Senior Operations Manager Africa

Role Overview

This is a senior leadership position accountable for the complete operational performance of multiple production and distribution sites across Africa, with an expanded remit to drive transformation programs and strategic projects also covering Asia. Day to day, the role focuses on making sure every terminal runs safely, efficiently, and in full compliance, while aligning local teams around shared targets for cost, quality, and supply continuity. The broader mission is to standardise how operations are governed across borders, build robust infrastructure, and deliver measurable improvements in asset utilisation and project returns across the wider region.

The role can be based in South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, or Ghana, and will involve close collaboration with country heads, finance, procurement, and global operational excellence teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor country-level operations leaders across Africa, setting clear expectations for performance, safety, and continuous improvement while holding them accountable for executing the regional operating plan.
• Own the full regional operating budget, translating business strategy into site-level goals, cost targets, and key performance indicators, while managing the entire African operational cost base according to the approved capital and operational budgets.
• Establish and enforce standardised operating procedures, escalation protocols, and reporting governance across all markets, ensuring every site follows the same disciplined approach to daily management and problem solving.
• Direct operations planning across the region, balancing demand forecasts, raw material availability, production capacity, and packaging supply so that customer commitments are met without interruption.
• Drive operational excellence initiatives, including implementation of the Yara Productivity System (YPS), and track objectives and key results (OKRs) to ensure improvements are sustainable and measurable.
• Oversee quality assurance and regulatory compliance across all African sites, maintaining robust QC/QA systems, harmonising documentation, and ensuring readiness for internal, customer, and regulatory audits at any time.
• Partner with procurement and supply management to optimise contracts, manage lead times, and coordinate inbound logistics and customs clearance across borders, identifying cost-saving opportunities without compromising service.
• Develop and manage the Capital Value Process for projects in Africa and Asia, including project prioritisation, CAPEX definitions, and post-completion reviews to maximise returns on infrastructure investments and support strategic growth.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or a related field; a Master’s degree or MBA is strongly preferred.
• At least 10–15 years of leadership experience in manufacturing or operations, with proven responsibility for multi-site or multi-country operations, ideally across Africa or comparable emerging markets.
• In-depth familiarity with regulatory and industry frameworks such as OSHA/ISO 45001, ISO 9001 or 22000, GMP, and environmental compliance standards, with a track record of keeping sites audit-ready.
• Strong business acumen including P&L ownership, capex project leadership, change management, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders across functions and geographies.
• Demonstrated ability to build high-performing teams, coach site leaders, and create a culture of discipline, safety, ethical conduct, and inclusive collaboration aligned with local norms and company values.