Head of European Warehouse Operations

Location: Hybrid, with regular European travel

Salary: Circa £80,000 + Bonus + Benefits

Reporting to: Group Chief Operating Officer

About the Role

We’re looking for an experienced and commercially focused Head of European Warehouse Operations to join DD Group and lead the performance, development and transformation of our European distribution operations, with a particular focus on our businesses in Belgium and Italy.

This is a senior leadership opportunity where you’ll play a key role in shaping our European operating model, improving warehouse and distribution performance, and supporting the Group’s continued growth and transformation. Working closely with local leadership teams and senior stakeholders, you’ll drive operational excellence across multiple countries, ensuring we deliver consistently high standards of customer service, productivity, safety and compliance.

You’ll also play a leading role in several major transformation programmes, including the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365, warehouse automation, and the development of our European distribution network. We’re looking for someone who combines strong operational expertise with a practical, hands-on approach to delivering change, building relationships and achieving measurable improvements.

If you’re an experienced European operations leader who enjoys improving performance, developing teams and delivering meaningful business transformation, this is an opportunity to make a significant impact across DD Group.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead and deliver the European warehouse and distribution strategy, ensuring our operations support business growth, customer requirements and long-term operational efficiency.
• Oversee warehouse, fulfilment, distribution and returns operations across our European businesses, working through local management teams to maintain consistent standards and performance.
• Drive improvements in warehouse productivity, operational costs, stock accuracy, inventory management and customer service through effective planning, performance management and continuous improvement.
• Act as the European operational lead for the Group's Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP implementation, supporting process design, data readiness, testing, training, implementation and post-launch improvements.
• Lead the development and implementation of warehouse automation initiatives, including investment proposals, supplier engagement, operational readiness and the delivery of measurable benefits.
• Support the development of our European warehouse and distribution network, including property strategy, site consolidation and potential third-party logistics arrangements.
• Lead operational due diligence and integration activities for newly acquired European businesses, ensuring effective transition planning, operational continuity and alignment with Group standards.
• Ensure operations comply with relevant European and local regulatory, quality, health and safety requirements, promoting a strong culture of safety and accountability.
• Work with colleagues across the Group to deliver practical sustainability improvements, including energy efficiency, transport, waste reduction and packaging.
• Lead, support and develop local operational leaders, building strong teams, clear accountability and a consistent performance culture across our European businesses.
• Establish and monitor operational KPIs covering service, productivity, inventory, cost, safety and transformation, identifying opportunities for improvement and taking appropriate action.
• Work closely with senior stakeholders across Operations, Finance, IT, Supply Chain and Quality, providing clear reporting, recommendations and updates on operational performance, investment requirements and transformation progress.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for an established senior operations leader with significant experience managing warehouse, distribution or logistics operations across multiple European countries. You'll have a strong track record of improving operational performance and successfully delivering complex change programmes, alongside the leadership skills needed to influence teams and stakeholders across different businesses and cultures.

You'll ideally bring:

• Significant senior leadership experience within European warehouse operations, distribution, wholesale, logistics or a comparable regulated industry.
• Proven experience managing operations across multiple European countries, with knowledge of the Belgian and Italian markets particularly beneficial.
• A strong track record of improving warehouse performance, inventory accuracy, productivity, customer service and operational efficiency.
• Hands-on experience delivering major ERP transformation programmes, ideally involving Microsoft Dynamics 365, including process redesign, testing, implementation and adoption.
• Experience implementing warehouse management systems, automation solutions and operational improvement initiatives.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end operational processes, including Order-to-Cash (O2C) and Procure-to-Pay (P2P).
• Experience supporting business acquisitions and integrating operations, systems and processes across different sites or organisations.
• Strong commercial and financial awareness, with experience managing budgets, developing investment proposals and measuring operational performance.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and develop high-performing teams.
• A structured, analytical and delivery-focused approach, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver results in a changing environment.
• Fluent professional French and English, both written and spoken, are essential. Italian or additional European languages would be advantageous.
• Willingness and flexibility to travel regularly between our European locations.

A degree or relevant professional qualification in Operations, Logistics, Supply Chain or a related discipline would be beneficial, alongside formal training in continuous improvement, health and safety or project management.

Why Join DD Group?

DD Group is a leading supplier of products, equipment and services to the dental and healthcare sectors, supporting customers across the UK and Europe.

As our European operations continue to develop, we're investing in our people, systems and infrastructure to build a more efficient, connected and scalable business. This role offers the opportunity to influence that journey, working closely with senior leadership and local teams to deliver improvements that make a real difference.

You'll have the opportunity to lead meaningful transformation, shape the future of our European distribution operations and contribute directly to the continued success and growth of DD Group.

If you have the experience, leadership capability and ambition to drive operational excellence across an international business, we'd welcome your application.