Senior Operations Manager Africa (Based in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana or Tanzania) at Yara International

Profile

• The Senior Operations Manager Africa is responsible for leading end-to-end operations across multiple countries to deliver reliable supply, cost efficiency, and consistent product quality. This role ensures raw material availability, optimal production performance, and stringent adherence to safety, health, environment, and regulatory standards, while building high-performing, compliant operations at scale. They will also expand their reach beyond Africa to lead and or support regional (Africa & Asia) operational improvement programs and strategic projects. This position can be located in South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania or Ghana.

Responsibilities

• Manage all head of operations in each market in Africa and ensure that the key directives as implemented in all terminals are followed by all employees.
• Own the regional operating plan and translate business strategy into site-level goals, budgets, and KPIs.
• Responsible for the entire operational cost in Africa and manage this according to approved CRC budget.
• Lead, coach and evaluate performance of country/site leaders to drive performance, operational discipline, and continuous improvement.
• Standardize operating procedures, escalation protocols, and performance governance across markets.
• Oversee Operations Planning across Africa to align demand, supply, and capacity.
• Oversee Operational Excellence improvement initiatives including implementation of the Yara Productivity System (YPS) and monitoring of relevant objectives and key results (OKRs)
• Ensure raw material and packaging availability through robust forecasting and management.
• Ensure Africa operating sites’ compliance with Yara’s best practices included in TOPS and HESQ Procedures.
• Partner with Procurement and Supply Management on contracts, lead times, and cost optimization; monitor inbound logistics and customs clearance across borders.
• Ensure products meet specifications and regulatory requirements; maintain robust QC/QA systems.
• Ensure audit readiness (internal, customer, regulatory).
• Harmonize quality standards and documentation across sites.
• Assist operating sites identify operational improvement opportunities and advise site on implementation.
• Develop and own the Capital Value Process (CVP) for projects in Africa operations; including establishment of a project prioritization and development process to maximise returns both for Africa and Asia.
• Assist sites in driving projects to a successful completion.
• Support sites in preparing project frames and in defining CAPEX to meet business requirements.
• Partner with leadership to develop the long-term infrastructure roadmap, including terminal capacity, operational efficiency, storage strategies, and distribution networks across countries.
• Collaborate with Finance to secure approvals for capex projects, ensuring alignment with strategic growth priorities.
• Foster inclusive, ethical culture aligned to company values and local norms.
• Develop an operations asset utilization performance framework to strengthen and improve returns in Yara own Operations in Africa & Asia
• Strengthen performance management of third‑party warehouses by creating best practice processes for Africa & Asia
• Assist VP HESQ & Operations to co-own strategic projects in Asia.
• Own and drive Operations improvement initiatives outlined YAA’s HESQ & Operations Roadmap and risk reduction plan.
• Assist SVP on any other operational and project related issues.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations Management (Master’s/MBA preferred).
• 10–15+ years in manufacturing/operations leadership, including multi-site or multi-country scope.
• Experience with regulatory frameworks relevant to the industry (e.g., OSHA/ISO 45001, ISO 9001/22000, GMP, environmental regulations).
• Strong P&L management, capex project leadership, and change management.