Director, Last Mile & Delivery Operations

Director, Last Mile & Delivery Operations

Location: Nine Elms, London

Working Pattern: Full-time, on-site

About Zapp

Zapp is on a mission to redefine on-demand retail. We deliver everyday essentials to customers' doors in minutes, combining technology, operational excellence, and an uncompromising focus on customer experience.

We're building a business where speed, reliability, and quality go hand in hand — and our delivery operation is at the heart of making that happen.

The Role

We're looking for an exceptional Director, Last Mile & Delivery Operations to own and elevate one of the most critical parts of our business: getting orders into customers' hands as quickly, reliably, and efficiently as possible.

This is a high-impact leadership role with end-to-end ownership of our delivery operations, including delivery partner and rider management, delivery speed, operational performance, and cost efficiency.

You'll be responsible for ensuring consistently fast end-to-end delivery times, from the moment a customer places an order to the moment it arrives at their door. This means optimising every stage of the delivery journey, building and managing high-performing rider operations and delivery partnerships, and working cross-functionally to remove bottlenecks and continuously improve performance.

We're looking for someone with deep, hands-on experience specifically in last mile and delivery operations, who combines strategic thinking with a relentless bias for action. Someone who is equally comfortable defining a long-term operating strategy, diving deep into performance data, and getting into the operational details to solve problems.

What You'll Own

Own End-to-End Delivery Performance

• Take full accountability for end-to-end delivery times, reliability, and customer delivery experience, from order placement through to successful delivery.

• Drive consistently fast delivery times by identifying and eliminating bottlenecks across order preparation, dispatch, rider assignment, pickup, and delivery.

• Define and own key delivery KPIs, establishing clear performance targets and a culture of continuous improvement.

• Work closely with Store Operations, Product, Engineering, and Data teams to optimise the entire delivery journey.

Lead Delivery Partner & Rider Operations

• Own the performance and management of delivery partners and rider operations, ensuring sufficient capacity, high service standards, and operational reliability.

• Build strong relationships with external delivery partners, setting clear expectations, performance standards, and accountability.

• Optimise rider availability, utilisation, scheduling, and productivity to match customer demand while maintaining fast delivery times.

• Develop scalable processes and performance management frameworks to improve rider and partner performance, engagement, and retention.

• Ensure rider safety, operational compliance, and a high-quality rider experience.

Drive Operational Efficiency & Unit Economics

• Own and continuously optimise delivery economics, balancing speed, customer experience, and cost per delivery.

• Identify opportunities to improve rider productivity, delivery capacity utilisation, and operational efficiency.

• Build robust forecasting and capacity-planning capabilities to ensure delivery supply meets demand across locations and peak periods.

• Drive structural improvements to create a more efficient, scalable, and sustainable delivery operation.

Build, Lead & Continuously Improve

• Lead and develop high-performing teams with clear accountability for operational outcomes.

• Establish a rigorous, data-driven operating rhythm to monitor performance, identify issues, and drive rapid improvements.

• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Finance, and wider Operations teams to develop technology-enabled solutions to operational challenges.

• Lead strategic initiatives and operational improvements that strengthen Zapp's delivery proposition and competitive advantage.

What We're Looking For

• Directly relevant industry experience: Proven, hands-on experience specifically in last mile and delivery operations, ideally within quick commerce, on-demand delivery, food delivery, or a closely related delivery-focused business. Direct experience in this field is essential.

• Minimum 10 years of professional experience: At least 10 years of overall professional experience, including significant experience managing and scaling last mile delivery operations.

• Proven operational leadership: A strong track record of leading complex, high-volume, time-critical delivery operations and delivering measurable improvements in speed, reliability, and efficiency.

• Delivery partner and rider management: Strong experience managing delivery fleets, rider operations, and/or third-party delivery partners, with a track record of improving performance, reliability, and productivity.

• End-to-end delivery expertise: Deep understanding of the operational drivers of delivery speed, including dispatch, rider availability, pickup efficiency, routing, and capacity planning.

• Strong commercial acumen: Demonstrated ability to improve delivery unit economics while maintaining exceptional service levels.

• Analytical rigour: Exceptional ability to use data to diagnose operational problems, identify opportunities, and deliver measurable results.

• Strategic and hands-on: Able to define a long-term vision while being willing to get into the details and personally drive execution.

• People and stakeholder leadership: Experience building high-performing teams, managing external partners, and influencing cross-functional stakeholders.

• Bias for action: Thrives in fast-paced, high-expectation environments, moves quickly, and takes full ownership of outcomes.

• High standards: A relentless focus on speed, reliability, customer experience, and continuous improvement.

Why Join Zapp?

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a mission-critical function at a business where delivery speed and operational excellence are fundamental to the customer proposition.

You'll have the autonomy to shape our delivery strategy, manage critical delivery partnerships, and drive meaningful improvements to how quickly and efficiently we get orders into customers' hands.

We're looking for people who want to build, challenge conventional thinking, and set a new standard for what great delivery operations can look like.

Of course we also offer:

• Competitive salary & equity package.

• Private Health Insurance (Bupa)

• Zapp Credit for testing the Zapp service and experience

• Extended sick pay and maternity/paternity leave pay.

• 25 days annual leave, excluding UK Bank Holidays

  • Healthy lunch provided 4 days of a week at HQ