Head of Operations

Company: Shakkr – Gifting & Indian Sweets Position: Head of Operations Location: Mumbai Employment Type: Full-Time, On-Site Experience: 5–10+ years in Operations, preferably in Food & Beverage, Retail, QSR, Premium Gifting, FMCG, or Indian SweetsAbout ShakkrShakkr is a premium Indian sweets and gifting brand focused on bringing together traditional Indian flavours, contemporary presentation, and memorable gifting experiences.

We are looking for an experienced Head of Operations to lead and build scalable operational systems across our stores, production, supply chain, gifting, and customer experience functions.Role OverviewThe Head of Operations will be responsible for the end-to-end operational performance of Shakkr, ensuring smooth, efficient, and profitable execution across retail outlets, production, inventory, procurement, logistics, gifting orders, and customer service.The role requires a strong combination of strategic thinking and hands-on execution, with the ability to build processes, lead teams, improve operational efficiency, maintain quality standards, and support the brand's growth.Key Responsibilities1. Overall Operations ManagementLead day-to-day operations across all Shakkr outlets, production units, warehouses, and gifting operations.Develop and implement SOPs, operational policies, checklists, and control systems.Ensure consistent execution of operational standards across locations.Identify operational gaps and implement corrective and preventive measures.Establish clear KPIs and performance metrics for all operational functions.2. Retail & Store OperationsOversee end-to-end operations of retail stores and ensure smooth daily functioning.Monitor sales, productivity, customer service, staffing, wastage, inventory, and operating costs.Drive store-level profitability and operational efficiency.Ensure consistent customer experience and brand standards across outlets.Conduct regular store audits and review compliance with SOPs.3. Production & QualityCoordinate closely with the production team to ensure timely availability of products.Ensure production planning is aligned with sales forecasts, store requirements, and gifting orders.Monitor product quality, consistency, shelf life, wastage, and production efficiency.Work with the Quality/Production team to maintain food safety and hygiene standards.Ensure compliance with applicable food safety and regulatory requirements.4. Inventory & Supply ChainOversee procurement, inventory planning, warehousing, stock movement, and distribution.Implement systems to maintain optimum inventory levels and reduce stock-outs and excess inventory.Monitor wastage, expiry, pilferage, and inventory variance.Improve vendor management and procurement efficiency.Ensure timely movement of products and packaging materials across locations.5. Gifting OperationsLead operational execution for corporate, festive, wedding, and customized gifting orders.Ensure timely production, packaging, dispatch, and delivery of gifting orders.Coordinate between sales, production, procurement, packaging, logistics, and customers.Develop processes to efficiently manage high-volume seasonal and festive demand.Ensure gifting orders are delivered within agreed timelines and quality standards.6. Team ManagementBuild, lead, and develop high-performing operations teams.Define roles, responsibilities, KPIs, and performance expectations.Work closely with HR on manpower planning, recruitment, training, and retention.Conduct regular performance reviews and capability-building initiatives.Create a strong culture of accountability, ownership, and operational discipline.7. Cost & P&L ManagementMonitor operational costs and identify opportunities for cost optimization.Control food cost, packaging cost, wastage, manpower cost, logistics cost, and other operating expenses.Support management in achieving revenue and profitability targets.Analyse operational data and prepare periodic performance reports for leadership.8. Customer ExperienceEnsure high standards of customer service across all touchpoints.Monitor customer feedback, complaints, returns, and service recovery.Identify recurring customer issues and implement solutions.Work with the brand and sales teams to maintain a consistent premium customer experience.9. Expansion & Process BuildingDevelop scalable operational systems to support Shakkr's growth and expansion.Participate in new store openings, production capacity expansion, and new business initiatives.Evaluate operational feasibility of new locations, formats, and channels.Build systems that can support increased volumes without compromising quality or customer experience.Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)Store and operational profitabilitySales and productivity per outletFood/product wastage and inventory varianceCost control and operational efficiencyOrder fulfilment and on-time deliveryCustomer satisfaction and complaint resolutionProduction efficiency and product availabilityEmployee productivity and retentionSOP and quality complianceSuccessful execution of festive and bulk gifting ordersDesired Candidate Profile5–10+ years of relevant experience in operations.Experience in F&B, premium retail, Indian sweets, FMCG, hospitality, gifting, or a similar consumer-facing business.Strong experience managing multi-location operations and large teams.Demonstrated experience in building and implementing SOPs and operational systems.Strong understanding of inventory, procurement, production coordination, logistics, and cost control.Experience handling high-volume seasonal/festive operations will be an advantage.Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.Excellent leadership and people-management capabilities.Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills.Comfortable working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.EducationBachelor's degree in Business Management, Hospitality, Operations, Retail Management, or a related field.An MBA/PG qualification in Operations, Retail, Hospitality, or Business Management will be an added advantage.What We Are Looking ForWe are looking for a hands-on operations leader who can build processes from the ground up, create operational discipline, manage multiple stakeholders, and scale Shakkar's operations while maintaining quality, consistency, profitability, and an exceptional gifting and customer experience.If you are passionate about building businesses, enjoy solving operational challenges, and have experience scaling food, retail, gifting, or consumer businesses, we would love to hear from you.