Job Description:

Contract: Fixed Term Contract until November 2027 (Maternity cover)
Salary: £40,000 per annum
Location: Hybrid role: 3 days at Chapel Street, 2 days WFH


We are looking for a highly organised and commercially minded Operations Manager to provide strategic leadership, oversight and governance across all operational activities supporting MBL, ensuring the coordinated delivery of outstanding customer, retailer and corporate client outcomes.


Working through a matrix of cross-functional teams, the role is accountable for operational performance, service excellence, commercial delivery, risk management and continuous improvement across the division.


The role:


Define the Strategy, Quantify the Targets and Create a Plan

• Work with the Partnerships Director to develop and deliver the operational vision and strategy for MBL, ensuring alignment with divisional objectives, customer expectations and commercial growth plans.
• Establish operational priorities, performance measures and service standards across all functions contributing to customer and client delivery.
• Ensure operational, customer service and support strategies reflect customer, supplier and partner requirements while embracing appropriate digital capabilities and technological advancement.
• Develop future operating models, organisational capability plans and resource requirements to support sustainable growth and evolving business needs.
• Lead cross-functional planning activities, ensuring operational dependencies, risks and opportunities are proactively identified and managed.

Build the Right Team and Culture to Deliver It

• Provide leadership across multiple business functions, fostering collaboration, accountability and a shared commitment to customer and commercial outcomes.
• Support functional leaders in determining resource requirements and workforce planning needs to optimise operational performance.
• Work closely with Commercial, Finance, Product, Technology and Customer Service teams to ensure consistency, quality and efficiency of service delivery.
• Promote a high-performance culture centred on ownership, continuous improvement and customer-centric decision making.
• Coach, mentor and influence managers and senior stakeholders to strengthen leadership capability and improve business performance.

Leadership / Governance

• Lead operational governance activities, ensuring compliance, reporting and performance management.
• Provide regular performance updates, insights and recommendations to senior stakeholders.

Financial Planning and Management

• Establish and monitor service level agreements, operational KPIs and performance targets.
• Drive efficiency, automation and sustainable growth while maintaining service quality.

Risk Management

• Identify and evaluate operational, financial, regulatory and reputational risks.
• Promote a proactive risk management culture through effective governance and controls.

What we’re looking for:


Essential experience:

• Significant experience leading operational delivery across multiple business functions.
• Experience operating successfully within a matrix management structure.
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and deliver outcomes through indirect leadership.
• Strong client-facing experience and management of complex operational issues.

Desirable experience:

• Knowledge of CRM platforms.
• Knowledge of gift card, payments or fintech sectors.
• Experience with high-profile clients and transformation programmes.

Behaviours:

• Customer-centric and commercially aware.
• Strong ability to align and coordinate cross-functional teams toward shared objectives.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Demonstrates ownership, accountability and sound judgement.
• Balances strategic thinking with operational execution.

Benefits:

• 25 days’ holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Company pension scheme
• UK health care cover
• Staff Everyday Benefits card offering discounts with multiple retailers (10%)
• Corporate travel scheme with Merseyrail, Northern rail, Arriva & Transport for Wales
• Fabulous kitchen space which offers free refreshments 
• Faith room open to all denominations along with dedicated kitchen space for Halal and Kosher food preparation
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Family friendly leave

You may have experience in the following: Head of Operations, Operations Director, Director of Operations, Senior Operations Manager, Head of Service Delivery, Head of Business Operations, Operations Lead, Head of Customer Operations, Head of Commercial Operations, Operations and Governance Manager, Head of Client Services, etc.