Operations Manager at Bradfield Consulting

Reporting To: Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Work Location: In Person 

Job Summary

• The Operations Manager will be responsible for driving operational efficiency, business execution, process improvement, and cross-functional coordination across the organization’s retail and manufacturing operations.
• The role will work closely with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and departmental heads to translate business strategy into clear operational plans, effective structures, efficient processes, and measurable results.
• The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker and strong executor with a strong understanding of organizational structures, business processes, workflow design, and operational performance.
• The individual must be capable of identifying gaps, developing practical solutions, improving existing systems, and ensuring that teams remain accountable for delivering agreed business objectives.
• The Operations Manager will bring structure to complex business activities, identify operational bottlenecks, improve collaboration across functions, strengthen accountability, and establish systems that support sustainable business growth.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• The ideal candidate is a strategic, commercially minded, and execution-focused Operations Manager who understands how different parts of a business fit together.
• The candidate should be able to assess an existing operation, understand its structure, identify what is working and what is not, develop better processes, introduce practical systems, and drive the organization toward stronger execution and accountability.

The ideal candidate should:

• Think strategically and generate practical, commercially relevant business ideas.
• Have a strong understanding of organizational structures and how functions should work together.
• Demonstrate strong knowledge of processes, workflows, SOPs, and operational controls.
• Be capable of reviewing an existing process and redesigning it for improved efficiency.
• Understand how to build systems and structures that can support business growth.
• Be comfortable working directly with the COO, senior management, and departmental heads.
• Be able to turn strategy and ideas into measurable execution.
• Be proactive in identifying problems before they become significant operational issues.
• Have strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Be able to influence people, coordinate teams, and drive accountability across functions.
• Demonstrate sound commercial judgment and an understanding of business priorities.
• Be highly organized, disciplined, adaptable, and results-driven.

Responsibilities
Operations Management & Strategic Execution:

• Translate organizational goals and strategic priorities into clear operational plans and actionable initiatives.
• Develop and implement strategic and operational initiatives that improve efficiency, productivity, profitability, and service delivery.
• Coordinate the execution of key business initiatives across departments.
• Monitor operational performance against agreed objectives, timelines, and KPIs.
• Identify operational challenges, risks, bottlenecks, and dependencies and recommend practical solutions.
• Ensure that agreed decisions, action points, and business priorities are followed through to completion.
• Provide the COO and senior management with regular updates on operational performance, challenges, and opportunities.
• Ensure that strategic priorities are effectively translated into measurable operational outcomes.

Business Structure & Process Management:

• Review existing organizational structures, workflows, and business processes to identify gaps, duplication, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement.
• Develop and implement practical structures, workflows, and operating processes that improve accountability and efficiency.
• Assess whether existing roles, responsibilities, reporting lines, and workflows are clearly defined and aligned with business objectives.
• Develop, review, and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), policies, process maps, templates, and operational guidelines.
• Ensure that processes are properly documented, communicated, implemented, and consistently followed.
• Establish systems that enable departments to work collaboratively and efficiently.
• Recommend changes to organizational structures and processes where necessary to support business growth and scalability.

Process Improvement & Operational Excellence:

• Continuously identify opportunities to streamline processes, reduce operational waste, improve turnaround times, and increase productivity.
• Lead process improvement initiatives across retail, manufacturing, supply chain, administration, and other relevant functions.
• Evaluate existing processes and identify root causes of recurring operational problems.
• Design and implement practical solutions to improve operational efficiency and service delivery.
• Introduce appropriate frameworks, systems, and methodologies to strengthen operational control.
• Monitor the effectiveness and sustainability of implemented process improvements.
• Conduct periodic operational reviews to identify recurring issues and develop corrective action plans.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement across the organization.

Strategic Thinking & Business Improvement:

• Develop and present strategic ideas and practical recommendations for improving business performance.
• Identify opportunities for growth, efficiency, cost optimization, improved customer experience, and operational scalability.
• Analyze business challenges from a broader organizational perspective and recommend sustainable solutions.
• Research and recommend new approaches, systems, processes, and operating models that can strengthen business performance.
• Support the COO in evaluating the operational impact and feasibility of new business initiatives.
• Participate in strategic planning sessions and translate agreed strategies into practical execution plans.
• Provide data-driven insights and recommendations to support management decision-making.
• Challenge inefficient or outdated processes and recommend better ways of working.

Cross-Functional Coordination:

• Work closely with departmental heads to ensure alignment of operational activities with organizational priorities.
• Coordinate interdepartmental initiatives and manage dependencies between teams.
• Facilitate collaboration between retail, manufacturing, supply chain, finance, HR, sales, administration, and other relevant functions.
• Ensure that departmental plans are properly coordinated and aligned with overall business objectives.
• Drive timely resolution of issues requiring cross-functional collaboration.
• Identify communication and coordination gaps between departments and recommend solutions.
• Promote a culture of ownership, accountability, collaboration, and results.

Performance & Accountability Management:

• Establish and monitor operational KPIs and performance indicators across relevant business functions.
• Develop dashboards, trackers, scorecards, and management reports to provide visibility into operational performance.
• Conduct regular operational performance reviews with relevant stakeholders.
• Identify performance gaps and work with responsible teams to develop and implement corrective action plans.
• Track agreed actions and ensure timely completion.
• Monitor departmental performance against agreed targets and operational objectives.
• Provide management with insights into performance trends, recurring challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
• Escalate significant operational risks and unresolved issues to the COO with appropriate recommendations.

Operational Systems, Controls & Documentation:

• Review the organization's operational systems and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and visibility.
• Support the implementation and effective use of business and operational management tools.
• Develop appropriate trackers, dashboards, templates, workflows, and reporting systems.
• Ensure that critical operational information, processes, and decisions are properly documented.
• Support the development of operating manuals, process documentation, and departmental guidelines.
• Ensure appropriate controls are incorporated into operational processes to reduce errors, duplication, and operational risks.
• Leverage technology to improve workflow visibility, communication, accountability, and operational efficiency.
• Work with relevant teams to optimize systems such as Odoo, Asana, Monday.com, ClickUp, Notion, or similar platforms.

Project & Initiative Management:

• Lead or coordinate strategic and operational projects assigned by the COO.
• Develop project plans, timelines, milestones, responsibilities, and success measures.
• Monitor project execution and proactively identify risks, delays, and resource constraints.
• Coordinate stakeholders and ensure timely completion of project deliverables.
• Maintain visibility of major business initiatives and provide regular progress updates to the COO.
• Conduct post-implementation reviews to assess project outcomes and identify lessons for future initiatives.

Management Support:

• Serve as a key operational partner to the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and senior management team.
• Support the COO in structuring and driving complex business initiatives.
• Reduce the operational burden on the COO through effective coordination, issue resolution, follow-up, and prioritization.
• Prepare operational reports, management briefs, performance summaries, presentations, and decision-support materials.
• Follow up on key management decisions and ensure that agreed actions are executed.
• Provide the COO with independent assessments of operational challenges and practical recommendations.
• Support the COO in driving organizational discipline, accountability, and execution excellence.

Qualification & Experience

• Possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Management, Engineering, Economics, Operations Management, or a related field with at least 8 years of progressive experience in Operations, Business Management, Strategy, Process Improvement, Project Management, Management Consulting, or related functions.
• Master’s Degree / MBA or relevant professional qualification will be an added advantage.
• Proven experience managing business operations and driving cross-functional initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience developing or improving organizational structures, processes, workflows, and SOPs.
• Strong experience in strategic planning, execution, performance management, and operational improvement.
• Experience within retail, garment manufacturing, fashion, FMCG, manufacturing, or other complex operational environments is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to identify operational challenges and develop strategic and practical solutions.
• Proven track record of improving business processes, operational efficiency, and organizational performance.
• Experience working directly with senior management or C-suite executives will be an advantage.

Key Competencies:

• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen.
• Excellent understanding of organizational structures, processes, workflows, and operating models.
• Strong operations management and execution capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strategic ideas and translate them into practical actions.
• Strong process improvement and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent project and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to influence and drive accountability without relying solely on direct authority.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and decision-making abilities.
• Excellent communication, presentation, coordination, and facilitation skills.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to identify inefficiencies and develop commercially viable solutions.
• Strong leadership, change management, and influencing skills.
• Proactive, highly organized, and results-oriented.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced and evolving business environment.