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.