Senior Operations Lead (Central Operations)
Location: London SE1 (Hybrid – min. 2 days in office)
Salary: £55,000 – £65,000
About Us
At Lean Kitchen Network (LKN), we're not just making food — we're redefining the culinary landscape.
We partner with global brands like Twisted, Heinz, Doritos, PepsiCo, and Unilever to create and scale innovative food concepts. With 300+ locations across the UK, we work with kitchen operators, hotels, universities, and retailers to turn everyday spaces into high-performing food destinations.
We’re now entering our next phase of growth — building the systems, data infrastructure, and operational engine to scale faster and smarter.
The Role
We’re looking for a Senior Operations Lead to sit at the centre of the business — owning how we use data, systems, and processes to drive performance.
This is a high-impact, generalist role that blends operations, commercial thinking, and data. You’ll work across supply chain, partner performance, onboarding, and central reporting — while also helping us build a more scalable, tech-enabled operation.
This role is ideal for someone who is:
* Operationally strong
* Commercially aware
* Curious about data, automation, and AI
* Excited to build and improve systems in a scaling business
What You’ll Be Responsible For
Operations & Performance
* Drive operational performance across our network of partners, brands, and sites
* Identify gaps, inefficiencies, and opportunities to improve revenue and margin
* Support rollout and onboarding of new sites and initiatives
* Work cross-functionally across supply chain, commercial, and ops teams
Data, Reporting & Insights
* Own and evolve central reporting across the business
* Build and/or manage dashboards (e.g. Looker Studio, Power BI)
* Translate data into clear insights and actions for internal teams
* Define what should be tracked — KPIs, benchmarks, and performance frameworks
* Work with (or help build) a data/analytics function to deliver reporting needs
Systems, Processes & Scale
* Identify and implement better systems and processes across the business
* Improve operational workflows to support scaling to hundreds of locations
* Lead continuous improvement projects across operations and supply chain
* Ensure consistency and structure in how we operate centrally
Automation, AI & Future Capability
* Identify opportunities to introduce automation and AI into workflows
* Explore tools such as AI agents, automated reporting, and process automation
* Help the business become more efficient through smarter use of technology
* Stay close to emerging tools and trends, and apply them pragmatically
(Note: deep technical expertise isn’t required — but strong curiosity and practical application is key)
Leadership & Collaboration
* Work closely with the Operations Director and senior leadership team
* Help define priorities and execute key strategic projects
* Manage stakeholders across partners, suppliers, and internal teams
* Manage and guide data/analyst resource(s)
What We’re Looking For
* Experience in a senior or mid-senior operations role (hospitality, food, retail, or similar fast-paced environments)
* Strong commercial instincts — you understand what drives revenue and margin
* Comfortable working with data, dashboards, and performance metrics
* Experience with tools like Looker Studio, Power BI, Excel, or similar
* Systems thinker — you enjoy improving how things work, not just running them
* Interest in automation, AI, and using technology to improve operations
* Able to operate as a generalist across multiple areas (ops, supply chain, data, onboarding)
* Strong communicator with the ability to influence and align teams
* Hands-on, pragmatic, and comfortable in a scaling business
Important Note on the Role
We recognise this role covers a broad scope — including data, systems, and emerging technology.
While we don’t expect a deep specialist in every area, we are looking for someone who:
* Understands how these pieces fit together
* Can lead, prioritise, and problem-solve across them
* Is excited to learn and build in a fast-moving environment
Why Join LKN?
* Be part of one of the UK’s fastest-growing food platform businesses
* Work with globally recognised brands and major partners
* Play a key role in shaping how we scale the business
* High ownership, high autonomy, and real impact
* Opportunity to build future-facing capabilities (data, automation, AI)
If you’re excited by building systems, improving performance, and helping scale a modern food business — we’d love to hear from you.