For recruiters and hiring managers
Everything you need to put me forward
The practical answers, a summary you can paste, and my CV. If anything's missing, just message me.
The practical bits
- Notice period
- 1 month
- Salary
- On request
- Contract
- Permanent
- Working pattern
- On-site, hybrid or remote
- Based
- Northampton
- Right to work
- Yes — UK
- Driving licence
- Full UK driving licence
- References
- Available on request
Within reach: Northampton · Milton Keynes · London · Midlands · Remote.
What I'm looking for
Titles
Sectors
The kind of business
One that's serious about AI and automation, and wants an operations leader who'll use them to change how the work gets done.
Not the right fit
Customer-service-led roles or payment-led roles. I've run both as part of a wider ops remit and I'm happy to draw on that — but neither is the job I'm looking for.
Why me, in 30 seconds
- Fulfilment at scaleSite Operations Manager for a 450-person DHL / Primark DC and its open-book P&L, and Senior Operations Manager at XPO on the ASOS contract: record peaks three years running.
- Builder and fixerThree high-growth start-ups. At Localised I rebuilt old, broken platforms and processes into an operation running across 5 regions.
- Cross-borderMOR, SOR, IOR and EOR models, Incoterms, DDP carrier networks and the EU customs reform, across 5 regions.
- AI that shipsI specced and built a returns portal with AI tools; Localised's developers reviewed and shipped it. Live in 29 countries.
Detail: Localised · Cazoo · AI-built returns portal
How I work
Systems first
I'd rather fix a process once than check its output every day. If I'm doing something twice, I'm already working out how to automate it.
Spec before build
I plan properly and write things down clearly. It's why the AI tools and outsourced partners I've worked with delivered what we actually needed.
Steadier under pressure
Peaks, hypergrowth, go-lives: I get more decisive when it's busy, not less, and I keep the process intact while I do it.
Relationships, not orders
I bring people with me rather than imposing ideas — clients, carriers, partners and my own teams.
Candidate summary, ready to paste
For your submission, shortlist or client email.
Jack Betts — Head of Operations, Northampton (on-site, hybrid or remote). 15+ years in e-commerce operations and logistics, from being Senior Operations Manager at XPO on the ASOS contract (record peaks three years running) and running a 450-person DHL/Primark distribution centre to building and rebuilding operations at three start-ups: Cazoo (85 → 175 drivers, 9 → 19 hubs in nine months), OOOOO and Localised (Peter Jones Investment Group), where he rebuilt payments, a DDP carrier network across 5 regions and and cross-border compliance. Hands-on with AI: specced and built a multi-brand returns portal with Claude Code (code reviewed and shipped by Localised's developers), now live in 29 countries and 14 languages. Notice: 1 month. Permanent roles.
Screening questions, answered
Why are you looking to move?
I've built the operation I was hired to build at Localised, and I'm looking for a bigger, AI-led challenge.
What fulfilment automation have you worked with?
Dematic and Dürkopp at ASOS, where I was Senior Operations Manager at XPO on the ASOS contract, responsible for the fully automated outbound at the 2.5m sq ft Barnsley fulfilment centre; and TGW while consulting for Urban Outfitters. I've also built and rolled out labour-management tooling, and planned peak on automated sites.
What's the biggest team and budget you've run?
450 people at DHL's Primark distribution centre, where I owned the open-book P&L. I was Senior Operations Manager at XPO on the ASOS contract, leading the automated outbound operation through 6 shift managers and 25+ team leaders.
Give me an example of a cost saving.
Three. At Localised I changed the payment process to capture payments earlier, which cut failed payment captures from about £32k a year to about £1.6k. I also outsourced customer service in my first three months, which took the average cost per contact from about £15 to about £4.50 (around 70% less). And I benchmarked carrier tariffs and renegotiated US rates, cutting them by 10% across every destination.
How would you approach your first 90 days?
Listen, plan, then act. First month: get to know the team, stakeholders and clients, and find out from the people closest to the work what's working and what isn't. Second month: get under the processes, the numbers, the budgets and the contracts. By around day 60 I'll have a roadmap with OKRs and a clear meeting and reporting rhythm, and I'll start delivering against it.
What are you like to work with?
Direct, friendly and structured. I like clear objectives and timescales, then the room to get on and deliver. I'll back decisions with data, I'll tell you early if something's off track, and I'm happiest where there's a real problem to solve rather than the same routine every day.
Have you managed remote or multi-site teams?
Yes. At Cazoo I ran 19 delivery hubs across the UK remotely, and at Localised I run an offshore ops team plus outsourced carrier, payments and service partners in several countries.
How do you actually use AI?
Every day. At Localised I use Claude and Gemini for data analysis, contract review, SOPs and exec papers, and I've automated many routine tasks so I can run far more work in parallel. The clearest example is the returns portal: I wrote the spec, built it with Claude Code and ran the QA through to go-live, and Localised's developers reviewed the code before it shipped. It's live in 29 countries and 14 languages, integrated with the OMS and DHL.
Which systems do you know?
In the warehouse: Manhattan and Matflo WMS, in-house built order management systems, and Dematic, Dürkopp and TGW automation. In e-commerce: Shopify and Shopify Plus, OMS integrations, Adyen, PayPal and Forter, and DHL, SEKO and Asendia carrier platforms. And Claude, Claude Code and Gemini.
How flexible are you on location and travel?
I'm based in Northampton, so Milton Keynes, the Midlands and London are all within reach. I'm happy to work on-site, hybrid or remote, whatever the role needs.
When can you interview?
Message me with a few options and I'll make it work, by video or in person.
Got a role in mind?
Send me the outline and I'll tell you honestly whether it's a fit.