At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and optimise service operations for a top vending solutions provider.
- Company: Selecta, Europe's largest self-serve coffee and convenience food provider.
- Benefits: 25 days leave, life assurance, health cash plan, and attractive bonuses.
- Other info: Join a diverse team committed to creating moments of joy.
- Why this job: Drive transformation in a tech-led environment and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Senior operational leadership experience in relevant sectors required.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 € per year.
About Selecta
Selecta is the largest provider of unattended self‑serve coffee and convenience food in Europe, leading the way in vending solutions and specialist coffee services. Selecta operates across 16 countries within Europe, serving 12 million people every day. In the UK, we deliver a national service trusted by circa 3,500 businesses to provide digital‑first vending solutions across workplaces, schools, universities, hospitals, transport hubs, and other high‑traffic environments. As a 24/7 food and drinks distribution and technology‑led powerhouse, Selecta provides millions of moments of joy to end consumers across Europe. Our solutions include digital vending machines, coffee machines, smart fridges, snack markets, and other unattended retail formats. The UK business is undergoing continued transformation into a data‑led, service excellence‑driven unattended retail platform, powered by technology, operational discipline, and customer‑centric execution.
Role Overview
We are hiring a Service Director to play a pivotal role in driving the development and success of Selecta’s UK&I Service and Operations strategy. Reporting directly to the Managing Director UK&I, this role is responsible for leading and optimising all service operations, ensuring high machine uptime, efficient field service leadership, strong customer retention, and operational profitability. It also includes leadership of a large, geographically dispersed field workforce, ensuring performance, capability, and engagement are aligned to operational and commercial outcomes. This role oversees operations covering field operations, technical operations, fleet, training and development, planning coupled with operational budget ownership.
- Technology adoption (telemetry, cashless, automation)
- Continuous improvement and process optimisation
- Strategic operational transformation
- Training, Development and leading team engagement
- Supporting finance with budget preparation and budget execution
Role Purpose
The Service Director is accountable for leading the end‑to‑end performance of UK field service and operational execution, ensuring:
- Maximum machine uptime and availability
- High‑quality, efficient field service delivery
- Strong SLA compliance and customer satisfaction
- Cost‑efficient, data‑driven operational execution
- Continuous improvement in productivity and service quality
- Strong alignment between operational delivery and commercial outcomes
- Ownership of the operational budgets covering Fleet, FTE, Inventory controls, setting and leading required KPI’s
- Key stakeholder with Clients, UK Exec, Selecta Group, Selecta C‑Suite and other country SD’s
This role is central to transforming Selecta UK into a high‑performance, technology‑enabled unattended retail operation, delivering scalable service excellence and improved profitability.
Your Key Duties & Responsibilities
- Operational Leadership & Service Strategy Execution
- Lead all UK field operations across vending, coffee, smart retail, and unattended solutions
- Deliver operational KPIs including uptime, SLA compliance, response times, and service quality
- Drive execution discipline through structured daily, weekly, and monthly operational cadence
- Build a high‑performance, accountable, KPI‑driven operational culture
- Ensure alignment between field execution and commercial priorities
- Translate service strategy into consistent operational delivery across all regions
- Comply with all legislation covering H&S, O Licence and People
- Own machine uptime, first‑time fix rate, engineer productivity, and service responsiveness
- Improve preventative maintenance strategies and reduce reactive service demand
- Standardise technical processes across equipment types and vending platforms
- Drive engineering capability, performance standards, and technical excellence
- Ensure readiness for smart vending, coffee systems, and unattended retail innovation
- Collaborate with Procurement & Supply Chain Director on parts & F&B availability, supplier performance, and cost optimisation
- Optimise all routing, dispatch, and field service scheduling
- O Licence compliance – Ensure legal compliance inline with the company’s operator’s licence
- Improve FTE utilisation, labour productivity, and service density
- Reduce cost per service call, travel time, and operational inefficiencies
- Drive telemetry‑led servicing and predictive maintenance models
- Transition operations toward automated, data‑driven planning and execution
- Improve depot‑level execution consistency and operational flow
- Deliver operational contribution to gross margin and EBITDA improvement
- Reduce cost‑to‑serve through productivity, efficiency, and waste reduction
- Improve refill compliance and execution standards at point of sale
- Support financial performance through disciplined operational execution
- Partner with Finance, Commercial, HR and the Procurement & Supply Chain Director to deliver cost efficiency and margin improvement
- Eliminate operational waste, inefficiency, and avoidable service costs
- Ensure delivery against all customer SLAs and contractual obligations
- Drive high levels of customer satisfaction and retention across key accounts
- Own operational escalation management and service recovery plans
- Ensure fast resolution of service issues across all regions
- Support onboarding and mobilisation of new contracts with Commercial teams
- Maintain strong relationships with strategic customers through service excellence
- Ensure full compliance with HSE, food safety, and regulatory standards
- Work closely with the dedicated Health & Safety team to embed safe working practices
- Support operational risk management and incident reduction programmes
- Maintain audit readiness across depots, vehicles, and field operations
- Promote a strong safety‑first culture across all operational teams
- Ensure safety is embedded into operational planning and daily execution
- Lead operational transformation across digital tools, telemetry, and automation
- Improve real‑time visibility of performance through dashboards and KPI reporting
- Drive adoption of smart vending, cashless payment systems, and remote diagnostics
- Simplify operational processes to improve scalability and reduce complexity
- Embed continuous improvement across field, depot, and operational teams
- Enable transition toward predictive, data‑led service models
Key Performance Indicators
Performance in this role is measured against a balanced scorecard of service, productivity, commercial, execution and safety KPIs:
- Service & Availability – Machine uptime %, SLA compliance %, First‑time fix rate, On‑time service delivery %
- Productivity – Route productivity, Engineer utilisation %, Labour productivity
- Commercial – Gross margin improvement, Operational EBITDA delivery, Customer retention %
- Execution – Refill compliance, Planogram execution, Waste & stock loss reduction
- Safety & Compliance – Health & Safety incident reduction, Audit pass rates, Regulatory compliance
Requirements
- Senior operational leadership experience in vending, unattended retail, FMCG, food service, logistics, or facilities management
- Proven track record leading large, geographically dispersed field service or operational teams
- Strong experience delivering operational transformation, efficiency gains, and measurable performance improvement
- Hands‑on management of operational budgets, cost‑to‑serve, and productivity at scale
- Strong SLA‑driven service delivery and customer retention background
- Experience in PE‑backed or performance‑driven environments (preferred)
- Familiarity with vending, coffee systems, or automated retail technologies (preferred)
Core Skills & Leadership Capability
- Large‑scale operational leadership with strong execution discipline
- Commercial and financial acumen with clear linkage between operations and P&L outcomes
- Data‑driven decision‑making using KPIs, dashboards, and operational analytics
- Continuous improvement mindset with proven delivery of measurable results
- Strong change leadership and ability to drive cultural transformation
- Strong people leadership capability, including workforce planning, performance management, and capability development of large field‑based teams
- High‑impact stakeholder management across Commercial, Finance, HR, Procurement & Supply Chain
- Hands‑on operational credibility combined with strategic thinking
- Strong customer focus with accountability for service quality and retention
- Structured problem‑solving and calm decision‑making in high‑pressure environments
Leadership Expectations
- Visible, hands‑on leader across depots, field teams, and customer sites
- Drives pace, accountability, and consistent operational discipline
- Builds a high‑performance culture anchored in KPIs, standards, and execution cadence
- Balances strategic transformation with strong day‑to‑day operational delivery
- Owns field team performance culture, ensuring clear expectations, coaching, and accountability across all levels of the operation
- Works in close partnership with Procurement, Commercial, Finance, HR, and Health & Safety
- Leads through clarity, structure, and consistent performance management
Benefits
- 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays
- Life assurance equivalent to 4x your yearly salary
- Five weeks of occupational paid sick leave for added security
- Free parking at our Head Office and other depot locations
- Unlimited coffee and tea to keep you refreshed
- Clear career progression paths with development opportunities
- Strong leadership support to help you thrive
- Employee recognition scheme to celebrate your contributions
- Mental health and wellbeing support, including access to mental health first aiders
- Health Cash Plan
- Very attractive bonus scheme for those who exceed targets
At Selecta, we are committed to equal opportunities, diversity, and inclusion, embracing our differences to achieve our common goal. We are united in our principle of making people feel great, and we are grounded by our purpose to create more moments of joy for everyone through our ways of working. We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. If you require any adjustments or accommodations during the recruitment process, please let us know.
Service Director UKI in England employer: Selecta
Selecta is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where innovation meets operational excellence. With a strong focus on employee development, competitive benefits including generous leave and health support, and a culture that prioritises diversity and inclusion, Selecta empowers its team to thrive in the fast-paced world of unattended retail. Located in the UK, employees benefit from clear career progression paths and a supportive leadership team dedicated to fostering a high-performance culture.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Service Director UKI in England
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Selecta's services and values. Understand their focus on technology and customer satisfaction, and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals. Show them you're not just another candidate!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be clear about what you bring to the table and how you can help drive Selecta’s operational excellence. A confident and concise introduction can make a lasting impression.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of the Selecta team.
We think you need these skills to ace Service Director UKI in England
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Service Director role. Highlight your experience in operational leadership, especially in vending or retail environments. We want to see how your skills align with our mission at Selecta!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter should tell us why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of how you've driven operational transformation and improved service delivery in your previous roles. We love a good story!
Showcase Your Leadership Style:In your application, let us know about your leadership style and how you engage with teams. We’re looking for someone who can build a high-performance culture, so share any relevant experiences that demonstrate your people management skills.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining the Selecta family!
How to prepare for a job interview at Selecta
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into Selecta's services and operations. Understand their vending solutions, coffee services, and how they leverage technology. This knowledge will help you speak confidently about how your experience aligns with their goals.
✨Showcase Leadership Skills
As a Service Director, you'll need to demonstrate strong leadership capabilities. Prepare examples of how you've led large teams, driven operational excellence, and improved service delivery in previous roles. Highlight your ability to foster a high-performance culture.
✨Data-Driven Mindset
Selecta is focused on data-led decision-making. Be ready to discuss how you've used KPIs and analytics to drive performance improvements. Share specific instances where your data-driven approach led to successful outcomes in your past roles.
✨Cultural Fit and Values
Selecta values diversity and inclusion, so be sure to express your alignment with these principles. Share experiences that showcase your commitment to creating a positive work environment and how you’ve contributed to team engagement and morale.
