Operations Director - Regional at Inkomoko

About the Opportunity

Inkomoko is seeking Regional Operations Director with previous experience scaling high-growth social enterprises. This newly established role requires a seasoned leader with multi-country experience.  The successful candidate will be instrumental in building systems and enhancing operations across East Africa as the organization has a 20% annual growth rate.  Specific responsibilities include:

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership:

• Develop operational strategies that outpace organizational growth, staying a step ahead of our expansion needs in eight East/Central African countries with a tech-forward and innovative mindset. 
• Work alongside regional directors to generate insights to support cross-departmental efficiencies and responsive operational strategies. 
• Lead annual goal setting to push beyond previous standards, and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of Inkomoko operations.
• Identify and mitigate operational risks, ensuring business continuity - own the business continuity plan
• Work closely with country Managing Directors and Regional Directors on  budget planning, resource allocation, and financial management 
• Implement robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks and work with our data team to create a tech platform to track progress/outcomes.

Systems and Policy Development:

• Design, develop, and implement practical and responsive operational systems, policies, and procedures with a focus on systems that can integrate into our existing tech platforms (e.g. Odoo, Slack, PowerBi Dashboards)
• Continual improvement mindset to revise SOPs and policies, staying abreast of industry best practices for efficiency and effectiveness in our operating settings
• Standardize processes across countries while allowing for local adaptations 
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements 

Team Management:

• Recruit, train, and coach Operations Managers in each country for results
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive team culture that promotes innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Develop initiatives for team development and step-function improvements to match organizational growth 

Admin & Procurement Oversight: 

• Develop and implement a regional procurement strategy aligned with organizational social goals and objectives.
• Manage all organizational administrative systems including supporting office facilities, travel/transport, admin systems
• Update standard new office checklists and daily office management procedures; implement quality assurance processes to ensure all Inkomoko offices are on the same level of standard regardless of location 
• Create standard guidelines on support staff (number, key tasks, and job function) and roll out to ensure all offices receive level of support based on number of staff 
• Establish procurement policies, procedures, and best practices to ensure consistency and efficiency across all countries, and optimize supply chain.
• Promote sustainable and ethical procurement practices/policies, including responsible sourcing from diverse local suppliers and considering environmental and social impacts.

Minimum Qualifications

Successful candidates have already scaled social enterprise organizations, are adaptive, tech-forward, and creative.  They are deeply committed to building a cohesive and inclusive team, and approach challenges with a growth mindset.  We are not joking when we say we are fast paced – any successful candidate will not only be open to change for the sake of impact and efficiency, but they will also be adept change managers in a growing, diverse organization. 

• Master’s degree in Operations Management, MBA, or a related field
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in operations management in a multi-country context in Africa
• Experience leveraging technology to scale 
• Proven track record of strategic leadership and successful team management; used to leading change processes and leading strong, diverse, inclusive teams.
• Excellent leadership, highly communicative, with strong interpersonal skills.
• Strong communicator, with at least one East African language required, and English/French bilingual preferred
• Strong financial acumen and experience in budget management and resource allocation.
• Ability to deal with programmatic and operational complexity; impeccable judgment when details are scant, makes decisions that align with Inkomoko’s values and intended impact
• Results-focus.  Process is important, but results are more so. 

What You'll Get

This role is inside a high-growth, mission-driven social enterprise. By joining Inkomoko, you’ll access:

• Competitive salary, and potential KPI-based bonus
• Incredible company culture, including deep investment in your learning and growth
• Diverse colleagues and policies that show our commitment to equity and inclusion 
• Talented, passionate, and committed team of colleagues across the region - with option/expectation to travel about 15% time. 
• Ability to make a significant social impact to your community
• Health insurance, staff savings, parental leave, sabbatical, and more benefits.