Sales Operations Manager

Summary:
Responsible for designing, implementing and governing the operational processes that connect Sales, Production, logistics, delivery, installation and service case management across the GCC and EU. The role serves as the central Sales Operations control function for both customer & stock orders, B2C and B2B orders and additional project-related service requirements. It provides consolidated visibility of order volumes, installation requirements, goods availability, planned goods movements, delivery capacity and operational risks. The SOM acts as the primary commercial interface to Production. The role ensures that communication between Sales Operations and Production is consolidated, structured, prioritised and supported by reliable operational data. While the Sales Administrators and Sales Operations Executives remain responsible for the completeness, accuracy and system entry of individual customer orders, SOM maintains oversight of the overall order portfolio and the resulting operational requirements. The role will build and lead the required capabilities for transport and pick up coordination, import and export administration, local delivery, installation and customer claims management. The future operating model is expected to combine internal resources with qualified third-party service providers. The initial scope covers B2C customer orders, stock orders and display items, as well as B2B project orders. Responsibility for dealer-related goods movements will be added as the dealer network and business model develop.

Duties and Responsibilities:
• Design, document and continuously improve Sales Operations and fulfilment processes.
• Maintain consolidated oversight of orders, stock requirements, display items, project orders and planned goods movements.
• Act as the main Sales Operations interface between Sales and the Head of Planning & Production Delivery.
• Monitor production status, expected goods availability, shipment requirements (based on country of final destination) and customer delivery commitments.
• Coordinate operational priorities and escalate delays, risks and capacity constraints.
• Lead operational forecasting for production requirements, shipments, deliveries and installation capacity.
• Build and manage a team responsible for transport coordination, import and export administration, delivery and installation planning.
• Coordinate national and international goods movements, including intercompany movements between Europe and the UAE.
• Oversee import, export and customs processes through the responsible internal team and specialist service providers.
• Develop and manage a hybrid delivery and installation model using internal and external resources.
• Brief and monitor third-party delivery and installation operators. Procurement remains responsible for sourcing, negotiations and contracting.
• Coordinate all customer claims, including product, transport, delivery and installation complaints.
• Work with QA/QS on the technical assessment of product claims and ensure timely resolution for the customer.
• Approve goodwill measures, repairs and replacement deliveries within delegated authority limits.
• Define reporting, dashboard and system requirements for Microsoft Dynamics and the ERP environment.
• Develop SOPs jointly with QA/QS and ensure consistent implementation.
• Provide functional leadership to Sales Admins and the Sales Operations Executive in Milan.
• Prepare the operating model for future dealer-related goods movements.

Education and Qualifications:
• Master's degree in business administration or MBA, Operations, Supply Chain, Logistics or a related field.
• 8 or more years of relevant experience in Sales Operations, Order Fulfilment, Logistics or Customer Operations.
• Previous management or senior process ownership experience.
• Experience in an international and cross-functional environment.
• Experience in furniture, interiors, luxury retail, made-to-order manufacturing or project business is preferred.
• Good understanding of transport, import, export, delivery and customer claims processes.
• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics, ERP systems and operational reporting.
• Excellent fluent written and spoken English, Arabic + Italian is preferred

Skills and Competencies:
• Strong process design and continuous improvement skills.
• Excellent planning, forecasting and organisational capabilities.
• Ability to maintain an end-to-end view across multiple orders and locations.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills.

Effective stakeholder and escalation management.
• Ability to lead through influence and dotted-line reporting structures.
• Strong customer service and problem-solving orientation.
• Experience managing internal teams and external service providers.
• Sound understanding of logistics, fulfilment and after-sales operations.
• Ability to define business requirements for systems and dashboards.

Personal Traits:
• Structured and highly organised.
• Proactive and solution-oriented.
• Accountable and dependable.
• Calm and decisive under pressure.
• Customer-focused and commercially aware.
• Collaborative across functions and cultures.
• Comfortable challenging stakeholders constructively.
• Able to build scalable processes without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.

KPIs:
• Forecast accuracy.
• Accuracy and timeliness of order and fulfilment reporting.
• On-time goods availability.
• On-time shipment and delivery rate.
• First-time delivery and installation success rate.
• Average time from goods availability to customer delivery.
• Customer claims response and resolution time.
• Claims and damage rate per delivered order.
• Customer satisfaction following delivery, installation and claims resolution.
• Compliance with approved SOPs and operational service levels.
• Third-party operator performance against agreed KPIs.
• Completion of agreed process and system improvements.