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South Africa
Remote only
This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for an Operations Manager – eCommerce & DTC based in South Africa.
As Operations Manager, you will play a key role in scaling a growing direct-to-consumer (DTC) eCommerce business by bringing structure, efficiency, and accountability across its operations. Working closely with the founders, you will oversee multiple business functions, including supply chain, inventory, fulfillment, customer service, and team management. You will identify operational bottlenecks, implement scalable systems, and establish processes that support sustainable growth. From coordinating external partners to improving internal workflows, you will turn business priorities into measurable results. This hands-on leadership role is ideal for an experienced DTC operator who thrives in fast-paced environments and enjoys solving complex operational challenges. You will have the autonomy to drive projects from concept to execution while helping build a more efficient, structured, and scalable organization. The position is fully remote, offering the opportunity to make a direct impact on the business's growth and performance.
Business Operations: Oversee day-to-day operations across the business, proactively identifying bottlenecks, resolving issues, and implementing improvements to ensure smooth and efficient execution.
Process Development: Design, document, and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs), workflows, and scalable systems to improve consistency, accountability, and operational efficiency, using tools such as Notion.
Supply Chain Management: Coordinate supply chain activities, including purchasing, inventory planning, supplier management, and logistics, ensuring product availability and reliable operations.
Inventory and Fulfillment: Oversee inventory levels, third-party logistics (3PL) providers, warehousing, shipping, and order fulfillment to optimize performance, costs, and delivery reliability.
Customer Service: Support and coordinate customer service operations, ensuring effective workflows, high service standards, and strong collaboration between customer-facing and operational teams.
Team Leadership: Contribute to recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and team development while establishing clear responsibilities, accountability, and performance expectations.
Project Management: Lead cross-functional projects from planning through execution, independently driving initiatives forward while minimizing the need for day-to-day founder involvement.
Performance Monitoring: Develop and maintain KPIs, dashboards, and reporting systems that provide leadership with clear visibility into operational performance, business challenges, and improvement opportunities.
External Partner Coordination: Build and maintain effective relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, logistics providers, 3PL partners, and other external stakeholders to ensure reliable execution.
Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve resource allocation, reduce inefficiencies, and build operational infrastructure that supports business growth.
Founder Collaboration: Work closely with the founders to translate strategic priorities into actionable plans, connect different business functions, and ensure the organization operates cohesively.
At least 3 years of experience in Operations, General Management, or a similar leadership role within a growing business.
Essential: Direct, in-house experience operating a physical-product direct-to-consumer (DTC) or eCommerce brand, with a practical understanding of how the business functions across multiple departments.
Demonstrated experience managing several business functions rather than specializing exclusively in a single operational area.
Strong hands-on experience in supply chain management, inventory planning, purchasing, logistics, order fulfillment, and third-party logistics (3PL) operations.
Proven ability to develop, document, and implement SOPs, workflows, and scalable processes that improve efficiency and support growth.
Experience hiring, onboarding, managing, and developing teams, with the ability to establish clear expectations and maintain accountability.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret operational data, identify root causes, and implement practical solutions.
Excellent organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and drive initiatives independently from start to finish.
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, enabling effective collaboration with founders, internal teams, suppliers, manufacturers, and logistics partners.
A proactive, hands-on, and ownership-driven mindset, with the confidence to make decisions, anticipate challenges, and take responsibility for operational outcomes.
Ability to work effectively in a fast-growing, dynamic environment where processes may need to be built or improved as the business evolves.
Strongly preferred: Experience in health, wellness, supplements, or nutrition, particularly within a physical-product DTC business.
Strongly preferred: Previous experience working directly with founders in a high-growth eCommerce company.
Additional advantage: Experience in a Head of Operations, General Manager, Chief Operating Officer (COO), or Chief of Staff role.
Fully remote work: Work remotely from Romania, with flexibility in managing your work environment.
High-impact ownership: Take responsibility for key operational functions and directly influence business performance and scalability.
Close collaboration with founders: Work directly with company leadership, contributing to strategic decisions and translating business priorities into execution.
Broad operational exposure: Lead initiatives across supply chain, fulfillment, customer service, people management, and business processes.
Autonomy and responsibility: Drive projects independently, make operational decisions, and implement improvements with a high degree of ownership.
Opportunity to build scalable systems: Establish processes, reporting structures, and workflows that support the company's next stage of growth.
Professional development: Expand your leadership and operational expertise within a growing DTC and eCommerce environment.
Collaborative working environment: Partner with internal teams and external stakeholders to solve problems, improve performance, and deliver shared business objectives.