Senior Operations Manager Groceries

About the Role

Careem Quik is redefining the grocery experience across the region by offering ultra-fast delivery of everyday essentials. We are now seeking a highly capable and quality-obsessed Senior Manager - Quality to bring our ultra-fresh value proposition to life. This role is critical to ensuring we source, handle, and deliver the best fresh Fruits & Vegetables (F&V) in the market with a zero-defect ambition. 

You will act as the guardian of freshness, translating quality expectations into operational execution across our grocery dark stores, supply chain, and last-mile delivery network. 

Key Responsibilities 

1. Freshness & Quality Leadership

• Own and implement the end-to-end strategy for delivering consistently high-quality F&V to Careem Quik customers. 
• Define freshness standards, product quality guidelines, and visual/physical parameters for F&V. 
• Benchmark against global best practices in fresh produce and tailor solutions to the local context. 

2. Supplier and Product Quality Control

• Lead supplier audits and establish strict inbound quality checks at point of receiving. 
• Collaborate with procurement and commercial teams to continuously improve supplier quality performance. 
• Identify product-level issues and drive corrective/preventive actions with suppliers. 

3. Zero Defect Operations

• Design and enforce a robust Quality Assurance (QA) framework at our warehouses and dark stores. 
• Implement defect tracking systems, root cause analysis tools, and feedback loops to address product and process failures. 
• Develop a proactive quality culture with store staff, riders, and pickers through regular training, SOPs, and scorecards. 

4. Customer Experience & Product Refunds

• Track and analyze customer complaints and refund reasons related to freshness or product defects. 
• Create initiatives to reduce claims and build trust in our F&V value proposition. 
• Work closely with Customer Care and Product teams to close the loop and prevent recurrence. 

5. Data & Continuous Improvement

• Use data-driven insights to track quality KPIs (e.g., defect rate, return reasons, freshness ratings). 
• Regularly review SKU-level performance and identify opportunities to replace, enhance, or delist underperforming items. 
• Lead pilots and experiments that raise the bar on freshness and satisfaction. 

Qualifications & Experience 

• 7+ years of experience in quality management in FMCG, grocery retail, or food distribution, with a focus on fresh and ultra-fresh produce 
• Strong understanding of supply chain and operations in perishable product handling 
• Proven track record of designing and scaling QA programs in high-growth or startup environments 
• Analytical mindset with a strong ability to interpret data and derive actionable insights 
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills 
• Passion for operational excellence and continuous improvement