Assistant Operations Manager

About Basford Brands

At Basford Brands, we pride ourselves on driving efficiency, maintaining excellence, and delivering top-tier service. We are seeking a highly motivated and strategic Assistant Operations Manager to work closely with our COO and executive leadership team. In this role, you will oversee our end-to-end warehouse and operational activities, driving integration across our core supply chain divisions.

The Role

As the Assistant Operations Manager, you will play a critical role in optimizing workflows across warehouse operations, customer service, purchasing and planning, and shipping and logistics. You will bridge the gap between strategic planning and daily execution, ensuring that our logistics and operations exceed company and customer standards. This role serves as a direct stepping stone to senior management roles within the company for a high-performing leader who demonstrates exceptional strategic execution.

Key Responsibilities

Multi-Departmental Oversight & Process Improvement

• Divisional Management: Oversee and coordinate day-to-day operations across four core areas: Warehouse, Customer Service, Purchasing & Planning, and Shipping & Logistics.
• End-to-End Process Improvement: Analyse, develop, and refine workflows and organizational processes across all four divisions to eliminate bottlenecks and maximize efficiency.
• SOP Development: Formulate, review, and execute rigorous Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across all managed departments to ensure quality control, consistency, and compliance.

Warehouse Operations & Workflow Optimization

• Operational Oversight: Oversee day-to-day warehouse functions, including receiving, inventory management, and equipment utilization.
• Space & Planogram Management: Design and implement warehouse planograms to maximize cubic space utilization, improve picking efficiency, and streamline inventory layout.
• Inventory Control: Analyse data to maintain high inventory accuracy, optimize stock levels, and minimize sub-rental storage expenses.
• Equipment & Fleet Management: Manage all aspects of vehicle and heavy equipment rentals.

Team Leadership & People Management

• Support Direct Reports: Guide, mentor, and work alongside the Warehouse Manager, departmental supervisors, and frontline staff across all operational divisions.
• Workforce Development: Recruit, select, train, assign, schedule, coach, counsel, and discipline employees to foster a high-performance culture.
• Performance Management: Communicate clear job expectations; plan, monitor, appraise, and review individual job contributions.
• Policy Enforcement: Consistently uphold and enforce company policies, rules, and behavioural standards.

Financial & Budgetary Control

• Budget Accountability: Forecast operational requirements, assist in preparing the annual budget, schedule expenditures, and analyse financial variances.
• Labour Management: Manage staffing levels, wages, hours, and contract labour to align revenue with budget expectations.
• Invoice Administration: Review, verify, and approve all operational invoices to ensure timely submission for payment.

Strategy, Vendor Management & Customer Experience

• Strategic Contributions: Contribute operational insights to strategic plans, execute action plans, and complete audits to identify performance trends.
• Supply Chain & Logistics Relations: Manage relationships with key operational vendors, freight providers, and shipping lines, rigorously tracking service level agreements (SLAs).
• Customer-Centric Focus: Lead the Customer Service department to proactively address feedback, resolve escalations, and continuously elevate the customer experience.
• Executive Collaboration: Work closely with the COO, MD, and wider management team to design, implement, and enforce operational systems and policies.

Safety & Compliance

• Safety Leadership: Foster an injury- and accident-free workplace by establishing, following, and enforcing rigorous safety standards.
• Regulatory Compliance: Collaborate with legal counsel and our safety department to ensure full compliance with OH&S (Occupational Health & Safety) regulations and governmental laws.

Skills & Proficiencies Required

• Leadership & Influence: Proven ability to lead, delegate, persuade, and inspire a diverse, multi-disciplinary team toward shared goals.
• Supply Chain Expertise: Strong understanding of warehouse planograms, shipping/logistics coordination, and purchasing workflows.
• Operational Planning & SOP Execution: Exceptional organization skills with a proven track record of writing and embedding SOPs across multiple business units.
• Financial Acumen: Experience with budget development, financial analysis, and labour cost controls.
• Critical Thinking: Exceptional problem-solving, decision-making, and analytical skills.
• Communication & Negotiation: Excellent verbal and written communication skills with strong business negotiation capabilities.
• Resilience & Adaptability: High stress tolerance with the agility to navigate fast-paced, changing operational environments.

What We Offer

• A dynamic and supportive executive and management team.
• Clear career progression with a direct pathways into senior management roles.
• Opportunity to make a direct impact on business growth and operational strategy.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Minimum 5 years Operational experience