Chief Operating Officer

The Officer would have both a strategy and execution role.She or he will develop strategy alongside the CEO, manage and coach the Managing Directors of each country (which entails visiting district teams and customers for 3-4 days/week), gather and analyze operational data, oversee our finance and data systems, and be a critical thought partner to the CEO and Board. We are looking for a leader who can take the company to the next level and beyond. The main responsibilities will include:

Managing  Business Operations

• Work with Managing Directors to develop country strategies, set quarterly objectives and targets, and support them in meeting these objectives.
• Provide insight and guidance to Managing Directors on finance, operations, analytics and systems.
• Frequently travel to districts to meet customers, masons at construction sites and district teams to obtain a first-hand understanding of our progress towards objectives, challenges and opportunities.

Business Strategy

• Recommend business model changes to fit the context based on field learnings, especially in light of rapid expansion, and oversee the execution of those changes.
• Work with CEO to determine the global scale strategy, and support implementation and procurement.
• Initiate, manage, and implement strategic special projects, such as developing new training programs for staff or running pilots to test changes.
• Drive gross margins by both finding areas to cut costs and improve company efficiency.
• Analyze areas of inefficiency in each country, and implement improvements to cut overhead costs and make team more productive.
• Identify and implement continuous processes with efficiency improvements through significant time with customers, drivers, sales representatives and masons.

Employee Development

• Manage the Managing Directors in all countries (currently Rwanda and Uganda), with a heavy emphasis on coaching and capacity building, helping them develop skills and fill knowledge gaps.
• Ensure that the leaders of the finance, systems, and operations departments develop the skills necessary to run departments independently.
• Work closely with the CEO and Chief of Staff to support employee development across all companies in the region.
• Support the Human Resources and Executive teams across all countries, including hiring effective teams, onboarding new operations hires, setting targets and determining strategy.

Analysis and Finance Oversight

• Collaborate with the Finance team to build models to project company performance, analyze company finances, and other models as necessary.
• Oversee P&Ls in all countries and assure proper handling of assets, in accordance with the companies existing protocols.
• Oversee and improve upon impact measurement and outcomes reporting.
• Assist CEO, Chief of Staff, Director of Finance, Executive Team, MDs, and other departments with financial analysis, funder reporting, and oversight, as necessary.
• Ensure collaboration and alignment between Finance and on-the-ground operations.

Data Systems and Operations Development

• Improve and implement systems to scale (construction planning, inventory management, supply chain management, quality control management, customer relations management, financial management, human resources, etc.)
• Manage Head of Systems to integrate software platforms and implement new tools and data systems as necessary for both Finance and Operations.

Qualifications

• Aligned with companies core values,
  • Take pride in our impact on health. Work passionately to change the way people live.
  • Set the bar for customer care. Exceed their expectations every step of the way.
  • Work hard and work together to achieve our most ambitious goals and dreams.
  • Be resourceful and responsible with money; our impact depends on it.
  • Treat everyone with the fairness, empathy, and concern with which we expect to be treated. Celebrate diversity while building a culture of inclusivity.
  • Trust each other to have the humility to support and the vulnerability to be supported.
• At least 7 years of operational management experience in a senior role, ideally in East Africa.
• Proven capability to lead teams of more than 200 employees, ideally within a fast-growing social venture.
• Excited to get your hands dirty and gritty (taking motorcycles into rural areas, building floors with franchisees, staying at clean but basic lodges in remote districts, taking overnight bus journeys between Rwanda and Uganda, etc).
• Exceptional analytical skills, including Excel modelling and complex data analysis.
• Strong understanding of accounting, budget management, and financial management.
• Strategic thinker, who is able to convert strategy into operational execution and excellence.
• Entrepreneurial attitude, creative problem solver, hard worker, and patient team-player with a sense of humor.
• Flexible and adaptable to changing environments, and comfortable with the unknown.
• Responsiveness and ability to manage a range of diverse workstreams simultaneously.
• Constantly aims for those who you manage to become better than you.
• Maturity and poise under stress.

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