Head of Operations

About the Role

Ordinary Folk is an AI-enabled telehealth company operating across Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan through our consumer brands Noah (men's health) and Zoey (women's health). We're a team of 23 building the future of accessible healthcare in Asia.

We're looking for a Head of Operations to own the entire operational engine across all three markets — pharmacy, fulfilment, customer service, vendor management, doctor coordination, clinic licensing, and regulatory compliance. This is a foundational leadership role reporting directly to the CEO.

Why this role matters

Japan is our highest-potential and most complex market. Pharmacy regulations, supplier relationships, and doctor onboarding all require native-level Japanese and deep cultural fluency. We need someone who can bridge all three markets while unlocking Japan's full potential.

This is not a role where you inherit a playbook. You'll build it.

What You'll Own

Multi-Market Operations

End-to-end supply chain for prescription medications across Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan. Pharmacy operations, fulfilment, and last-mile delivery — ensuring every member receives their treatment on time, every time.

Vendor & Supplier Management

Own relationships with pharmaceutical suppliers, compounding pharmacy partners, and delivery partners across all markets. Negotiate contracts, manage performance, and continuously optimise for cost, quality, and speed.

Customer Service

Oversee CS teams across all markets. Own agent performance, quality frameworks, and the tools and processes that drive first-response time, resolution quality and a CSAT-driven culture. Current team spans Hong Kong, Philippines, and Japan.

Doctor Management

Scheduling, onboarding, and coordination with medical professionals across three markets. Monitor consult quality and ensure our doctor network scales with demand.

Clinic Licensing & Regulatory Compliance

Drive critical regulatory workstreams to completion: SG HCSA clinic licence (active), HK PHFO clinic licence (in progress), SG compounding facility (in progress), JP pharmacy compliance. Navigate the regulatory landscape in each market to keep us compliant and ahead.

Japan Market Operations

This is the strategic reason we need a Japanese-bilingual leader. JP pharmacy regulations, supplier negotiations, and doctor relationships all require native-level Japanese. You'll build the operational infrastructure that unlocks Japan as a market.

Process Building

Most workflows don't have SOPs today. You'll document, systematise, and build the operational playbook from scratch — creating the foundation for scale.

Team Leadership

Manage 8+ direct and indirect reports across three countries. Coordinate cross-functionally with Engineering, Marketing, and our AI agent network (including an AI-powered Member Experience and Operations analytics agent).

What You Bring

Must-Haves

• Native or near-native Japanese + fluent English — this is non-negotiable
• 8+ years in operations, supply chain, or healthcare operations
• Experience managing operations across multiple countries/markets in APAC
• Track record of building ops processes and SOPs from scratch — not just inheriting them
• Experience with pharmaceutical or healthcare supply chain and regulatory compliance
• Comfortable in a startup environment — you thrive in ambiguity and define the systems, not inherit them
• Proven ability to lead a distributed team across multiple timezones
• Based in Singapore, Hong Kong, or Japan

Nice-to-Haves

• Cantonese or Mandarin (valuable for Hong Kong operations)
• Experience in telehealth, DTC subscription, or digital health
• Pharmacy licensing or clinic licensing experience in APAC markets
• Experience with prescription consumer health products (e.g. sexual health, hair loss, weight management)
• Experience at a Series A–C company that scaled operationally

What Success Looks Like

First 30 Days — Deep Dive & Takeover

• Complete deep-dive into all three markets operational state
• Map every workflow end-to-end
• Meet all vendors, doctors, and CS team members
• Take over operational leadership with a structured handover

First 90 Days — Build the Foundation

• HK PHFO licence and SG compounding facility on track with clear milestones
• JP ops infrastructure built: pharmacy partners identified, doctor pipeline established
• CS quality measurably improved across all markets
• SOPs documented for the top 10 operational workflows
• Identify key operational priorities across each market and present a triage plan to the CEO

First 180 Days — Autonomous Operations

• All three markets running autonomously under your leadership
• Japan operations unlocked: doctors onboarded, pharmacy supply chain operational
• Visible contribution to churn reduction through operational excellence
• Full SOP library covering all critical workflows
• Team scaled where needed to support growth

Why Ordinary Folk

• Equity participation in a Series B telehealth company scaling across APAC
• Full ownership of a multi-market operational engine — this is not a middle-management role
• Direct report to the CEO with real decision-making authority
• Rare multi-market exposure across three distinct regulatory environments

Details

• Location: Singapore, Hong Kong, or Japan
• Type: Full-time
• Compensation: Competitive base + equity