Director of International Operations - Cape Town

The company A UK security technology distributor headquartered in Derbyshire, England, supplying CCTV and security products to more than 15,000 professional trade installers. The group owns and develops its own product brands and has grown through an ambitious turnaround under owner-led management since 2023. The group is now establishing its first international operation in Cape Town: a co-located team of up to nine covering technical support, inside sales, marketing and administration, serving the UK market in UK-aligned working hours. The role This is not an office-manager position. The Director of International Operations will build and lead the Cape Town operation from employee one — and, as a member of the group’s senior leadership team, take a major operating role in the UK company itself, working daily with the Managing Director and visiting the UK quarterly. The mission, in order of priority: first, make the group’s UK market penetration as successful as possible — the Cape Town team exists to power sales, support and marketing into our 15,000-strong UK installer base, and its output is measured on UK commercial results; second, run and grow the South African operation as its leader; and third, develop the group’s wider international strategy — evaluating and prioritising opportunities across South Africa, the USA and other territories, with priorities agreed jointly with the Managing Director. For now, UK growth comes first; the international remit grows as the foundation proves itself. Responsibilities — UK market growth (the priority) Direct the Cape Town sales, support and marketing functions squarely at UK commercial outcomes: revenue growth, account reactivation, service quality and customer retention across the installer base. Own the UK-facing operating rhythm — targets, pipeline reviews, campaign calendar and service standards — jointly with UK commercial leadership. Take ownership of designated group-wide operational programmes supporting UK growth — for example customer service standards, CRM/systems adoption and process improvement — spanning the UK and South African teams. Deputise for the Managing Director on operational matters, chairing the weekly trading cadence and preparing the monthly board pack. Travel to the UK head office quarterly (typically one to two weeks per visit, fully funded) to work alongside the UK leadership team. Responsibilities — building and running South Africa Establish the Cape Town operation end to end: recruit the founding team (with the MD and our EOR partner), select and stand up the office, and embed standards, systems and culture from day one. Lead a team growing to nine across technical support, inside sales, marketing and administration, with full accountability for performance, quality and retention. Run the operating rhythm: daily stand-ups, weekly performance reviews against OKRs, monthly reporting to the UK board. Own the local vendor relationships (employer-of-record, workspace, IT) and the South African operating budget. Design induction, training and career development so the office becomes a durable capability, not a satellite. Responsibilities — international strategy Serve on the group senior leadership team, contributing to strategy, annual OKR planning and trading decisions across the group. Develop the group’s international growth strategy: assess market opportunities, entry routes and business cases for South Africa, the USA and other territories, and bring recommendations to the Managing Director for joint prioritisation. Lead execution of agreed international initiatives as they are approved, building on the South African platform as the group’s first proof point. Build the operating playbook — hiring, standards, systems, reporting — that lets the group open future territories faster and cheaper each time. Eight or more years of operations leadership, including managing multi-functional teams and full P&L or budget accountability. A demonstrable record of building something — a site, department, or business unit — from scratch or through rapid scale-up. Experience working for, or closely with, UK or international companies; fluent professional English and effortless stakeholder management at board level. Commercially sharp and data-literate: comfortable owning targets, reading a P&L, and running performance through CRM and reporting systems. A builder’s temperament — hands-on enough to sit with a support engineer on a difficult ticket, senior enough to challenge the MD on strategy. Strategic capability with evidence of market or territory development — able to build a business case for a new market and then execute it. Able and willing to travel to the UK quarterly (the company will fund and support a long-term UK visitor visa). Desirable: technology, electronics, distribution or e-commerce sector experience; exposure to the security/CCTV industry; experience with Zoho or comparable CRM/ERP platforms. Annual performance bonus, linked to group and South African objectives. Private medical aid and retirement contributions within CTC; 20 days’ annual leave plus public holidays. All UK travel funded, including long-term multi-entry visa support. A founding executive role with genuine influence over a growing UK group — and first claim on the leadership opportunities that follow as the international operation expands.