Senior DC Operations Manager

About Careem Grocery

Careem Grocery is a key part of Careem s vision to simplify and improve the lives of people in our region. Through Careem Quik, our 24/7 grocery delivery service, we operate a network of dark stores and fulfilment centres across the UAE and wider MENA region. Our mission is to provide customers with the fastest, freshest, and most reliable grocery delivery experience in the market.

About the role

The Senior Manager DC Operations will lead and optimize the performance of Careem s Distribution Centres (DCs). This role is responsible for driving operational excellence, ensuring world-class service levels, managing cost efficiency, and developing scalable processes that enable rapid business growth.

The ideal candidate is a strategic operator with strong analytical capabilities, people leadership experience, and a proven track record in managing large-scale logistics or fulfilment networks.

What you'll do

1. Own the end-to-end operations of all grocery DCs, including inbound logistics, inventory management, order processing, and last-mile handover.
2. Establish and maintain SOPs, SLAs, and quality control frameworks to ensure consistent service delivery.
3. Lead cross-functional initiatives with Supply Chain, Planning, Commercial, and Tech teams to optimize warehouse design, picking efficiency, and automation.
   
   

1. Define and track KPIs (e.g. order accuracy, on-time dispatch rate, cost per order, stock loss, labor productivity).
2. Build dashboards and review cadences to monitor performance and proactively address bottlenecks.
3. Continuously benchmark DC operations against industry standards and regional best practices.
   
   

1. Drive initiatives to reduce fulfilment costs through process engineering, automation, and layout optimization.
2. Collaborate with Procurement and Network Design teams on capacity planning, DC expansion, and contract negotiations.
3. Manage budgets, P&L, and resource allocation across facilities to deliver on financial and service targets.
   
   

1. Lead, mentor, and develop a team of DC Managers, Supervisors, and frontline associates.
2. Foster a high-performance culture focused on safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
3. Ensure compliance with HSE, labor, and local regulatory standards.
   
   

1. Support the launch of new DCs or markets, including site selection, setup, and operational readiness.
2. Partner with Product & Tech teams to design and implement warehouse management systems (WMS) and automation tools.
3. Champion sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives within operations.
   
   

What you'll need

• Bachelor s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or related field
• 8+ years of experience in fulfilment centre or DC operations, ideally within grocery, FMCG, or e-commerce sectors.
• Proven experience leading multi-site operations and large teams.
• Deep understanding of warehouse processes, lean principles, and demand-driven logistics.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent communication and leadership abilities.
• Tech-savvy mindset; experience with WMS, OMS, and BI tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, SQL) preferred.