Head of Operations

What we do. Electric Car Leasing

Why we do it. Greener. Fairer. Future.

We are launching our EV (electric vehicle) leasing business in Germany and need an outstanding Head of Operations to help build it from the ground up. We have rapidly scaled our proposition in the UK to over 30k vehicles on fleet and £300m ARR in just a few years. What’s more, we’re growing faster than ever.

Our mission is to rapidly accelerate the EV transition whilst providing the best possible service to our customers.

Our ambition is to build the biggest EV platform in Germany as rapidly as possible. You may know our sister company, Octopus Energy, who are already one of the fastest growing green energy providers in Germany with over 1m customers.

We need a highly motivated self-starter, where you will build, own, and drive initiatives from the ground up. You’ll be one of the first key hires – a talented and versatile Head of Operations to work directly with our General Manager. This isn't just a job; it's an opportunity to be an integral part of our foundational team in Germany, shape our future, and truly own your work.

The operational execution and focus on customer centricity, alongside the digital customer journey, is the flagship of our product. High precision and smooth processes are therefore crucial. You'll be given a high degree of autonomy and responsibility, making this an ideal role for someone who is proactive, resourceful, and eager to leave their mark.

What you'll do...

• You'll wear many hats, touching various aspects of our business as we build it from the ground up. You will set the foundation of our German operations by finding the right partners and creating the right processes, always focusing on looking after our customers. At first with a focus of getting to market fast, learning and iterating, and later on building the strategy and team to scale at pace through technology, innovation and more robust processes and systems.

Strategy Development & Partnerships:

• Build and manage partnerships with dealers, car manufacturers, insurers and service network partners.
• Lead negotiations for service agreements and supplier contracts and integrate industry innovation into our operation.

Operations and Process Excellence:

• Design, implement and optimise end-to-end operational processes for Octopus’ salary sacrifice model, with a focus on the vehicle ordering, delivery and in-life experience of our customers and services for them.
• Lead the digitalisation of operations, monitor operational KPIs and ensure compliance with tax, legal and data protection requirements.

Fleet Lifecycle Management:

• Support and oversee the entire fleet lifecycle from procurement, ordering, delivery, maintenance and insurance through to remarketing.
• Define, implement and manage delivery and return processes, including inspections, documentation and strategies for our fleet’s residual value realisation.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management:

• Build and lead high performing customer operations and fleet teams.
• Be the key operational counterpart to sales, finance, vehicle procurement, tech and product, both in Germany and with the central UK teams.

What you'll need...

• Expert in operations and strategic partnership development: You have deep knowledge and experience in the mobility industry. Proven track record of building something from scratch, thriving in that environment. Both a doer and a strategic thinker.
• Negotiator: You know how to negotiate with external stakeholders to guarantee a smooth supply chain.
• A true leader: You love to build and motivate cross functional teams and act as a role model within operations.
• Hands-on-problem solver: You are able to design and structure processes from scratch and adapt from MVP to mature and established products. You are happy getting stuck in, speaking to customers, solving problems, managing escalations, especially in the early days of the business.
• Adaptable & Resilient: You thrive in a fast-paced, evolving environment and are comfortable navigating ambiguity. You see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.
• Highly Organised: You can manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritise effectively, meet deadlines and present these confidently and logically to a range of stakeholders.
• Growth Mindset: You're curious, eager to learn new things, and committed to continuous improvement.
• Fluent/native German speaker and business proficient in English.

Why else you'll love it here

• Wondering what the salary for this role is? Just ask us! On a call with one of our recruiters it's something we always cover as we genuinely want to match your experience with the correct salary.
• Octopus Electric Vehicles, part of the Octopus Energy Group, won the Sunday Times best company to work for in 2024. We were named 6th out of the top 100 start-ups to work for by Tempo in 2025 and on Glassdoor we were voted 50 best places to work in 2022.

About us

The electric revolution has arrived - and from 2035 you’ll no longer be able to buy a new petrol or diesel car in the UK.

We’re building a whole new way for drivers to join the electric charge and not only learn about and shop for their EV online, but experience a 'lease for life' through an industry changing customer experience.

Octopus Electric Vehicles launched in 2018 to make it seamless to switch to cleaner, greener driving. Our mission is to drive sustainable change, decarbonise the planet and provide our customers with fair pricing and a fantastic experience.

Please note we use AI to help us assess applications fairly and objectively.

If this sounds like you then we'd love to hear from you. We want to ensure you have all the tools and environment you need to unleash your potential. Across Octopus, we're looking for genuinely decent people who are honest and empathetic. Our people are our strongest asset and the unique skills and perspectives people bring to the team are the driving force of our success. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute. Our commitment is to provide equal opportunities, an inclusive work environment, and fairness for everyone.

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