LEAD of Operations

Role purpose

Reporting to the Managing Director, the Operational Lead is responsible for the overall performance, development and strategic direction of Alloga Spain's operational activities.

The role provides leadership across warehouse operations, transport, customer service and operational support functions, ensuring exceptional customer outcomes, regulatory compliance, operational excellence and sustainable business growth.

The Operational Lead will drive the transformation of the Spain operation through strategic initiatives including the planned warehouse management system implementation, operational transport strategy, potential warehouse redeployments or moves, automation investment and continuous improvement. Working collaboratively across the business, the role will leverage group capabilities, including Supply Chain Engineering, IT, Quality and Operational Excellence.

The role takes personal accountability for daily operational performance, customer satisfaction, quality, service delivery, productivity and cost performance, while building a high-performing culture focused on safety, compliance, ownership and continuous improvement.

Strategy and leadership

· Develop and execute the operational strategy for Alloga Spain, aligned with country and group priorities.

· Establish short, medium and long-term operational roadmaps covering capacity, service, cost, people, technology and risk.

· Provide clear leadership through periods of operational change and growth.

· Build a culture of accountability, customer focus, safety and continuous improvement.

· Engage across the wider business to identify and use regional, central and group expertise and resources.

Customer and commercial accountability

· Act as the senior operational sponsor for strategic customers and take personal ownership of operational service performance.

· Ensure customer commitments and contractual service requirements are translated into robust operational plans and controls.

· Lead recovery and improvement activity where customer performance is below expectation.

· Support customer retention, growth, implementation and new business opportunities.

· Contribute operational expertise to customer reviews, solution design, tenders and commercial decision-making.

· Balance service, quality, risk, capacity and cost to support sustainable, profitable growth.

Transformation and change management

· Lead operational readiness and business adoption for the Impulso WMS implementation, including organisation design, training, customer migration, cutover, business continuity, stabilisation and hypercare.

· Sponsor potential warehouse redeployment, relocation, expansion and network optimisation initiatives.

· Ensure major programmes have clear operational ownership, governance, risk controls, resource plans and measurable outcomes.

· Lead organisational change and ensure new processes and technology are embedded effectively.

Operations and transport

· Lead safe, compliant and efficient warehousing, transport and customer service operations.

· Develop and execute warehousing and transport strategies that improve service, resilience, capacity utilisation and cost performance.

· Establish clear performance management across quality, service, inventory, productivity, safety, people and financial measures.

· Drive standardisation, operational discipline, root-cause resolution and continuous improvement.

· Maintain effective contingency and business continuity arrangements.

Engineering, automation and innovation

· Partner with Group Supply Chain Engineering and other specialist teams to assess, design and deliver operational solutions.

· Develop an automation and technology roadmap for Alloga Spain.

· Identify and prioritise automation opportunities that improve safety, quality, capacity, productivity and customer outcomes.

· Develop robust business cases and benefits plans for operational investments.

· Promote data-led decision-making and effective use of operational systems and analytics.

Quality, compliance, safety and sustainability

· Ensure operations comply with GDP, GMP where applicable, customer requirements and all relevant legal and regulatory obligations.

· Work closely with Quality and Technical teams to maintain effective quality systems, validation, calibration, controlled processes and inspection readiness.

· Champion occupational health and safety, ensuring risks are assessed, controls are implemented and incidents are investigated thoroughly.

· Ensure environmental responsibilities, including waste segregation and good environmental practices, are embedded in operations.

Financial and performance management

· Own operational budgets, resource planning and cost performance.

· Deliver productivity, cost-to-serve and efficiency improvements without compromising safety, quality or customer service.

· Ensure capacity and labour plans reflect business demand and transformation requirements.

· Monitor performance through clear KPIs, governance and corrective action plans.

· Provide accurate and timely reporting in line with country and group requirements.

People and culture

· Lead, coach and develop the operational leadership team and wider organisation.

· Ensure effective organisation design, workforce planning, succession planning and talent development.

· Ensure employees are competent, appropriately trained and supported through operational change.

· Foster collaboration across Operations, Quality, Commercial, IT, Finance, HR and other group functions.

· Promote an inclusive, engaged and high-performance working environment

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Candidate profile

Experience (desired)

· Significant senior leadership experience in logistics, supply chain or complex operational environments.

· Strong knowledge of healthcare, pharmaceutical or life sciences logistics and recognised industry best practice.

· Leadership experience in regulated operations, preferably involving GDP and GMP requirements.

· Proven delivery of major operational transformation, WMS implementation, customer migration or comparable change programmes.

· Experience of warehouse start-up, relocation, expansion, redeployment or network change is highly desirable.

· Exposure to warehouse automation, engineering solutions or operational technology investment.

· Strong customer-facing experience and clear commercial acumen.

· Experience leading large teams and working effectively in a matrix organisation.

Knowledge and qualifications

· Degree, technical qualification or equivalent professional experience in logistics, engineering, supply chain, business or a related discipline.

· Postgraduate study or professional development in logistics, supply chain management, operational excellence or programme leadership is desirable.

· Knowledge of healthcare distribution, temperature-controlled supply chains, quality systems and regulatory compliance.

· Understanding of transport operations, carrier performance and distribution strategy.

· Comfortable using operational data, business systems and standard Microsoft applications.

· Fluent Spanish and strong professional English.

Leadership capabilities

· Strategic thinking combined with a strong bias for execution.

· Visible customer focus and high personal accountability.

· Commercial judgement and financial awareness.

· Ability to lead through ambiguity, transformation and operational pressure.

· Strong stakeholder management, communication, influencing and negotiation skills.

· Analytical problem-solving and disciplined decision-making.

· Ability to build capable teams and create alignment across functions and geographies.

Decision-making and relationships

The role operates with appropriate autonomy for operational decision-making within company policies, delegated authority, approved budgets and applicable regulatory requirements. Major capital commitments, material contracts and other reserved matters require approval through the relevant governance process.

Key internal relationships

· Managing Director and Spain leadership team.

· Operations, Transport, Customer Service, Quality, Technical, Commercial, Finance, HR and IT.

· Regional, Central and group leadership, Supply Chain Engineering, Operational Excellence and other specialist resources.

Key external relationships

· Customers, suppliers, carriers, service providers, regulatory stakeholders and relevant external partners.

Measures of success

· Customer service and contractual performance.

· Quality, compliance and audit performance.

· Safety and employee wellbeing.

· WMs project readiness, implementation, adoption and stabilisation.

· Delivery of transformation, site and automation milestones.

· Productivity, cost, budget and benefits realisation.

· Inventory accuracy and operational control.

· Leadership capability, engagement and succession strength.

· Progress against the Spain operations and transport strategy.

 

What Cencora offers

​Benefit offerings outside the US may vary by country and will be aligned to local market practice. The eligibility and effective date may differ for some benefits and for team members covered under collective bargaining agreements.

Full time

Affiliated Companies

Affiliated Companies: Alloga Logística España S.L.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cencora is committed to providing equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or membership in any other class protected by federal, state or local law.

The company’s continued success depends on the full and effective utilization of qualified individuals. Therefore, harassment is prohibited and all matters related to recruiting, training, compensation, benefits, promotions and transfers comply with equal opportunity principles and are non-discriminatory.

Cencora is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the employment process which are consistent with legal requirements. If you wish to request an accommodation while seeking employment, please call 888.692.2272 or email hrsc@cencora.com. We will make accommodation determinations on a request-by-request basis. Messages and emails regarding anything other than accommodations requests will not be returned