Head of Operations

Head of Operations & Network Deployment – France

Location: France (Île-de-France base, national remit)

Sector: Urban Logistics / Last-Mile / Tech-Enabled Delivery

Confidential search conducted by Nter Talent

The Opportunity

Our client is a fast-growing, tech-enabled urban logistics operator that has proven its model in the UK and is now launching into France. They combine smart routing technology, independent driver capacity, cross-docking and micro-fulfilment to build a faster, more flexible delivery network.

Having validated the concept in the UK market, they are now investing in a ground‑up French launch — and are looking for the operator who will build it.

This is a rare "founder-style" opportunity within a backed, scaling business: you will not be joining an established operation, you will be building one.

The Role

We are looking for a hands‑on operator to launch, run and scale the French operation from the ground up. This is not a desk‑based strategy role — it is for someone who can find the right sites, build the driver base, fix problems quickly, get partners moving, challenge what isn't working, and keep service levels high while the business grows.

You will take a proven central operating model and make it work in the French market — staying compliant, building the operating rhythm, and ensuring every launch is practical, measurable and commercially sound.

What You’ll Own

• Launch the French operation and make it work in the real world
• Find, assess and stand up the right operational sites
• Build a reliable driver network with enough capacity to grow
• Set up cross‑dock, sortation and micro‑fulfilment operations
• Align and mobilise partners, suppliers and local teams quickly
• Track service, cost, productivity and safety weekly, and act on the data
• Hire and develop the local team as the network scales
• Work closely with the central operations, technology, customer and leadership teams — feeding back what the French market needs while keeping execution consistent

What Success Looks Like

First 12 months:

• Île-de-France launched and stable
• Dependable driver capacity and operating routines in place
• First operational sites live and productive
• France fully integrated into the group's tech, reporting and live operations setup
• Clear weekly visibility on service, cost, capacity and launch readiness
• Next three city clusters prepared for launch, prioritised by demand, density and economics (likely regions: Auvergne‑Rhône‑Alpes, Provence, Hauts‑de‑France, Nouvelle‑Aquitaine, Occitanie)

After 24 months:

• Live and stable operations across five regions
• Driver capacity and partner support strong enough to sustain continued scaling
• Cross‑dock and micro‑fulfilment sites genuinely operational, not just open on paper
• Service, cost and productivity under control
• A capable local team in place
• A repeatable, provable French playbook

What You’ll Bring

• Experience running parcel, logistics, fulfilment, last‑mile or similar operations in France
• A track record of launching new sites, regions, networks or service lines
• Experience managing multi‑site operations through the messiness of growth
• A history of building teams, driver capacity and third‑party relationships from scratch (or close to it)
• Comfort using data to drive service, cost, productivity and customer experience improvements
• A builder mindset — you don't wait for perfect conditions
• Hands‑on energy and comfort being close to the operational detail
• Clear judgement on when to move fast and when to tighten control
• No ego — equally at ease with drivers, partners, site teams and senior leadership
• Resilience — things will break, and you'll be the one fixing them