Director of Operations | High-Volume Regulated Fulfilment | South East England
The operation exists, the volume is real, and the targets are being missed. Our client needs an Operations Director who has walked into broken operations before, built high-performing teams from the ground up, and driven throughput at scale without compromising quality or compliance.
This is not a head office role. It requires daily presence, hands‑on leadership, and the conviction to make hard calls quickly.
The Business
A fast‑scaling, technology‑enabled fulfilment operation in Southeast England, processing high volumes of regulated orders daily with a clear agenda to become a nationally significant operation. Think FMCG scale operational rigour applied to an environment where every order directly impacts a real patient.
The operation funds the entire business. The GM of this function sets the standard for everything.
What You Will Own
- Full operational leadership. Inbound, fulfilment, dispatch, logistics, and quality
- P&L accountability and commercial performance of the operation
- Building, leading, and developing a shift‑based team of 150+ across a 24/7 operation
- Regulatory and compliance accountability. GDP, GPhC, CQC, and patient safety frameworks
- Design and continuous improvement of the end‑to‑end fulfilment journey
- Partnering with technology and product teams to build better operational systems
What We Need From You
- Senior operational leadership at Operations Director, Head of Operations, or GM level with full P&L accountability
- Proven track record of scaling a 150+ person, 24/7 shift‑based operation in a regulated environment
- Built or significantly rebuilt an operation from scratch. Not inherited and maintained a steady‑state function
- Background in FMCG, e‑commerce fulfilment, pharmaceutical supply chain, food manufacturing, healthcare logistics, or industrial logistics
- Visible, on‑site leadership. You are on the floor as much as you are in the boardroom
Strongly preferred:
- Experience with WMS, automation, RF scanning, or ERP systems in a high‑volume environment
- Familiarity with GDP, GPhC, CQC, or equivalent regulatory frameworks
- Direct pharmacy, healthcare, or pharmaceutical fulfilment experience
- GPhC registered pharmacist. Strong advantage but not a requirement
The Person
You have scaled operations that others said couldn’t be scaled. You have built teams that others said couldn’t be built. You are energised by complexity, unbothered by ambiguity, and motivated by the idea that what you build every day directly improves outcomes for real people.
You are not looking for a comfortable next step. You are looking for genuine ownership of something significant.
What’s On Offer
- Lucrative Package. No ceiling if the person is right
- 25 days holiday rising to 30 over two years, plus 8 bank holidays
- Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
- WFH flexibility and cycle‑to‑work scheme
- Free onsite parkingDirect access to the founding team and genuine scope to shape the direction of the operation.
If you have built high‑volume regulated operations at scale and want full ownership of something that matters. Apply NOW!!!
