Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Role overview

MAGIC AI is looking for a senior operator to serve as the company’s operational engine. This person will take charge of the systems that keep the business moving — covering supply chain, logistics, people operations, legal coordination, and the day-to-day cross-functional rhythm that ensures products are delivered on schedule, with healthy margins, across both the UK and the US.

The company is expanding a connected hardware and AI product in the UK and US, and the CEO needs someone who can own the “run the business” function so product execution and growth can scale without operational bottlenecks.

Primary mandate

The role carries full accountability for CM1 and CM2, while working alongside the CMO and CFO to help hit CM3 targets. The scope is organized into four core areas.

Supply chain, logistics, and 3PL across the UK and US

• Own the full lifecycle of manufacturing, freight, customs, dual-region 3PL, and landed-cost economics.
• Build and maintain supply chain strategy and the systems needed to support it, including ERP rollout.
• Set international freight strategy.
• Review and own UK 3PL and warehouse processes.
• Carry out a complete audit of US 3PL, freight, and operational tax setup.
• Design and manage reverse-logistics flows, including returns, grading, and restocking.

Inventory management and operational finance

This function acts as the operational partner to the CFO and Head of Finance, translating financial plans into purchase orders and reconciling inventory reality with the financial plan.

• Own S&OP, the demand model, and ordering cadence.
• Maintain complete control over inventory accuracy.
• Produce COGS and GPM reporting, along with broader operational finance reporting.
• Support investor-facing margin analysis.
• Manage external audit coordination.

People operations and legal

Lead people operations, hiring infrastructure, and coordination with external counsel across UK and US entities.

• Manage compensation bands, performance cycles, and employment compliance in both the UK and US.
• Support US entity setup and corporate tax arrangement.
• Oversee commercial, IP, employment, regulatory, and product-compliance legal matters through outside counsel.

Cross-functional operating system

Own the company’s operating cadence, including weekly metric reviews, quarterly planning, OKRs, and executive staff meetings. This is the person every functional lead — including the CFO and Head of Finance — turns to when work is blocked between teams.

Key performance indicators: decisions made per week, blockers removed, and quarterly delivery completed on time.

Requirements

Ideal candidates will bring deep operating experience and the ability to run a complex, multi-jurisdiction business with strong commercial judgment.

• 10–15+ years of operating experience, including a senior role in a scaling consumer hardware or DTC business, ideally one shipping large, heavy, or expensive products.
• Hands-on ownership of international supply chains, preferably involving UK, US, and Asia manufacturing links.
• Experience sourcing and managing warehousing, 3PL, and delivery partners in both the US and UK.
• Proven ability to build or rebuild S&OP and inventory-planning processes from the ground up.
• Strong financial and commercial understanding, with the ability to challenge CFO models and own the operational levers behind them.
• Track record of overseeing people operations and external legal matters across multiple jurisdictions.
• High ownership mindset, low ego, and a writing-first communication style.

Preferred background

• Experience in connected fitness, wearables, or AI hardware.
• Exposure to a Series A to Series C growth journey.
• Existing relationships with UK and US 3PL providers or freight forwarders.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• Equity share options in the company.
• High impact from day one, with the opportunity to shape a business that is scaling quickly.
• Unlimited holiday with self-directed time off.
• Flexible home/hybrid working from the London headquarters, with at least 2 days working from home per week.
• Hardware budget for a new MacBook or comparable equipment.
• Professional learning and development budget.
• Weekly free lunch club.
• Daily unlimited barista coffee.
• Quarterly off-sites and regular team socials.