Job Description

We're Hiring: Chief Operating Officer | Starbucks South Africa

Location:

Johannesburg | Executive Leadership Role
Shape the Future of a Global Brand with Local Heart

We're seeking a visionary Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead the operational heartbeat of Starbucks in South Africa. This is more than a role; it's a mission to drive excellence across our business operations, HR, finance, supply chain, and strategic execution as we continue to grow across the country.

What You'll Be Responsible For:

Operational Excellence

- Oversee and optimise daily operations across departments, driving efficiency, consistency, and service excellence.

Strategy Execution

- Translate the company's vision into action by aligning operations with long-term business goals.

People Leadership

- Foster a high-performance culture through strong people practices, performance management, and leadership development.

Financial Oversight

- Manage budgets, monitor financial performance, and champion profitability and cost control.

Supply Chain Leadership

- Ensure smooth logistics, procurement, and production across all stores.

Governance & Risk

- Ensure regulatory compliance, manage risk, and build systems for sustainable operational resilience.

Executive Collaboration

- Work closely with the CEO, managing director, and senior leadership, contributing to board-level decisions with clear, data-driven insights.

Who You Are:

A strategic operator with proven experience in senior leadership, ideally in retail, hospitality, or FMCG.
Skilled in aligning people, processes, and purpose across complex, fast-paced environments.
A collaborative leader who thrives on building culture, growing talent, and driving accountability.
Commercially astute, emotionally intelligent, and obsessed with operational excellence.

Candidate Attributes:

High energy, ambitious, and hands-on.
Prepared to work long hours and lead from the front.
Fully committed to the demands of retail - willing and available to work weekends, nights, all public holidays, and consistently present throughout the peak trading season (October to January).
Able to build, implement, and enforce systems, checks, and controls.
Analytically strong - must have demonstrable data skills and the ability to act on insights.
Experienced in operational disciplines, stock controls, and managing complex supply chains.
Brings deep industry experience and strong execution capabilities.
Responsive, open-minded, and solution-oriented.
Grounded with no sense of entitlement - focused on outcomes, not titles.

Why Starbucks?

At Starbucks South Africa, we create connection - with our customers, our partners, and our communities. This role is your opportunity to lead with purpose, scale with integrity, and leave a lasting mark on one of the world's most recognisable brands.

Ready to Lead?

If you're energised by challenge, driven by purpose, and inspired to lead through people - we want to hear from you.
Apply today or reach out directly to learn more.

#StarbucksCareers #COOHiring #ExecutiveSearch #LeadershipOpportunity #RetailLeadership #PeopleFirst #OperationsLeadership #CoffeeWithPurpose #StarbucksSouthAfrica

Job Type: Full-time

Work Location: On the road