Operations Manager at Zana Africa

• You will be a good fit if you have demonstrated leadership driving growth strategy and operations planning and implementation in a high-growth, dynamic and complex environments. The right culture fit includes persons who are curious, compassionate, a good communicator, and self-driven, with a consistent ability to anticipate challenges and deliver excellence. You will thrive if you are a good builder of lean teams, if you love to ensure consistency for operational excellence with living SOPs, if it brings you joy to drive alignment with finance and operations, and to create consistent rhythms with your team and across teams to report, plan, and coach, and if you are always looking into the future to anticipate challenges so as to ensure growth objectives are dependably delivered.

Minimum requirements:

• Your degrees are going to be less important than your actual lived experience that you can demonstrably prove. It would be nice to see a bachelor's degree in administration, finance, commerce, or other relevant field but we need to see at least 5 years’ proven experience growing teams, facilities, and operations in ways that show you were instrumental in growing profit margins and building a healthy, vibrant work culture. We will independently validate your track record of excellence.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Cross-cutting roles include:

• Review, develop, and implement all operational processes, policies and procedures including planning, reporting, information flow and management, with the relevant teams and ensure proper documentation of and adherence to all operational processes for operational effectiveness and efficiency and team cohesion
• With teams, create good cadence of reporting, 1:1 and team meetings, and accountability for deliverables
• Anticipate growth needs, including leading on strategy for growth of team and facilities, and developing risk-mitigation strategies
• Identify gaps and opportunities, drive improvement solutions for consistent and excellent performance, and lead and encourage the team to reach the desired goals
• Manage and increase the effectiveness and efficiency of operations performance through improvements to each function by ensuring effective coordination and communication between the functions
• Ensure regulatory compliance for all licenses, fees, insurances, etc. across the entities are adequate and renewed on a timely basis. Oversee all inspections and ensure they are undertaken on time by qualified providers (e.g., vehicle, fire, etc.)
• Manage the operational aspect of onboarding and orienting new employees and transitions of existing employees and interns
• Act as the Data Protection Officer and ensure compliance with all requirements

ZanaAfrica Group

Finance Oversight

• Work with management to implement financial plans and ensure activities fall within or under budget and that variances are anticipated, noted, and corrected
• Conduct first passes at monthly reconciliations and management reports
• Oversee payments to all vendors and service providers are done on a timely basis
• Prepare and monitor budgets to ensure that spending occurs as planned and that variances are anticipated, noted, and corrected
• Review financial reports, projections, and budgets to ensure accuracy and provide regular feedback to the CEO and respond to any questions

Operations – Sales and Admin

• Ensure effective stock counts and stock management, including safe custody, enforcement of systems and controls, and stock card updates for ZAG supplies such as pads, POS materials, tie-ons, electronics, stationery, and other items
• Keep regular track of sales against stock and projections, leading to team to ensure no stock outs
• Be a supportive role between sales and upper management, ensuring reporting and filing systems for reports are maintained and organized
• Provide efficient and timely logistical support to the sales operations regarding dispatches of stock

Jasiri Mugumo School Operation roles

• Working with the director, manage and coordinate long- and short-term planning for the school term, including term dates for opening and closing, events, trips, and logistics for operational success
• Manage operations of departments and oversee all Jasiri reports from including kitchen, facilitators, school events, school trips, and transportation, ensuring operations run smoothly and with sufficient planning
• Prepare and continually improve management reports and review reports, including all operations and facilitator reports, such as school activities, kitchen reports on expenditure, and school events, and then bring them to the Director
• Prepare and review budgets to ensure accuracy, making recommendations to the Director and responding to any questions and then bring these to the Director
• Coordinate management meetings with leadership, teachers, and facilitators regularly to ensure operations run smoothly
• With the Director, develop and implement communications such as newsletters sent out to parents, memos to staff, etc.
• Oversee the procurement of supplies and resources, and ensure purchasing arrangements comply with Jasiri SOPs and that all agreements for the supply of goods and services to the school are appropriately managed and continue to provide value for money
• Ensure effective stock counts and stock management, including safe custody, enforcement of systems and controls, and stock card updates for Jasiri supplies such as stationery, learning resources, electronics, and other items
• Oversee proper and timely allocation of resources (including laptops, stationery, kitchen supplies, etc.) to staff, facilitators, interns, etc., that align with their responsibilities
• Coordinate regular meetings with the Director to review the overall progress of the school term

Requirements: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Operational management experience: Experience managing operational functions, systems, and processes within a similar industry in a start-up and/or high-growth setting
• Organizational skills: Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, prioritize workloads, and set and meet deadlines
• Leadership and communication skills: Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to motivate and manage a team, communicating effectively towards achieving common goals and objectives
• Financial management skills: Experience in financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting
• Analytical skills: Strong analytical skills to identify gaps and opportunities and drive improvement solutions for consistent and excellent performance
• Compliance knowledge: Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation, regulations, and policies to ensure compliance with all requirements.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving: Ability to think strategically and make decisions that align with the organization's goals and objectives; ability to identify, anticipate, and resolve operational challenges
• Technology skills: Knowledge of project management tools, MS Office suite, and any other technology tools and software to manage and improve operational performance