Skills

Leadership Recruitment

Job Specifications

Operations Director

Short Shelf Life Challenger Brand

£120,000 - £150,000 + bonus + EMI shares

Central London/Hybrid

Ignite are delighted to be partnering with a fast‑growing FMCG challenger with huge momentum behind them, the business is gearing up for an ambitious scale‑up plan to reach £50m within the next two years.

They are now looking for an exceptional Operations Director to lead and scale their end‑to‑end operations and supply chain. You’ll be responsible for building an operations engine capable of supporting explosive growth in a short‑shelf‑life, chilled‑chain environment.

What will you be doing?

Leading the full end‑to‑end supply chain

Ensuring best‑in‑class availability, OTIF performance and waste control across retail and D2C channels.

Designing scalable systems, processes and S&OP frameworks to support rapid product and SKU expansion.

Managing and developing a growing operations team.

Partnering closely with founders, finance and commercial teams to protect margins and safeguard service levels.

Overseeing cost, margin and commodity volatility across raw materials, manufacturing and distribution.

Playing a strategic role in future international expansion across the US, EU and Middle East.

Who are we looking for?

10+ years’ experience leading FMCG operations, ideally with chilled or short shelf‑life categories.

You must have experience working for a business with a revenue between £10mil-£30mil - large corp experience isn't what the client is looking for.

A proven track record scaling operations in fast‑growth environments.

Strong S&OP, planning and supply chain leadership experience.

Deep understanding of chilled‑chain logistics and margin‑sensitive categories.

Experience managing multi‑SKU production with tight shelf‑life constraints.

A commercially minded approach, able to balance cost, growth and availability.

A hands‑on, resilient leader who thrives in fast-paced environments and brings teams with them.

What’s in it for you?

Completive salary with bonus and shares

Private healthcare

The chance to join a mission‑led challenger backed by top‑tier investors

This is a career‑defining opportunity to build a best‑in‑class function for a brand that is rapidly becoming a category leader.

What happens next?

Now: Apply today with your CV which will be reviewed by our Ignite team.

First Stage: Teams call with the Founder

Second Stage: Present a task

Third Stage: Meet CFO

People are at the heart of everything we do. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive recruitment process that means people can be their best authentic self.

We would love to reply to all applications, regrettably we are unable to do so due to the high volumes we receive, so if you do not hear back within 14 days unfortunately on this role it won’t be progressing. It is possible that the position could be in the process of closing, so chalk it up to bad timing. But, have no fear! There will be more opportunities. Follow us so you don’t miss them.

About the Company

Ignite | Connecting Challenger Brands with Ambitious People At Ignite, we do recruitment differently. We connect high-growth challenger brands with exceptional people. We partner with businesses and individuals who think big, move fast and make things happen. Launched 2 years ago as MKJ Ignite, we began with a clear mission: to power the growth of the UK’s most exciting, forward-thinking brands by matching them with ambitious people who share their energy and vision. In January 2026, we evolved into Ignite - a sharper, bold... Know more