Senior Director, Safety & Risk – Africa Operating Unit at The Coca-Cola Company

Role Purpose

• The Senior Director, Safety & Risk will be the strategic and operational leader for Health, Safety, and Risk Management across the Africa Operating Unit (AOU), shaping the future safety culture for The Coca-Cola System in the region. This pivotal role will advance operational excellence while embedding safety as a core business value, influencing across a complex network of bottling partners, internal leaders, and global stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Health & Safety Leadership

• Define, execute, and continuously evolve the AOU’s Occupational Health & Safety (H&S) strategy, ensuring alignment with global frameworks, Long Range Plans (LRP), and Annual Business Plans (ABP).
• Champion safety culture transformation through visionary leadership, ensuring a “Zero is Possible” mindset and embedding H&S as a competitive advantage.
• Integrate safety into business outcomes, influencing investment decisions, innovation pipelines, and operational design.
• Implement global H&S systems and governance structures, ensuring compliance with KORE requirements and occupational license-to-operate regulations.
• Lead the adoption of cutting-edge safety technologies and process innovations from high performing external industries (e.g., oil & gas, chemical, automotive, pharma).

Risk & Crisis Management

• Lead Incident Management & Crisis Resolution (IMCR) processes for the AOU, ensuring preparedness, proactive risk identification, and rapid response to protect people, operations, and brand reputation.
• Maintain robust Technical Risk Management Framework (TRMF) and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) integration, with actionable mitigation plans across manufacturing, logistics, innovation, and marketplace operations.
• Partner with PACS, Strategic Security, and franchise system leadership on risk mitigation, scenario planning, and high impact decision making.

Business Continuity

• Own and implement the AOU Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to ensure operational recovery during disruptions.
• Coordinate cross functional recovery teams and external bottler partners for synchronized effective responses.
• Keep leadership informed via clear, concise, and timely status reporting.

Stakeholder Engagement & Influence

• Engage with senior internal and external leaders, industry associations, and regulatory bodies to drive alignment and share best practices.
• Communicate with impact across multiple levels — from executive boardrooms to plant floor teams — adjusting style and messaging accordingly.
• Negotiate and align on safety priorities where strategic or operational interests may differ.

People & Capability Development

• Build and empower a high performing H&S team; mentor, coach, and enable others to lead safety effectively at all levels.
• Establish the AOU as a regional center of excellence for safety knowledge, benchmarking, and capability development.
• Foster cross system, cross functional collaboration to ensure “One Team” execution and shared accountability for safety goals.

Experience & Expertise

• 8–10+ years senior leadership in Technical/H&S operations, with proven success in cultural transformation and change leadership.
• Background from high safety maturity industries (energy, chemicals, manufacturing, automotive, pharma) strongly preferred.
• End to end Occupational Health & Safety leadership, covering manufacturing, logistics, and marketplace environments.
• Experience influencing in a complex, global, and matrixed system without direct authority.
• Proven track record of cross regional, cross functional leadership and delivering strategic plans in alignment with global business objectives.
• Strong knowledge of H&S management systems, risk management frameworks, compliance requirements, and crisis response best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with executives, franchise partners, and regulatory or industry bodies.

Skills

• Crisis Management;
• Risk Management;
• Safety Management;
• Safety Programs;
• Franchise Leadership;
• People Leadership;
• Business Continuity
• Crisis Management (Inactive);
• Business Continuity Planning (BCP);
• Handling Crisis Situations