Operations Director, WatchHouse.

Location: United Kingdom, London Based.
Reports to: Managing Director

The Operations Director is a UK-based, globally minded leader accountable for operational excellence across the UK and US. This role sets the operational strategy and ensures it is executed consistently in every House through strong leaders, clear standards, and disciplined rhythms. You will own guest experience and brand standards, drive commercial performance, and build scalable systems that support growth. You will line manage senior Ops leaders in both markets, develop capability and succession, and ensure performance is visible and improving. You will lead openings and stabilisation, using insight and data to turn issues into practical action. You will partner cross-functionally to ensure plans are operationally ready and delivered at pace. The role is hands-on, with meaningful time spent in Houses, and includes travel to New York.

Key Responsibilities:

• Set and execute the global operational strategy across the UK and US, aligned to company goals.

• Build and continuously improve a scalable operating model: standards, rhythms, tools, and accountability.

• Hold accountability for House performance, profitability, and delivery of key KPIs across both markets.

• Protect and elevate guest experience through clear service standards, quality expectations, and coaching.

• Implement an insight-led improvement framework using audits, guest feedback, NPS/reviews and operational data.

• Lead, line manage and develop the senior Operations team in the UK and US, including performance management.

• Own end-to-end operational planning and delivery for new House openings and post-opening stabilisation.

• Partner with the People Team to ensure roles/structures, training readiness, retention plans, and a strong talent pipeline are in place across Houses.

• Maintain consistent SOPs and brand standards, balancing global “non-negotiables” with local requirements.

• Own global standards governance, including audit frameworks, scoring, follow-up cadence, and escalation where standards are not met.

• Drive productivity and cost control frameworks, including labour strategy, scheduling discipline, and waste reduction.

• Partner with the Finance Team on budgets, forecasts, pricing inputs, and commercial performance reporting.

• Champion systems excellence across POS, scheduling, inventory, audits, and learning tools to improve scalability.

• Strengthen operational governance: weekly trading cadence, performance reviews, and quarterly planning cycles.

• Oversee stock availability, waste, and supplier performance awareness across UK/US, working in close partnership with the Coffee and Food teams (who remain primary leads).

• Oversee adherence to local market compliance requirements (e.g., DOH requirements in the US), ensuring robust reporting and action through in-market Operations leadership.

• Own operational risk management, compliance and incident response across health & safety, food safety, and licensing.

The role in more detail:

You will set clear global standards and ensure they are delivered consistently across the UK and US, supported by a strong operating cadence and visible performance metrics. You will coach and hold senior Ops leaders accountable, building capability, succession, and a high-performance culture. You will drive commercial outcomes through labour discipline, productivity, and cost control while protecting the guest experience at all times. You will lead the operational delivery of new openings and post-opening stabilisation, ensuring teams, tools and training are in place. You will run global standards governance through audits, follow-up, and escalation where performance is off track. You will maintain oversight of stock availability, waste, and supplier performance in partnership with Coffee and Food, ensuring risks are flagged early. You will ensure local compliance requirements are understood and met through in-market Ops leadership, including US-specific requirements such as DOH. You will partner cross-functionally to make initiatives operationally ready and executable and spend regular time in Houses. The role includes at least quarterly travel to New York to support alignment and execution.

Key Skills:

• Senior multi-site hospitality operator with experience leading at pace in a scaling business.

• Strategic thinker who is equally comfortable being hands-on in Houses and coaching in real time.

• Commercially strong; confident owning House-level performance, EBITDA delivery, labour discipline and cost control.

• Data-literate and able to translate metrics into practical actions teams can execute.

• Strong people leader with a track record of developing senior operators and building accountability.

• Excellent communicator who can influence cross-functionally and align UK/US stakeholders around shared priorities.

• Disciplined operator who runs a strong cadence (weekly/monthly/quarterly) and closes loops consistently.

• Strong systems and process mindset; able to lead adoption of tools and operational change at scale.

• Calm under pressure, resilient, and solutions-driven in live trading environments.

• Comfortable travelling regularly (including quarterly travel to New York) and leading across time zones and cultures.

• A cultural ambassador of our core values of Passion, Diligence, Drive and Empathy.

Working at WatchHouse.

WatchHouse was born from a passion to do better. Diligence and attention to detail are paramount to what we do, we focus on the detail. We strive for perfection. We really care.

We are a people first business, curious and interested in those around us. We treat everyone with respect. We pride ourselves on creating an environment where diversity is celebrated, equality is insisted and inclusion expected. 

A company where we believe in having the right person in the role; personality and individuality at the top of the list of what we are looking for in applications and throughout our hiring process.

We also know that everyone is different, and we value and respect diversity, standing up for equality and standing against any form of discrimination.

Decisions about and the treatment of people at work should be based on the individual’s abilities, skills, performance and behaviour- these should be assessed against the WatchHouse job description requirements for each individual role.

We are always patient and considerate towards others. Encouraging, approachable and communicating brilliantly. We strive to be the best we can be, by giving and receiving regular and honest feedback in a professional manner.

We plan ahead, prioritise and are mindful and respect the time of others. We complete every task to the best of our ability. Always happy to ask for help, work in cohesion with others and share successes.

We work to make WatchHouse an environment of trust and comradery, where others are inspired to play their part in working effectively together. Building strong relationships with others and demonstrating positive energy. We recognise and value the contribution of others across the business, working together to deliver the Modern Coffee experience to each and every person touched by our business.

Our four core values - passion, drive, diligence and empathy - are what make WatchHouse who we are. Our decisions are made based on these principles. To grow and succeed at WatchHouse, it is imperative that these values also resonate strongly with you and can drive your ambition in the same way they do ours.