Head of Legal

MyRunway; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,400,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

MyRunway in Cape Town is seeking a Chief Operating Officer who can build a high-performing team and lead an operation customers can trust.

We value legal minds who navigate complexity, negotiate outcomes, and implement practical solutions. You’ll shape people, performance and logistics while keeping our ambitious goals on track.

If you’re excited by leading people, owning operational outcomes and learning the ins and outs of a fast-moving e-commerce business, we should talk.

Qualifications

• Experience leading operations and people in a fast-moving business.
• Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills.
• Ability to build structure in chaotic environments.

Responsibilities

• Partner with recruitment to attract and hire top talent.
• Coach managers to become stronger leaders.
• Build onboarding, training and succession plans.
• Establish clear, measurable outcomes for every role.
• Use reporting and regular reviews to drive accountability and improvement.
• Give constructive feedback, support development and tackle underperformance.
• Take ownership of people, HR performance and recruitment processes post-probation.
• Build a culture where people feel supported, motivated and accountable.
• Ensure fair, consistent and effective people practices.
• Improve warehouse productivity, stock accuracy, deliveries and returns.
• Manage logistics budgets, supplier relationships and operational costs.
• Solve problems before they become customer frustrations.
• Develop a logistics strategy that can support twice todays revenue with greater efficiency.
• Improve processes, challenge existing ways of working and help the business scale sustainably.
• Stronger leaders and happier, more accountable teams.
• Deliver faster, more effective hiring.
• Ensure more efficient operations and happier customers.

Job description

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

Before you close this job ad, hear us out. We think someone with a legal background might just make a brilliant Chief Operating Officer.

Why? Because great legal minds don't just understand rules. They understand people, navigate complexity, negotiate outcomes and find practical solutions to difficult problems. And that's exactly the kind of thinking we're looking for.

If this sounds like you, we should talk.

• You're a stickler for rules and processes. You believe good systems exist for a reason, but you're also smart enough to recognise when something needs to change.

• You're a natural negotiator. Whether you're managing competing priorities, navigating difficult conversations or getting people to agree on a way forward, you know how to find common ground.

• You understand people. You can read a room, ask the right questions and balance empathy with accountability.

• You're a creative problem solver. You don't just identify risks and problems. You find practical ways to overcome them.

• You're comfortable making tough decisions. You weigh up the facts, consider the consequences and make sound judgements, even when the answer isn't obvious.

• You know how to influence people. You can challenge thinking, build trust and bring people along with you without needing to pull rank.

• You love a little structure in the chaos. Multiple moving parts, competing deadlines and unexpected challenges? That's where your ability to bring clarity really shines.

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 an ambitious online shopping business with high standards, big goals and a genuine belief that people are at the heart of everything we do. We also believe work should be fun. You'll join a team that enjoys building cool stuff together, celebrating wins, sharing a few laughs and occasionally pulling a practical joke or two.

As COO, you'll bring together people, performance and operations, helping our teams do their best work while making sure our customers have a brilliant experience.

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 reporting and regular reviews to drive accountability and improvement.

• Give constructive feedback, support development and tackle underperformance.

Lead people and culture

• Take ownership of people, HR performance and recruitment processes following your six-month probation.

• Build a culture where people feel supported, motivated and accountable.

• Ensure fair, consistent and effective people practices.

Deliver operational excellence

• Improve warehouse productivity, stock accuracy, deliveries and returns.

• Manage logistics budgets, supplier relationships and operational costs.

• Solve problems before they become customer frustrations.

Build for growth

• Develop a logistics strategy that can support twice today's revenue with greater efficiency.

• Improve processes, challenge existing ways of working and help the business scale sustainably.

What success looks like

• Stronger leaders and happier, more accountable teams.

• Faster, more effective hiring.

• Consistent, meaningful performance management.

• More efficient operations and happier customers.

You might be our person if...

You've built a successful career in legal, compliance, governance or a related field, but you've always been interested in the bigger picture.

You enjoy developing people as much as solving problems. You're commercially minded, comfortable with numbers, willing to get your hands dirty and curious about how a business really works.

You don't need to have followed the traditional COO career path. But you do need to be excited about leading people, owning operational outcomes and learning the ins and outs of a fast-moving business.

Ready for a career plot twist?

We'd love to hear how your legal 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.