At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the transformation of Coca-Cola's Away From Home business with innovative strategies and execution.
- Company: Join Coca-Cola, a diverse and inclusive employer committed to making a difference.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, growth opportunities, and a culture that values continuous learning.
- Other info: Be part of a thriving culture that has lasted over 130 years.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a global brand while driving strategic initiatives and innovation.
- Qualifications: Strong leadership skills and experience in commercial execution and data-driven decision-making.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
This job is with Coca-Cola, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community.
Our Purpose and Growth Culture:
We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what's possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors - curious, empowered, inclusive and agile - and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years.
Role Summary
The Director Operations AFH is the enterprise leader responsible for transforming and accelerating the Away From Home business in the market through a unified, insight-driven, and execution-focused system approach. This role owns the end-to-end AFH strategic agenda and ensures the Company and the bottler operate against a single, fully aligned 360 Integrated Activation (360IA) plan that drives availability, incidence, outlet penetration, equipment productivity, and profitable growth across all AFH segments.
A core part of the mandate is leading commercial execution excellence, accelerating the AFH system capabilities to predictive, insight-led, and value-driven models that materially improve availability, incidence, and cooler performance. This role also leads the development of a customer segmented equipment strategy for AFH and partners with bottlers to ensure disciplined system-wide implementation. The Director is fully accountable for owning AFH channel performance, jointly setting and governing system KBIs, and leading mitigation and acceleration actions to meet BP volume, revenue, and share targets.
As the senior orchestrator of the AFH system, the Director integrates data, analytics, and AI across planning, execution, and performance routines-driving a modern, consistent, and future-ready operating model that unlocks sustainable growth across the AFH ecosystem.
What You'll Do for Us
- Lead AFH Strategy, 360IA & System Alignment: Lead the creation of ABP and long-range AFH strategies, translating them into integrated roadmaps that connect portfolio, RGM, media, equipment, RTM, and in-outlet activation across all AFH segments. Act as the senior system integrator and influencer, aligning GM, Marketing, RGM, Finance, Digital, bottler, and key customers behind a unified AFH growth agenda.
- Drive AFH Commercial Execution Excellence: Lead commercial execution excellence for the AFH business in the market, accelerating system capabilities to predictive, insight-led, and value-driven models to grow availability, incidence, and Coolers/10k performance. Lead the development of a segmented equipment strategy, ensuring system-wide implementation with bottlers to maximize coverage, productivity, and outlet penetration.
- Own AFH Channel Performance & System KPIs: Own system AFH channel performance, jointly setting and monitoring system performance KBIs and leading mitigation and acceleration actions to deliver BP volume, revenue, and share targets. Govern AFH performance routines, ensuring they are insight-driven, action-oriented, and forward-looking rather than reporting led.
- Lead Data, Digital & AI Enabled Transformation: Embed data, analytics, and AI across the AFH operating model, improving forecasting, outlet segmentation, equipment deployment, activation effectiveness, and execution quality. Champion a test-learn-scale culture, accelerating adoption of digital tools and analytics across the Company-bottler AFH system.
Experience & Capabilities
- Strong AFH and channel expertise, with deep understanding of customer needs, RTM models, and execution levers across the AFH landscape.
- Robust commercial, RGM, and financial skills, with experience using modelling and scenario planning to drive profitable, insight-led decisions.
- Proven leadership in data-, digital- and AI-enabled transformation, embedding predictive analytics and digital tools into AFH planning, execution, and performance management.
- Demonstrated system leadership, influencing senior stakeholders across Company, bottler, and customer organizations to drive integrated end-to-end execution.
- Exceptional communication and stakeholder management, with strong executive presence.
Travel Up to 25%.
Director, Operations & Commercial Execution, AFH employer: Coca-cola
Coca-Cola is an exceptional employer that champions inclusivity and fosters a growth-oriented culture, making it an ideal place for professionals seeking meaningful careers. With a commitment to continuous learning and a focus on collaboration, employees are empowered to drive innovation and excellence in their roles. Located in London, the company offers unique opportunities for personal and professional development within a dynamic and supportive environment, ensuring that every team member can thrive and contribute to the company's enduring success.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Director, Operations & Commercial Execution, AFH
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees at Coca-Cola on LinkedIn. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for landing the Director, Operations & Commercial Execution role. Personal connections can give you insights that a job description just can't.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into Coca-Cola's culture and values. They’re all about being curious, inclusive, and agile. Think of examples from your past that showcase these behaviours and be ready to discuss how you can bring them to life in the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! You’ll want to clearly articulate how your experience aligns with the AFH strategy and commercial execution excellence. Make it concise and impactful, so you leave a lasting impression during interviews.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining the Coca-Cola team and are familiar with their processes.
We think you need these skills to ace Director, Operations & Commercial Execution, AFH
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for the role shine through! We want to see how your values align with our purpose and growth culture. Share why you're excited about the opportunity to make a difference at Coca-Cola.
Tailor Your Experience:Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in operations and commercial execution. We’re looking for specific examples that demonstrate your skills in leading strategic initiatives and driving performance. Don’t just list your duties; show us the impact you made!
Be Insight-Driven:Since this role is all about data and insights, include any experience you have with analytics or AI in your application. We want to know how you've used data to inform decisions and drive results in your previous roles.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets the attention it deserves. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role and our company culture there!
How to prepare for a job interview at Coca-cola
✨Understand the Company Culture
Before your interview, dive deep into Coca-Cola's purpose and growth culture. Familiarise yourself with their key behaviours: curious, empowered, inclusive, and agile. Think about how you can demonstrate these traits in your responses.
✨Showcase Your Strategic Thinking
As a Director of Operations, you'll need to think strategically. Prepare examples of how you've led high-impact initiatives or transformed business operations in the past. Be ready to discuss how you can apply this experience to drive Coca-Cola's AFH strategy.
✨Highlight Data-Driven Decision Making
Coca-Cola values insight-driven models. Bring examples of how you've used data analytics and AI in your previous roles to improve performance or drive growth. This will show that you're aligned with their focus on modern, data-led approaches.
✨Prepare for Stakeholder Management Questions
Expect questions about how you've influenced senior stakeholders in the past. Think of specific instances where you've successfully navigated complex relationships to achieve business goals. This is crucial for the role, so have your stories ready!
