Job Summary:

Our client grower and exporter of fresh fruits and vegetables in Kenya is looking to hire an operation manager who will be responsible for the management of the overall operational aspects of the business including quality, productivity, health, safety, compliance, personnel manufacturing and facilities maintenance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership to a team of professional heads of department in the organization.
• Offer strategic thinking and making informed decisions with objectives of articulating organizational goals.
• Guiding the managers through industry transitions and fostering an environment that embraces innovation and change management.
• Creating a supportive and collaborative work environment through understanding and connecting with the emotions of the team members.
• Empowering team members by delegating duties and responsibilities to foster a sense of ownership and accountability.
• Resolving conflicts and handling difficult conversations with tact and diplomacy.
• Guide out grower programs to ensure a steady supply of high-quality raw materials.
• Develop an inclusive out-grower strategy to maximize full business potential.
• Develop a commercially viable plan that recognizes smallholders as farmers and encourages healthy farming practices.
• Source for fresh produce from women’s cooperatives and farmer organizations with prudent and equitable leadership.
• Ensuring that the Out-growers have access to adequate inputs including training and seeds.
• Determining the prices for the out-grower prices.
• Develop strategies to expand the export markets, boost revenues and ensure continued profitability.
• Maintain relationships and network with clients, professional bodies and stakeholders.
• Develop an online campaign strategy to boost the visibility of the business.
• Enhance adoption of modern and innovative systems for marketing of agricultural produce and products.
• Facilitate compliance to agricultural produce and products standards.
• Achieve quality and stain able supply of fresh produce and products that meet international market demand.
• Ensure that the business licenses, certificates and permits adhere to the industry standards for fresh produce regulations.
• Enhance compliance to market requirements for agricultural produce and products.
• Manage and address any deviation on industry standards.
• Manage and ensure quality assurance by supporting processes and controls to ensure consistent product quality is achieved.

Requirements

Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field. A Master’s degree or MBA is preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in operations management, with a proven track record of success.
• Numeracy: Experience working with and a good understanding of numerical or financial information.
• Data Analysis: Experience in extracting useful information and translating it into actionable objectives.
• People Management: Experienced in HR best practice, managing people effectively in order to achieve business objectives.
• Health & Safety: Awareness of H&S legislative requirements, and experience in the implementation of these.

Skills:

• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficiency in operational software and tools.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.