Head of AFH Operations, UK&I

Head of Away from Home Operations
At Costa Coffee, we are what we craft. We’re reimagining coffee experiences in over 50 countries and counting, as a key part of the Coca-Cola System. Whether you get your coffee in a store, from a machine, at home, or on the go – we’ve got you covered.
The Head of AFH Operations, UK&I will oversee and optimise daily operations supporting Costa Coffee UK&I AFH customer and partner transactions. You’ll lead key teams: Contact Centre, Planning, Engineering, and Platform Excellence, all based in Loudwater, High Wycombe, ensuring collaboration, efficiency, and delivery against UK&I AFH ABP goals. You’ll also manage major accounts (e.g., Selecta, Millers Vanguard, WEEE), driving satisfaction and long-term strategic growth.
Our teams make a difference. Whether that’s working on new tech for the perfect pour, helping our teams grow, creating award-winning campaigns, crunching the numbers, or developing the latest exciting menu item; together, we stir up success.
We may be a global brand, but we haven’t forgotten our roots. That’s where the Costa Foundation and our fantastic community agenda come in. Whatever your role, you can help us change lives in coffee growing communities and help your local community too.
We also want to help you grow in your career through amazing experiences, our apprenticeship scheme, and development programmes. At Costa, you can go beyond the day-to-day.
And as a Head of Away From Home Operations, there’s never been a better time to join.
So, why Costa?
We didn’t become a global coffee brand by sitting back. When you work here, you join a community that values passion, progression and integrity, with some pretty brilliant perks to sweeten the deal:
• Own a piece of Costa’s success by becoming a share owner in Coca-Cola with our Share Investment Plan (SIP)
• A smart pension that saves you money on tax and national insurance, and matches your contributions up to 10%
• The Costa Financial Support Fund, supporting team members who find themselves in unexpected financial pressure
• 50% discount in all Costa-owned stores, and 25% off in other participating stores
• Private medical cover thanks to our Private Healthcare scheme
• And that’s not all. Explore even more of our perks here: https://bit.ly/costaperks
We’re passionate about being a great place to work, where you can bring your unique self into our mix. We firmly support diversity, equity and inclusion, and continue to work with our teams to shape the future of our culture and values: Disciplined to Deliver, Passion for Progress, Win with Warmth, Courage to Challenge and Trusted Team Players.
What you’ll do
Being a Head of Away from Home Operations is about so much more than bringing our coffee to the world. It’s your chance to stir up real success - which means you’ll be:
• Responsible for building and developing the AFH Operations team to build talent, stretch performance and deliver transformational subject matter expertise. Complete all lifecycle activity to develop and high performing and engaged team to the highest level and coach and develop team to reach their full potential.

• Oversee the Contact Centre’s operations to ensure exceptional service levels and seamless communication with Customers across the AFH portfolio.

• Manage the planning function to ensure that the best SLA is achieved within the parameters available.

• Oversee the Engineering function to ensure the best standard of work is delivered against the AFH AP priorities. Look for innovative ways to resolve issue and manage conflicting priorities.

• Champion operational excellence initiatives across all functions, continuously seeking opportunities to streamline processes and reduce inefficiencies.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key B2B accounts, acting as the primary point of contact for escalations, inquiries, and strategic partnerships.

• Partner with senior leadership to develop and execute long-term operational strategies that support the growth of the AFH UK&I business.

Who you are
It’s your unique ingredients we’re interested in:
• An expert brimming with knowledge and a history of experience in a similar role
• A visionary who can see three steps ahead to put bold plans in place
• A communicator with the passion to share ideas - and make them happen


Where you’ll work:
Right now, our Support Centre teams work flexibly, blending home working with in-person time whenever it matters most – whether that’s a team moment, a creative session, or simply coming together to share ideas.
We’re excited to be moving into a new home for our brand in St Albans in January 2027 – an inspiring space from which our Support Centre teams will work three days a week to connect and collaborate in-person to bring our bold ambition to life.

For any reasonable adjustments and general queries, please get in touch with  costa.recruitment@costacoffee.com