Nest Lead (Distribution Center Lead) at Zipline

What You'll Do

Team Leadership & Development

• Be the single point of accountability for cross-functional collaboration within your operations team.
• Lead, coach, inspire and drive a performance culture across a diverse team of facilities, fulfillment, flight and call center operations (where applicable), through clear goal setting  and real-time feedback.
• Nurture leaders across the nest through structured training, coaching, and performance management.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new team members to maintain a high-performance, cross-functional team.
• Oversee shift planning, staff scheduling, and resource allocation to ensure adequate coverage across all functional areas.
• Proactively design and support strategies to retain high performers (recognition programs, growth plans)

Nest Operational Strategy & Execution

• Translate national strategy into a roadmap for nest operations, aligned with company goals around customer success, reliability, cost and scale.
• Lead multi-function operations in fulfillment, facilities, flight  and call center (where applicable) operations, ensuring alignment with global best practices, quality standards, safety requirements and customer feedback.
• Forecast operational needs and build capacity (demand, people, systems, infrastructure, inventory) to meet demand growth and evolving customer requirements.
• Risk identification & contingency planning: Develop risk matrices for nest operations and implement mitigation strategies .
• Operational Performance & Optimization
• Monitor operational KPIs in real time, responding swiftly to deviations and bottlenecks.
• Own and continuously improve key nest metrics: leverage data to identify performance trends, surface inefficiencies, and implement corrective and preventative actions.
• Drive operational rigor and compliance through SOP adherence, standard work, and process control while adapting systems to local realities.
• Pilot and implement new systems, tools, or workflows that drive scalability at nests.
• Maintain high operational availability of the physical site and equipment by overseeing basic facilities management, including cleanliness, power systems, water supply, workspaces, and safety infrastructure.
• Implement strategies to optimize space utilization, reduce waste, and improve storage efficiency.
• Continuous improvement culture: Empower frontline teams to birth innovative ideas and improvement across nest systems, processes targeted towards customer satisfaction.

Financial ownership - COGs and OPEX

• Take ownership of nest-level Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and Operating Expenses (OPEX).
• Make informed, data-backed decisions around spending in collaboration with procurement, facilities, and inventory management teams.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities across processes, procurement, utilities, and logistics while protecting operational performance.
• Lead cost control initiatives to contribute to a sustainable, healthy nest  P&L and global efficiency efforts.

  Cross-functional Partnership & Change Leadership

• Collaborate closely with Customer Experience, Engineering, Product, Safety, and Quality teams to enable end-to-end operational efficiency.
• Play a key role in scaling new initiatives (e.g., new use cases, automation pilots, expansion projects) and driving operational readiness.
• Serve as a key contributor to country-wide business reviews and operational planning cycles.
• Change Management Execution: Train and coach teams through operational or technology changes with clear communication and performance tracking.

Partnership Coordination & Customer Success

• Develop & implement strategy for driving supply & demand generation and improving service utilization within your business unit’s terrain.
• Build & manage strategic relationships with regional & district health authorities, community leaders, and media; coordinating campaigns and community events; and providing insights through stakeholder reporting to strengthen Zipline’s brand and operational success.

What Success Looks Like

• The Nest operates with customer obsession, reliability, and autonomy, and proactive problem solving.
• Shift teams operate with clarity, consistency, and ownership.
• The entire team is empowered and accountable: operators take initiative, solve problems at the frontline, and contribute actively to continuous improvement.
• Resources are optimized for maximum output.

What You'll Bring 

• Proven operational leader with a track record of transforming complex, fast-paced businesses into high-performing, customer-obsessed operations. You thrive at the intersection of strategy and execution, bringing both vision and hands-on discipline to every challenge.
• Seasoned People Leader: You have led large, diverse teams through change, inspiring accountability and developing future leaders. Coaching, mentoring, and building talent pipelines are second nature to you.
• Operational Architect: You excel at designing and scaling multi-function operations; optimizing processes, systems, and resources to deliver exceptional reliability, cost efficiency, and growth.
• Data-Driven Strategist: You use analytics and real-time KPIs to guide decisions, spot trends early, and drive continuous improvement across complex operations.