Head of Operations, EMEA

Job description

Role: Head of Operations, EMEA Reporting Manager: VP of Fulfillment Working Hours: M - F, 9AM - 6PM Location: 100% on site, Oude Meer, North Holland, 1438 BC Department: Fulfilment ABOUT NIVODA 🚀 Nivoda is on a mission to transform the $350 billion global jewelry industry. We're building the operating system for the industry — a marketplace that connects diamond and gemstone suppliers directly with retailers, giving both sides a faster, more transparent, and more efficient way to trade. Today, Nivoda processes over $300M in annual transactions and continues to grow at an extraordinary pace, with teams based in London, New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai, and beyond. OUR MISSION 🎯 Diamond and gemstone trading has long been plagued by inefficiency, opacity, and exclusivity. Nivoda was built to change that - to democratise access and empower every business, regardless of size or location, to buy and sell with confidence. Independent jewellers are at the heart of this mission. They deserve the same access to quality, pricing, and selection as the biggest players in the industry. That's exactly what we give them. ABOUT THE ROLE 🤔 We are looking for a highly proactive, operationally sharp, and people-first Head of Operations to lead fulfilment performance across our EMEA region ( NL, UK and ZA). You will be the backbone of our EMEA operations - setting clear expectations, enforcing standards, and driving accountability across intake, QC, shipping, and returns - while building relationships with key suppliers, partners, and carriers. This role bridges hands-on execution with strategic team development, process optimisation, and cross-hub alignment, and requires strong operational judgment, structured thinking, and the ability to thrive in a fast-evolving, high-growth environment. This is a senior, on-site leadership role with full accountability for people, performance, and culture within our EMEA hubs , and an exciting opportunity to build upon an established foundation, mentor a team, and drive results in a high-growth environment. WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING? 😎 Own EMEA Hub Logistics & Fulfilment Performance - Take full ownership of fulfilment operational KPIs across the NL hub and the wider EMEA network: speed, accuracy, and service levels - Own end-to-end intake, QC, shipping, and returns performance at the NL hub, ensuring adherence to service-level commitments - Drive daily execution across teams while maintaining a strong focus on scalability and process robustness - Hold direct oversight of the UK and South Africa operations teams, with local leads reporting into this role - Set consistent standards, SLAs, and ways of working across the NL, UK, and ZA hubs - Review weekly operational metrics by function and by hub (intake, QC, shipping, returns, express) and implement improvements - Manage carrier relationships (e.g. FedEx, UPS, Brinks) across the region, optimising for cost, speed, and reliability - Maintain strong local relationships with suppliers, runners, carriers, and other regional partners Build & Scale New Workflows - Lead the rollout and optimisation of new & existing fulfilment streams - Design and implement SOPs to support operational complexity and growth across the region Drive Continuous Improvement - Identify bottlenecks and implement process improvements to increase throughput and reduce errors - Leverage data to inform decisions and improve operational performance across all EMEA hubs Lead & Develop the Team - Lead team check-ins (weekly, biweekly, or monthly) across EMEA hubs - Cultivate a positive team culture rooted in accountability, precision, clarity, and growth Cross-Functional & Cross-Hub Ownership - Act as the primary interface between EMEA fulfilment, customer support, supplier teams, and global stakeholders - Partner with other Nivoda hubs for cross-hub alignment and contribute insights in WBRs WHAT DO WE NEED FROM YOU? 💪 - 12+ years in operations, fulfillment, or logistics-based office management - 10+ years experience in managing or leading teams - Demonstrated ability to execute and enforce daily operational workflows - Proficiency in Excel/Sheets, SQL - Proven ability to translate data into clear insights and recommendations that influence business decisions - Ability to investigate problems, identify root causes, and structure data-driven solutions - Demonstrable experience using AI tools as part of your day-to-day workflow - Clear, effective communicator and highly organized leader - Desire and ability to work in a fast-growing company where processes change continuously NICE TO HAVE ✨ - Experience within the diamond, gemstone, or luxury goods industry - Familiarity with 3PL providers OUR CULTURE AND WHAT WE OFFER 😉 At Nivoda, we believe that employees today want to evolve in a collaborative, high-growth environment where they can demonstrate their abilities and thrive both professionally and personally. We work to create a culture of empowerment, continuous learning, and growth where everyone can bring their expertise, own projects, and easily measure their impact. Dynamic working environment in a rapidly growing company. Enjoy a pleasant, low-hierarchy work environment. Engage in intellectually challenging work that contributes significantly to Nivoda's success and scalability. OUR CURRENT BENEFITS 🕰️ A vibrant company culture 🏖️ Unlimited holiday allowance 🚀 Chance to join and contribute to a company during its exponential expansion phase EQUAL OPPORTUNITY Nivoda is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace dedicated to promoting diversity. We don't discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Even if it seems you don't meet 100% of our musts - don't let it stop you. We are all about finding the best talent out there! Skills can be learned, and embracing diversity is invaluable. Please note: Our Talent Acquisition Team is international. We kindly ask you to submit your CV and application in English so that it can be reviewed correctly. This is a full time position that's 100% on-site in Oude Meer, the Netherlands. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship at this time. NOT QUITE THE RIGHT FIT? If after reading this job description you believe this is not the best fit for you, we'd encourage you to join our Nivoda Talent Pool https://nivoda.net/talent-pool so we can keep you in mind as new roles open up.