Operations Lead

About the role We are hiring an Operations Lead to run our operations end to end and lead the operations team. This is a senior, hands-on role. You will own day-to-day delivery, manage the relationship with stakeholders, run governance and reporting, and make sure service levels are met. You will carry full responsibility for how the operation is run, from planning and process design to getting the work done when the team needs support. We are looking for someone who is organized, decisive and dependable, who can manage several priorities at once and deliver to a high standard without close supervision. Delivery and service levels • Own day-to-day operations and make sure work is delivered accurately and on time. • Track performance against agreed service levels, report on it monthly and put corrective action plans in place when targets are missed. • Plan and track the delivery of operational activities, and report progress weekly. • Set up and run manual workarounds where systems are not yet in place, and track each one until it is automated. • Step in on hands-on work when the team needs support. Governance and stakeholders • Prepare and present weekly, monthly and quarterly review packs, run the meetings, issue minutes and track actions to closure. • Act as the main point of contact for stakeholders, including technology providers, marketing, support teams and external partners. • Coordinate with external partners to get the information and approvals the operation needs. • Escalate critical risks, issues and decisions promptly, with an impact assessment and a proposed solution. • Manage scope changes: assess the impact on resources, timelines and cost, and get approval before changes take effect. Team • Lead, train and coach the operations team, and set clear priorities and standards. • Plan the team's schedule and workload so the operation is always covered. • Review the team's work for accuracy, especially manual adjustments and other sensitive transactions. • Work closely with the finance team on reconciliations, settlements and approvals. Processes, reporting and risk • Write and maintain the operating model and standard operating procedures, with clear owners. • Keep live registers of issues, actions and operational risks, and report on them monthly. • Own operational reporting and dashboards, and turn the data into insights and recommendations. • Define the data the operation needs, check its quality and follow up on gaps and faults with the technology provider. • Recommend improvements to processes, tools and the overall offering. • Keep records ready for audit and support audits when needed. • Support other activities as required by the business. Must have • Bachelor's degree in Business, Management or a related field. • At least 7 years of experience in operations, service delivery or program management, including at least 2 years leading a team. • Experience managing senior stakeholders and running regular review meetings. • Experience working to service levels and delivering regular reports to deadlines. • Experience writing standard operating procedures and improving processes. • Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills, including building reports and dashboards from data. • Well-organized and able to manage several priorities and deadlines at once. • Takes ownership, makes decisions and follows through without being chased. • Detail-oriented and holds the team to a high standard of accuracy. • Calm under pressure and able to handle escalations professionally. • Excellent spoken and written English, including clear and professional emails and presentations. Strongly preferred • Good spoken and written Arabic. • Experience working with technology providers on system issues and changes. • Experience in loyalty programs, rewards, payments, events, sports or other transaction-based businesses. • Project management or process improvement qualification (for example PMP, PRINCE2 or Lean Six Sigma).