Build the operational performance, with mission critical analytics, data, AI and insight leadership that turns complexity into performance.

Operational Support Recruitment

Operational Performance, Planning, Insight & AI, Analytics and Decision Intelligence Leadership

We help COOs, senior leaders and investors in complex, regulated and customer-critical organisations appoint the leaders and functional experts who make operations work better.

Across operational performance, strategy, resource planning, data intelligence, insight, analytics, CX and AI-enabled transformation, we identify the people who help businesses plan with more confidence, make better decisions and deliver measurable improvements in service, efficiency and customer outcomes.

Less noise. More clarity. Better outcomes.

Workforce and resource planning that holds up in the real world.
Insight and analytics that drives decisions, not dashboards.
AI, tools and automation leadership that improves efficiency without damaging customer experience.

Speak with Perry Fletcher

Operational Support Recruitment - Professional Search Solutions for Operational Performance, Planning, Insight, Intelligence and AI leadership

WFM Optimisation, Strategic Business & Resource Planning

Data, Analytics Insight & Decision Intelligence

AI, RPA, Tools & Technology Enablement

  • Directors and Heads of Operational Support, Performance, CX and Journey Design

  • Resource, Workforce, Business and Strategic Capacity Planning leaders

  • Planning, MI and WFM performance optimisation specialists

Focused on creating stability, predictability and scalable delivery across complex operations.

  • Heads of Data, Analytics and Business Intelligence

  • Customer Insight and Performance leaders

  • CX, Journey, Improvement and Optimisation 

  • Data governance and insight strategy specialists

Turning data into clear insight that leaders can actually act on.

  • AI and Intelligent Automation leads

  • Tooling, platforms and operational tech leaders

  • WFM, CCaaS and Professional Service Consultants

  • Change and transformation specialists bridging tech and operations

Ensuring AI and automation improve efficiency and CX, not create new risk.

Operational Support Recruitment - no longer a back-office function

Resource planning, insight, analytics and AI capability are no longer back-office support functions. In complex, regulated, customer-critical organisations, they sit at the heart of operational resilience, customer outcomes, cost control and commercial performance, we refer to it as decision intelligence.

We partner with organisations to appoint the leaders and functional experts who join the dots between data, delivery and decision-making, helping businesses plan with more confidence, act with more clarity and deliver measurably better outcomes.

Operational Support Recruitment - who we partner with

Operational Support Recruitment

We work with senior leaders responsible for operational performance, efficiency and enablement, often in complex, regulated or customer-critical environments where poor planning, weak insight or misused technology creates real risk.

This work is typically led by:

  • Chief Operating Officers (COOs)

  • Chief Data Officers and Heads of Data & Analytics

  • Chief AI Officers 
  • Chief Marketing Officers
  • Chief Customer Officers

  • Customer, CX and Operations Directors

  • Transformation, Planning and Enablement leaders

Why this matters

Most organisations are being asked to do more with less, while simultaneously improving customer outcomes, embedding AI and managing regulatory and operational risk. The gap we see most often isn’t ambition, it’s capability. Hiring the right operational support and insight leaders at the right moment makes the difference between strategy on paper and results in practice.

Pressure-test your operational support leadership

Why We Track Operational Performance, AI & Decision Intelligence

At Douglas Jackson, we track senior leadership movement across Operational Performance, Resource Planning, Workforce Management, Customer Operations, Data, Analytics, AI and Decision Intelligence because these functions are increasingly shaping how organisations make decisions, allocate resources and sustain performance. Our regular report assets and datasets show leadership accountability moving closer to forecasting, optimisation, automation, planning and operational decision-making, reflecting a wider shift away from traditional support functions and towards business-critical capability.

Our Operational Performance & Decision Intelligence Leadership Index tracks these leadership moves to identify emerging capability trends, changing role design and the evolving relationship between people, data, AI, customer operations and performance.
 
The aim is to help organisations understand not just where leadership is moving, but what that may mean for future organisational design, workforce strategy and operational effectiveness. 
 
Explore the Operational Performance & Decision Intelligence Leadership Index for the latest leadership movement, market signals and capability trends.

How we deliver leaders who stay, perform and scale with you

Our tried and tested Impact 360 methodology goes beyond filling roles. It’s designed to reduce hiring risk, improve long-term retention and ensure operational support and insight leaders succeed in complex, evolving environments.

Identify the right leadership profile

Identify the right leadership profile

De-risk delivery and retention

We start by getting under the skin of the operational, data and planning challenges you’re facing, not just the job description. That includes organisational context, system maturity, leadership dynamics and future pressure points.

We map the market for proven leaders and subject matter experts who have already delivered in similar environments, balancing technical capability with behavioural fit and leadership impact.

Through structured assessment, behavioural insight and rigorous referencing, we focus on appointing leaders who will embed, influence and deliver, not just start well.

Diversity proof 

Since 2017, 57% of the leaders we’ve appointed have been from diverse backgrounds, strengthening decision-making, performance and long-term outcomes.

What our clients say

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Recent operational support and insight leadership appointments

A snapshot of senior operational support recruitment, insight and enablement leaders we’ve successfully appointed into complex, customer-critical organisations.

Director of Resource Planning

Case Studies Client Success Douglas Jackson Resource Planning Director Energy
National customer services organisation. Stabilised planning, forecasting and MI across multi-site operations. Improved predictability and senior leadership confidence. Appointed during a period of operational and customer pressure. Confidential Recruitment Campaign

Customer Insight Director

Case Studies Client Success Douglas Jackson Water Companies Utilities
Regulated, customer-facing organisation. Built insight capability to inform operational and CX decisions. Shifted reporting from retrospective to forward-looking. Strong stakeholder alignment across operations and transformation through a Retained Recruitment approach

Solutions Delivery Consultant

Saas, Ccaas, AI Solutions and Technology Recruitment And Douglas Jackson
AI and CCaaS High-growth, transformation-led business. Led AI and tooling adoption aligned to operational reality. Balanced efficiency gains with customer and colleague impact. Appointed as a critical enabler of wider transformation, another successful recruitment campaign
Explore relevant case studies

Trusted by senior leaders in complex, regulated and customer-led organisations

Let’s talk about your operational support CX and insight leadership recruitment.

If you’re reviewing your operational support, CX, planning, insight or AI leadership recruitment, or sense gaps emerging as your organisation scales or transforms, a short, confidential conversation can help clarify next steps.

Book a confidential conversation

Operational Support Leadership Articles and Insight. 

A selection of leadership articles across marketing, resourcing, Insight, AI, Data and Technology transformations and insight which feature in Planning and Insight Spotlight. A headhunters guide to operational support and resourcing leadership, with tips, news & thoughts for business & individuals across the operational support community.