Chief Operating Officer at Natural Extracts Industries Ltd

Job Description

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER (COO)- ROLE PROFILE

Background

Natural Extracts Industries Ltd (NEI) is a for-profit social enterprise pioneering the sustainable flavour manufacturing industry in Tanzania, focusing on vanilla, cocoa, orange and coffee. The company works in all areas from cultivation, to post-harvest processing, value-add manufacturing and international sales and marketing. The supply chain currently integrates over 6,000 farmers from Kilimanjaro, Kagera, Morogoro, Arusha, Tanga, Iringa and Mbeya regions, and through this sourcing model NEI aims to deliver long-term socioeconomic impact, increasing smallholder household income by 50%, on average. The company is undertaking a Series-A funded growth stage, featuring European and US market entries (including potential joint ventures), establishing a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and expanding supply-side volumes.

Role responsibilities: 

The Chief Operating Officer will be responsible for the following activities with all company operating entities (e.g., both in Tanzania and Uganda):

Team Management 

• Together with the Managing Director, directing the company, developing strategic initiatives, managing investor relations, securing growth funding, managing costs within board-approved annual budgets, ensuring healthy profits, and having accountability for the effective and efficient operation of each team and function (sales, production, quality assurance, supply chain, finance, HR and legal).
• Developing and managing each team towards achieving the objectives of each team and the company as a whole.
• Developing and improving the operational systems, processes and policies for all teams, optimising their processes and workflows (particularly cross-cutting processes), enforcing compliance with policies, applying lean ops/Kaizen principles to reduce wasted time and resources, and generally optimise the performance of each team.
• Developing the capacity and capabilities of all staff, both informally and through the formal performance management process.

Process & Operations Management 

• Ensuring excellence in the management of the production, quality assurance, logistics and supply chain teams, particularly in regards to the vanilla and cocoa value chains, and manufacturing thereof, and ensuring all short and long term company and team objectives are met and underlying risks mitigated.
• Support all teams in:

○ Procuring, cost-effectively, adequate equipment, consumables and raw materials (e.g., raw vanilla and cocoa, production consumables, ancillary equipment & spares, technology systems, lab materials, etc.);

○ Improving the supply of key raw materials (e.g., vanilla, cacao), in terms of increased quality, volumes, productivity and land under cultivation, in a cost-effective manner; ○ Ensuring outstanding company reputation and quality of service with all relevant stakeholders (farmers, government authorities, customers, donors, investors);

Taste the Origin 

• Managing technology solutions, and related reporting and analytics, e.g., for mobile-enabled field team management, inventory management, workflow enhancements, etc;
• Ensuring the company monitors and meets social impact indicators and targets, including indirect beneficiaries;
• Supporting the teams for certification of, and compliance with, national and international standards (e.g., regulatory, occupational safety, food safety, organic, kosher, halal, etc);
• Ensuring continual operational improvement (e.g., Kaizen, lean ops);

Compliance, Internal Controls & Audit 

• Supporting internal service functions (Finance, HR and Legal) in adhering to, and improving upon, the company’s policies and procedures, particularly in regards to strategic growth (new initiatives and international expansion), internal controls and regulatory compliance (e.g., Labor, Immigration, TRA, NEMC, EPZA, Municipal and District bylaws, Crop Boards, various Ministries, Bank of Tanzania, Fair Competition Commission, etc);
• Assisting in the execution of said policies and procedures, including, for example, recruitment, employee relations, grievances, inventory control, etc;
• Auditing adherence and compliance with internal controls across all teams, departments, divisions, subsidiaries and related companies;
• Reviewing and ensuring correctness of financial and operational reports to team leads, management, the Board of Directors, shareholders, other investors/financiers and donors;
• Supporting the management of any subsidiaries, holding companies and franchise companies, both within Tanzania and abroad.

Government Relations 

• Leading the continual engagement of government authorities, supporting and representing all teams who deal with regulatory and compliance topics;
• Providing input to government ministries and regulatory bodies in respect of the Company’s primary value chains and how these can be positioned and strengthened within the global competitive context;
• Staying abreast of updates on government policies and legislation, particularly monitoring publications in Tanzania’s Official Gazette;
• Raising the profile of the company at national level, e.g., by engaging with relevant ministries.

Strategy & Funding 

• Setting the strategic direction of the company (together with the MD) and of the constituent teams (together with team leads), developing strategic initiatives, securing funding for such initiatives, and ensuring completion and effectiveness of such initiatives, as will benefit stakeholders including the organisation as a whole, suppliers (e.g., farmers and processors), investors and shareholders, and ultimately the regional economy;
• Assisting the MD in securing all manner of growth funding to achieve the company’s vision and mission, analysing financials and operational data, and writing investor and donor reports/proposals

Other 

• Following up on meetings and with external contacts to assist the Managing Director and Board Directors;
•  Assisting in the preparation of general paper work for submission to government entities, parastatal organisations, investors, donors and other parties, as may be needed by the Company;
• Any other duties as may be required from time to time by the Managing Director or Board Director(s), and to assist peers and other team leads/officers as needed

Desired Competencies: 

The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications and competencies:

Minimum criteria: 

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent in Engineering or Science, with a Masters in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Operations Management or equivalent.
• At least 10 years of experience, preferably 15, in executive-level management positions, including significant experience at a multinational company;
• Expertise in agribusiness, outgrower networks, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), engineering (mechanical, process, chemical), manufacturing, and/or food technology;
• Exceptional organisational skills, able to manage and move forward multiple projects/initiatives simultaneously;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to relate to multiple foreign cultures, and manage people effectively in difficult circumstances;
• Outstanding ability to negotiate effectively with all stakeholders, including customers, contractors, farmers, farmer associations, service providers, agents, government (all levels), donors, investors, shareholders, directors and staff;
• Outstanding communication skills, both spoken and written, in both English and Swahili;
• Highly proficient with general computer productivity packages such as Microsoft Office, Google G Suite and ERP systems;
• Demonstrated strong leadership, able to inspire and influence others, set their teams’ strategy and lead their work independently;
• A passion for economic development, social impact and data-driven decision making.

Expressions of Interest 

If you would like to apply for this role, please contact us at hr@nei-ltd.com , including your CV and a brief cover letter by 31st July 2021.

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