Director, Founder's Office (Last Mile & Delivery)

Location

Nine Elms, London

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Working pattern  

Full-time, on-site

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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.

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

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The role  

We're looking for an exceptional Director, Founder's Office (Last Mile & Delivery) to work directly with our Founder on shaping the future of one of the most critical areas of our business.

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This is a unique opportunity for an experienced last mile and delivery operations leader who wants to take the next step in their career, explore their entrepreneurial ambitions, and gain first-hand experience working alongside a Founder to build and scale a high-growth business.

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You'll operate at the intersection of strategy, operations, technology, and commercial performance, working closely with the Founder to identify opportunities, challenge conventional thinking, and drive high-impact initiatives across our delivery ecosystem.

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From rethinking our delivery operating model and partner strategy to unlocking step-change improvements in end-to-end delivery speed, customer experience, and unit economics, you'll have the autonomy to tackle complex business challenges and turn ambitious ideas into measurable results.

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This is not a traditional functional leadership role. We're looking for someone with deep, hands-on experience in last mile and delivery operations who is ready to broaden their perspective, think like an entrepreneur, and learn directly from the Founder while making a meaningful impact on the business.

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What you'll do  

Shape Last Mile & Delivery Strategy

• Work directly with the Founder to define and drive strategic priorities across last mile and delivery operations.
• Evaluate and challenge existing operating models, identifying opportunities to transform delivery speed, reliability, scalability, and unit economics.
• Develop strategies for delivery partnerships, rider operations, capacity planning, and long-term operational efficiency.
• Identify new technologies, business models, and innovations that could strengthen Zapp's competitive advantage.

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Lead High-Impact Strategic Initiatives

• Take ownership of complex, business-critical projects from strategic thinking through to execution and measurable impact.
• Drive improvements in end-to-end delivery times, from order placement through to the customer's doorstep.
• Identify opportunities to optimise delivery partner and rider performance, commercial arrangements, and operational productivity.
• Build business cases, evaluate strategic trade-offs, and translate data-driven insights into actionable recommendations.

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Work Across the Business to Drive Change

• Partner with senior leaders across Operations, Product, Engineering, Data, and Finance to deliver cross-functional initiatives.
• Act as a strategic thought partner to the Founder, bringing fresh perspectives, analytical rigour, and strong commercial judgement.
• Challenge assumptions, solve ambiguous problems, and build scalable solutions that create lasting business value.
• Take a hands-on approach where needed, combining strategic thinking with the ability to make things happen.

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What we're looking for  

• Deep industry expertise: Significant, directly relevant experience in last mile and delivery operations, ideally within quick commerce, on-demand delivery, food delivery, or a closely related sector. Direct experience in this field is essential.
• Minimum 10 years of professional experience: At least 10 years of overall professional experience, with a strong track record of leadership and measurable impact.
• Strategic and commercial mindset: Ability to think beyond day-to-day operations, evaluate business models, identify growth opportunities, and drive sustainable improvements in unit economics.
• Proven operational expertise: Strong understanding of delivery partner and rider management, end-to-end delivery performance, capacity planning, and operational scalability.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills: Highly analytical, structured, and comfortable navigating complex, ambiguous business challenges.
• Entrepreneurial ambition: A genuine desire to broaden your experience beyond a traditional functional role, develop your entrepreneurial capabilities, and learn what it takes to build and scale a business.
• Ownership and execution: A self-starter who combines big-picture thinking with a hands-on approach, high standards, and a relentless bias for action.
• Strong stakeholder leadership: Ability to influence senior stakeholders, build relationships, and drive outcomes across functions.

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Why join Zapp?  

This is more than a traditional leadership role. It's an opportunity to work side by side with our Founder, gain direct exposure to entrepreneurial decision-making, and develop the skills and perspective required to build and scale a business.

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You'll have the freedom to explore ambitious ideas, the responsibility to drive meaningful outcomes, and the opportunity to learn first-hand how strategy, operations, technology, and commercial decisions come together.

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For someone with deep delivery industry experience and entrepreneurial aspirations, this is a chance to step beyond functional leadership and accelerate your journey towards becoming a business builder.

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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