
Astrolabs
Head of Operations (Business Expansion & Professional Services)
- Permanent
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Experience 10 - 15 yrs
Job expiry date: 13/03/2026
Job overview
Date posted
27/01/2026
Location
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Salary
SAR 40,000 - 50,000 per month
Compensation
Comprehensive package
Experience
10 - 15 yrs
Seniority
Senior Manager
Qualification
Bachelors degree
Expiration date
13/03/2026
Job description
The Head of Operations role at AstroLabs in Riyadh is a senior leadership position responsible for transforming and scaling the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia operations of the Gulfâs leading business expansion platform. AstroLabs supports high-growth companies entering the Saudi and UAE markets through end-to-end services including business setup, licensing, HR and PRO support, coworking spaces, recruitment, and government and private sector programs. The Head of Operations is accountable for redesigning and stabilizing a fast-scaling operations department, embedding structured processes, scalable operating models, and technology-enabled systems while maintaining a strong focus on client experience. The role balances strategic operational redesign with hands-on execution, leading a 30+ person, multi-service-line team across setup and post-setup services. The position requires deep expertise in operational excellence, people leadership, automation, workflow optimization, performance management, and cross-functional alignment with Sales, Finance, and Technology teams. The mandate includes eliminating firefighting, closing performance gaps, improving onboarding, embedding accountability through KPIs, and creating a resilient, motivated workforce capable of supporting aggressive regional growth.
Required skills
Key responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and scale a 30+ person operations team across multiple service lines including Setup and Post-Setup functions
- Redesign and stabilize the organizational structure by aligning employees to clearly defined roles, responsibilities, KPIs, and growth paths
- Coach and upskill middle managers to conduct effective 1:1s, develop talent, and make informed operational decisions
- Institutionalize a culture of clarity, accountability, and performance management across the operations department
- Drive morale, engagement, and burnout-reduction initiatives to rebuild trust and resilience within the team
- Audit, redesign, and standardize workflows, SOPs, and service delivery models to enable scalability and efficiency
- Build and maintain an operational playbook to reduce firefighting, task leakage, and delivery risk
- Standardize onboarding frameworks and ensure managers are trained to onboard new hires effectively
- Establish mechanisms to identify, monitor, and close performance gaps at junior and mid-management levels
- Develop sustainable workload and capacity models to balance responsibilities and prevent operational burnout
- Advise leadership on replacing manual spreadsheets and ad-hoc reporting with scalable technology systems and dashboards
- Partner with technology and operations teams to automate and digitize recurring operational processes
- Introduce real-time reporting and analytics to provide leadership visibility and support proactive decision-making
- Act as a cross-functional bridge between Operations, Sales, and Finance to ensure alignment and feedback loops
- Translate company strategy into operational execution while continuously improving client experience and service quality
Experience & skills
- Minimum of 10 yearsâ experience in senior operations leadership roles, preferably within the services sector
- Proven track record of leading large teams of 25+ employees in complex, fast-scaling environments
- Demonstrated experience scaling operations and embedding technology and automation solutions
- Strong background in people leadership, performance management, and talent development
- Arabic language proficiency with residency in Saudi Arabia or willingness to relocate
- Bachelorâs degree in Business, Management, or a related field with a Masterâs degree considered an advantage