Operations Manager - West Midlands Sort Centre

Overview

Relay is seeking an Operations Manager to run shifts at a Hybrid Sort Centre in the West Midlands. This role involves leading a frontline team of 50 to 100 or more operatives through high-volume, time-pressured sortation where minute deviations can cascade into missed deadlines. The position requires being on the floor for every shift to manage the forward work alongside running the daily operation.

What you get

The position is offered as a full-time contract based in the West Midlands. Visa sponsorship may be offered for suitable candidates.

Requirements

Applicants must have experience scaling something from zero, such as a site, market, process, or program. Candidates need a background in managing a physical operation with hard cut-offs and people on the floor, including quick commerce, grocery, e-commerce fulfillment, last mile, third-party logistics, food production, airport ground handling, or rail.

Individuals must possess strong people management and communication skills, the ability to build operational mechanisms, and a history of owning numbers rather than merely reporting them. Candidates must also demonstrate an understanding of frontline work through personal leadership, embedded daily work, or accountability for frontline outcomes. Suitable backgrounds include program management in logistics or e-commerce, operations excellence, strategy and operations, transformation management, launch and expansion management, and regional operations management.

How to apply

The hiring process consists of a 15-minute initial screen, a 90-minute hiring manager conversation featuring a 45-minute onsite interview followed by a 45-minute site tour shadowing an existing shift manager, and a final 45-minute interview.