Operations Manager
Virtua Executive Search | Dubai (Global Remit)
Virtua Executive Search is a globally operating, boutique talent advisory firm specialising in senior leadership appointments across sportswear, fashion, consumer goods, and lifestyle brands.
Headquartered in Dubai with an international footprint, Virtua partners with high-growth and market-leading organisations to deliver transformational leadership talent. The business is entering a significant phase of scale, investing in infrastructure, process excellence, and operational maturity to support continued global expansion.
This newly created Operations Manager role represents a critical hire for the firm responsible for building the operational backbone required to support a high-performance executive search environment.
The Opportunity
Reporting directly to the Founder & CEO, the Operations Manager will own the design, implementation, and optimisation of Virtua's internal operating model.
This is a highly strategic hands-on role suited to an operator who thrives in entrepreneurial environments and enjoys building structure within fast-moving businesses.
The successful candidate will bring rigour, commercial awareness, and executional excellence ensuring consultants can focus on revenue generation while the business runs with precision behind the scenes.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
- Design and implement scalable operational processes across the full search lifecycle
- Drive workflow efficiency from search kick-off through to placement and invoicing
- Create operational infrastructure capable of supporting international growth
- Introduce best practices, automation, and performance tracking
Systems & Technology
- Own and optimise the CRM/ATS ecosystem (e.g., Loxo or equivalent)
- Identify opportunities for automation and AI-enabled workflows
- Ensure data integrity, reporting accuracy, and pipeline visibility
- Evaluate and implement new operational tools as the firm scales
Financial & Commercial Operations
- Partner with finance on invoicing workflows, revenue tracking, and cash collection
- Build dashboards around placement performance, conversion ratios, and productivity
- Support forecasting and capacity planning
- Improve commercial discipline across the business
People & Resource Management
- Help design organisational structure as Virtua grows
- Support hiring, onboarding, and training of support staff
- Establish clear operating rhythms and internal accountability
- Act as a cultural carrier for high standards and operational excellence
Strategic Projects
- Lead critical business initiatives (international expansion readiness, process redesign, supplier management)
- Build playbooks to support repeatable success
- Act as a thought partner to the Founder on scaling the firm
Candidate Profile
Virtua is seeking a high-agency operator with strong business judgement and a builder's mindset.
Ideal experience includes:
- 610+ years in operations within executive search, professional services, or high-growth environments
- Proven experience building or optimising operational infrastructure
- Strong commercial acumen and comfort working close to revenue metrics
- Advanced systems orientation naturally process-driven
- Highly organised with exceptional attention to detail
- Calm under pressure with the ability to bring structure to ambiguity
Personal characteristics:
- Entrepreneurial and solutions-oriented
- Naturally proactive
- High ownership mentality
- Discreet and professional
- Energised by building something meaningful
Why Join Virtua
- Direct exposure to the Founder and leadership decision-making
- Opportunity to architect the operational engine of a scaling global firm
- High autonomy and real impact
- Clear pathway toward a future Head of Operations role
- Collaborative, high-performance culture
- Dubai-based with global reach
