Senior Central Operations Manager

Senior Central Operations Manager

Location: Nine Elms, Full Time

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Senior Operations Manager to join our exciting, fast-growing team at Zapp. The role is pivotal in supporting our rapid expansion and scaling of operations, managing day-to-day fulfilment centre and central operations, implementing robust processes to optimise customer order fulfilment, minimise stock waste and loss, protect our assets, and foster effective collaboration among fulfilment centre teams, central functions, and external delivery/logistics partners as we continue to grow.

Zapp is London’s leading premium convenience retail platform. Founded in 2020, our vision is to disrupt the multi-trillion dollar convenience retail market, currently dominated by major players, by developing best-in-class customer-centric technology and fulfilment solutions. Zapp partners with some of the world’s leading brands to deliver an exclusive range of hand-picked products 24/7, delivered in minutes.

Responsibilities

Fulfilment Centre/Central Operations

• Lead and manage a team of 5 managers, each overseeing their own site, alongside a wider team of 100+ associates and shift supervisors across multiple locations, to drive operational excellence and performance targets in a rapidly growing environment.

• Develop and implement strategies to optimise fulfilment centre operations, improve efficiency, and reduce costs.

• Oversee inventory management processes, including cycle counting, first-in, first-out (FIFO), and inventory control to minimise waste & shrink.

• Monitor and analyse key performance indicators (KPIs) to identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions as needed.

• Provide training, coaching, and support to fulfilment centre managers, supervisors and associates to enhance their skills and performance and raise the quality of leadership

• Foster a positive work environment that promotes teamwork, accountability, and a customer-centric culture.

• Lead recruitment activity to continuously identify and grow the fulfilment centre and central operations team at Zapp and raise the hiring standard.

Operational Performance & Standards

• Own the quality and customer experience agenda across all fulfilment centres, continuously evaluating processes and driving improvements that streamline operations, reduce defects, and raise the bar on the customer experience.

• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring lessons learned from incidents and audits translate into lasting process change.

• Drive operational performance through key customer experience metrics, loss prevention, and efficiency improvements within your fulfilment centres.

• Lead regular risk assessments and operational audits across fulfilment centres benchmarking performance against the highest quality, safety, and security standards.

• Ensure full compliance with all relevant regulations, licensing requirements, and industry standards across quality, health & safety, security, and loss prevention.

Strategic Partnerships & Operational Initiatives

• Manage external delivery/logistics partners by establishing performance KPIs and cultivating relationships to ensure seamless operations.

• Lead expansion and innovative projects, including new site openings, vendor onboarding, and budget management to deliver strategic growth initiatives on time and within scope.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of work experience in retail, grocery, hospitality and related operations.

• Experience in managing large teams in a fast-paced environment.

• In-depth understanding of retail operations, loss prevention strategies, security protocols, health and safety standards and industry regulations (preferably in retail or logistics).

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Proficiency in data analysis with experience working with data analytics and visualisation tools such as Looker, Excel and Google Analytics.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Proficiency in AI tooling (e.g., Claude) to optimise operational tasks and processes.

Benefits

• Competitive salary

• Zapp Credit for testing the Zapp service and experience

• Private Health Insurance (Bupa)

• 25 days annual leave, excluding UK Bank Holiday

• Lunch provided 4 days of a week at HQ