Job Description

Salary: Competitive with benefits

About us

Alonuko, founded by British-born Nigerian designer Gbemi Okunlola, is a luxury women's fashion brand renowned for its luxury handcrafted bridal pieces. Established in 2012, the brand has grown significantly over the past decade, earning international acclaim from prestigious publications such as Vogue, Insider, Huffington Post and Essence - attracting a distinguished celebrity clientele across the globe.

Celebrated as a leading British bridal label, Alonuko is known for its intricate hand-designed embroideries and expertly matched illusion tulles, with a unique focus on representing women of colour who are often overlooked in the bridal industry. Gbemi's vision consistently pushes creative boundaries to deliver unique and luxurious pieces catered to each individual woman's style.

Headquartered in London, Alonuko serves clients globally, continually seeking innovative ways to connect with brides through trunk shows, pop-up events, and personalised services. Alonuko remains committed to their ethos of delivering exceptional craftsmanship and an unforgettable bridal shopping experience for women around the world.

About the role

The COO will work in close partnership with the CEO to turn vision into action, overseeing the company's daily operations and ensuring strong execution across teams. This role requires a highly experienced operator with a deep background in luxury fashion/ bridal fashion or a related product-led industry. Experience within luxury, couture, bridal or womenswear is strongly desirable.

You will manage senior team leads across operations, client experience, marketing, business coordination and production-aligned functions. You will bring cohesion, structure and accountability while driving organisational rhythm, consistency and performance.

About you

Company Leadership and Strategy

Partner with the CEO to translate creative and business vision into clear operational plans Lead cross-department leadership meetings and maintain alignment across all teams Oversee company performance and ensure priorities are delivered on schedule Monitor KPIs and implement improvements to support growth and efficiency Create a strong operational cadence through planning, communication and execution discipline

Operational Excellence

Oversee production processes, fulfilment, logistics, client experience operations and studio workflow Implement and refine systems, processes and SOPs that support scale and brand consistency Ensure efficient coordination across teams including marketing, operations, sales and business support Maintain a high standard of service and operational quality across all client-facing and internal functions Support international expansion, trunk show operations and global logistics

People, Culture and Organisational Development

Lead and mentor a diverse group of department heads Establish clear expectations, performance structures and development paths Foster a collaborative, supportive and high-performance culture Identify team needs and support recruitment planning as the company grows

Brand and Client Experience Alignment

Ensure every operational area reflects the brand's standard of excellence Work closely with the client experience and showroom teams to uphold a seamless end-to-end journey Support brand and marketing initiatives to ensure operational readiness and delivery Ensure processes, communication and service levels consistently reflect a luxury experience

Cross-Functional Coordination

Strengthen internal communication channels and ensure information flows effectively Align teams on timelines, responsibilities, priorities and project outcomes Provide structured reporting and visibility to the CEO and leadership team Ensure smooth support between departments including operations, production, marketing and client-facing teams

About YouExperience and Background

10+ years in fashion, apparel, textiles or a similar product-driven industry Demonstrated capability in overseeing international business activities, including global production partners in China and India, and operational alignment to support ongoing expansion in the US market Experience within luxury, couture, bridal or womenswear is highly desirable Proven success in a senior operational leadership role supporting a growing company Strong understanding of production workflows, supply chain, logistics, client experience and team structures Comfortable managing senior leads across multiple disciplines

Skills and Competencies

Strategic thinker with excellent execution and organisational capability Confident decision-maker with strong communication and leadership presence Highly organised, structured and proactive Able to balance creative sensitivity with operational practicality Thrives in a fast-paced, hands-on and evolving environment Strong collaborator who brings clarity and cohesion to teams

Benefits

Private medical insurance Company pension Hybrid work structure Team events and socials Opportunity to shape and scale a globally recognised luxury bridal brand
Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 50,000.00-70,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Company events Enhanced maternity leave Private medical insurance
Application question(s):

This role requires weekend flexibility. Do you understand this?
Experience:

Customer relationship management: 2 years (required)
Work Location: In person