Senior Operations Director – Logistics & Supply Chain

Location: Ireland – Multi-Site
Sector: Logistics / Supply Chain / Distribution
Level: Executive / Senior Leadership

The Opportunity

An established organisation operating within the Irish logistics and supply chain sector is seeking to appoint an experienced Senior Operations Director to join its leadership team.

This is a significant senior leadership appointment with responsibility for a complex, multi-site operational environment incorporating warehousing, distribution and transport activities.

The position will play a central role in the continued development and transformation of the organisation's operations, with a particular focus on operational excellence, process optimisation, automation, technology, continuous improvement and scalability.

The successful candidate will combine strong operational leadership credentials with the ability to identify opportunities for improvement and successfully deliver major transformation initiatives.

The Role

The Senior Operations Director will provide strategic and operational leadership across a large-scale logistics network.

A major priority will be assessing existing operating models, processes, systems and ways of working and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, productivity, customer service and overall operational performance.

The role will have a strong transformation mandate and will suit an executive who has previously modernised complex operations rather than simply managed an established operation.

Key Responsibilities

Provide senior leadership across multi-site warehousing, distribution and transport operations.
Develop and execute operational strategies aligned with the organisation's longer-term growth objectives.
Lead significant operational transformation and change programmes.
Identify opportunities to redesign and optimise processes, workflows and operating models.
Champion automation and digital transformation, including the effective use of WMS, TMS and other operational technologies.
Embed Lean, Lean Six Sigma or comparable continuous improvement methodologies.
Drive measurable improvements in productivity, efficiency, service, quality and cost performance.
Identify opportunities to automate manual or inefficient processes and improve the use of operational data.
Lead strategic cost-management and productivity initiatives while protecting service quality.
Develop a high-performance leadership culture focused on accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
Ensure appropriate standards of health & safety, quality, governance and regulatory compliance.
Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers and senior internal stakeholders.
Develop operational capability and capacity to support future business growth.
Strengthen succession planning and leadership capability across the operations function.

Candidate Profile

We are interested in engaging with senior operational leaders who can demonstrate substantial experience within logistics, contract logistics, supply chain, distribution, warehousing or similarly complex operational environments.

Candidates should ideally bring:

Senior leadership experience at Operations Director, Logistics Director, Head of Operations, General Manager or equivalent level.
Experience leading large-scale, multi-site operations.
A strong track record of delivering operational transformation and measurable performance improvement.
Demonstrable experience of warehouse or logistics automation projects.
Strong knowledge of WMS, TMS and operational technology.
Experience implementing Lean, Lean Six Sigma or other structured continuous improvement methodologies.
Evidence of successfully redesigning processes and operating models.
Strong commercial and financial acumen, including cost management and budgetary responsibility.
Experience leading and developing sizeable operational and management teams.
Strong analytical capability and experience using operational data and KPIs to drive performance.
Excellent stakeholder, customer and people-management skills.
Experience operating within quality-driven or regulated environments would be advantageous.
A relevant qualification in supply chain, logistics, business, engineering or a related discipline would be beneficial.

Transformation & Automation

A particularly important element of this appointment is the ability to demonstrate real, delivered transformation.

Candidates should be able to provide tangible examples of where they have introduced automation, implemented or optimised WMS/TMS technology, redesigned warehouse or distribution processes, improved productivity, reduced operating costs or successfully led complex organisational change.

The original brief makes automation, digital technologies and WMS/TMS capability explicit requirements, rather than peripheral elements of the role.

Leadership

The organisation is seeking a credible and engaging leader who can operate strategically while remaining sufficiently close to operations to understand where improvements can be made.

The successful candidate will be expected to challenge established practices constructively, bring people through significant change and create an environment of accountability, engagement and continuous improvement.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to take on a highly influential leadership position within a substantial Irish logistics operation at an important stage in its development.

The successful candidate will have the scope to influence how the operation evolves, introduce new technologies and automation, improve processes and build the operational platform required to support future growth.

All enquiries and applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Reach out to
Niamh Flynn on 045 881888 or email niamh@clark.ie
Stephen Farrell-O'Callaghan on 021 2296888 or email stephen@clark.ie