that correctly.

We're hiring a Chief Operating Officer, but we have a sneaking suspicion that someone with a strong finance and operations background could be exactly what we're looking for.

Because great finance leaders do a lot more than manage budgets. They understand what drives a business, know how to make resources go further and have a knack for balancing competing priorities without losing sight of the bigger picture.

Sound familiar? Here's why we think you'd be a great fit.

• You know where the money goes. You don't just look at budgets. You question spending, spot inefficiencies and find smarter ways to get better results.
• You're a brilliant negotiator. Whether it's supplier contracts, competing priorities or difficult conversations, you know how to find a solution that makes commercial sense.
• You can juggle a hundred moving parts. Deadlines, budgets, people and unexpected challenges don't throw you off. You know how to prioritise what matters.
• You love turning data into decisions. You can look at a spreadsheet, spot a problem and translate the numbers into practical action.
• You understand that people drive performance. Behind every budget, target and KPI is a team of people. You know that getting the best results means getting the best out of them.
• You're commercially sharp. You understand how everyday decisions affect profitability, customer experience and long-term growth.
• You're always looking for a better way. Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn't mean it's the smartest way to do it.

So, what's the actual job?

At Runway, we're looking for a Chief Operating Officer who can build a team people want to join and lead an operation customers can trust.

We're a fast-moving online shopping business that loves finding better, smarter and more efficient ways of doing things.

We set high standards, challenge ourselves to keep improving and believe that great results come from great people.

And while we take our work seriously, we don't believe we need to take ourselves too seriously. Expect plenty of collaboration, shared wins, laughs and the occasional practical joke.

As COO, you'll bring together people, performance and operations, balancing commercial discipline with the kind of leadership that makes people want to do their best work.

Your impact

Hire and develop great people

• Partner with recruitment to attract and hire top talent.
• Coach managers and team leaders to become stronger leaders.
• Build effective onboarding, training and succession plans.

Make performance management meaningful

• Establish clear, measurable outcomes for every role.
• Use daily and weekly reporting to monitor performance and identify opportunities.
• Lead regular performance reviews, provide feedback and support improvement.

Lead people and culture

• Take ownership of people, HR performance and recruitment processes following your six-month probation.
• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Help people grow while ensuring the business delivers on its goals.

Deliver operational excellence

• Improve warehouse productivity, stock accuracy, deliveries and returns.
• Own logistics budgets, supplier negotiations and operational costs.
• Use data to identify inefficiencies, improve processes and protect profitability.
• Keep the customer experience at the centre of operational decisions.

Build for growth

• Develop a logistics strategy capable of supporting twice today's revenue with greater efficiency.
• Make smart decisions about people, processes, systems and resources.
• Build an operation that can scale without costs growing at the same rate.

What success looks like

• Stronger leaders and more accountable teams.
• Faster, more effective hiring.
• Consistent performance management.
• Improved productivity and cost efficiency.
• Happier customers and a scalable operation.

You might be our person if...

You've built your career in finance, financial operations, commercial management or a related field, and you're the kind of person who wants to influence more than just the numbers.

You enjoy working with people, solving real-world problems and turning insights into action.

You're comfortable challenging decisions, negotiating with suppliers, developing teams and getting involved in the day-to-day realities of running a business.

You don't need a traditional warehouse or logistics background, but you do need to be curious, hands-on and excited to learn.

Ready to take your skills beyond the spreadsheet?

We'd love to hear how your finance and operations experience could make you a brilliant COO at Runway.

MyRunway is committed to transformation and redressing of past inequalities. Our employment equity goals will be taken into account in our selection process.