The signal
The clearest signal is a founder spending half their week on operations crises. If most days end with "I need to fix the warehouse / 3PL / inventory" problem, the brand has outgrown founder-operator mode.
The cost of a full-time head of operations (typically $140K–$220K base) is small relative to the operational leverage they unlock.
The role definition
A head of operations at this scale owns: warehouse and fulfillment relationships (whether in-house or 3PL), inventory planning, supplier and PO management, and the operations side of new product launches.
They do not typically own customer service or finance — but they coordinate with both.
Fractional vs. full-time
Below $3M, a fractional operator (10-20 hours/week) is often enough. They run the weekly operations cadence, prep the founder for hard decisions, and bring in specialists for project work. Between $3M and $7M, fractional becomes a stopgap rather than the answer.
Above $7M, full-time is usually overdue.
Hiring signals
Look for: prior experience at a DTC brand at 1.5-2x your current size; experience with at least two WMS or 3PL transitions; comfort with finance and data, not just operations folklore.
Avoid: enterprise-only backgrounds with no DTC scrappiness; pure consultants with no operator scars.
Talk to a specialist
If you are facing this decision now, a free scoping conversation with a vetted Shop Operations Experts specialist usually saves weeks of back-and-forth. Tell us the situation and we will route you to someone who has shipped the work for a comparable brand.
No sales pitch, no lead-volume games — just a scoped recommendation within one business day.