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CDL was founded in early 2003 by its current Managing Director Lucy Mmari.Within her 14 year tenure in a well established logistics company, She honed her skill in human resources management and thereafter started CDL.
Job Overview:
- The Head of HR Services is a strategic business partner to the GCEO and leadership team, responsible for turning HR into a true business partner to CDL rather than simply an administrative function. The role shapes and drives CDL's people strategy — covering workforce planning, organisation design, talent, culture, performance, reward, and people risk — translating business strategy into HR priorities that build long-term organisational capability. The Head of HR Services is guided by one central focus: “Are we getting the right people, in the right roles, performing at the right level, and are we building the organisation CDL needs for the future?”
Duties and Responsibilities
HR Strategy & Annual HR Planning
- Design and drive CDL's HR strategy and annual HR plan in direct alignment with overall business strategy and GCEO priorities.
- Act as strategic advisor to the GCEO and management team on all people-related decisions affecting business performance.
- Support business growth through a proactive, forward-looking people strategy.
Workforce Planning & Organisation Design
- Lead enterprise-wide workforce planning to anticipate future capability and capacity needs.
- Lead organisation design and restructuring initiatives that support business growth.
- Conduct job analysis and job design, and own job descriptions and competency frameworks across CDL.
- Drive strategic manpower productivity across business units.
Talent Management & Succession Planning
- Build a long-term talent management strategy and succession plans for critical and leadership roles.
- Build CDL's leadership pipeline across the business.
- Oversee identification, development and retention of high-potential employees.
Leadership Development & Coaching
- Design leadership development and executive coaching programs for senior and high-potential talent.
- Provide management coaching and HR advisory support to leaders across the business.
- Build a high-performance leadership culture through structured development interventions.
Culture, Engagement & Employee Experience
- Own CDL's employee engagement strategy, including engagement surveys and resulting action plans.
- Champion culture development initiatives that reinforce organisational values and performance.
- Design and continuously improve the end-to-end employee experience.
- Lead organisation-wide change management initiatives.
Performance Management
- Design and own CDL's performance management framework.
- Drive performance measurement and effectiveness across the business, ensuring fair and consistent application.
- Partner with managers to align individual performance with business objectives.
Learning & Development
- Own CDL's learning and development strategy.
- Conduct training needs analysis across the business and translate findings into learning interventions.
- Champion structured career development pathways for employees.
Employee Relations & HR Risk Governance
- Set CDL's employee relations strategy and provide governance on complex or high-risk cases.
- Personally manage complex employee relations matters, escalations, and disciplinary/grievance processes.
- Lead HR policy development and periodic review to keep policies current and compliant.
- Identify and mitigate HR risk across the business.
Compensation, Benefits & Reward
- Design and oversee CDL's compensation and benefits strategy.
- Conduct salary benchmarking and maintain competitive, equitable salary structures.
- Own the reward and recognition framework to drive retention and performance
HR Analytics, Budgeting & Transformation
- Establish HR analytics and people dashboards to inform executive decision-making.
- Own HR budgeting and workforce cost analysis.
- Develop and monitor HR KPIs across all people functions.
- Lead HR projects and transformation initiatives.
Requirements & Qualifications
- Education: A Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a Master's degree in Human Resource Management is mandatory.
- Experience: A minimum of 7 years' progressive HR experience, including proven experience in a strategic HR leadership role within a large organisation.
- Professional Certification: Membership with a recognized HR professional body (e.g., IHRM) is required.
- Skills: Strong strategic thinking, leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills, with sound knowledge of labour laws and HR best practice.
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Role Summary
- The Sales & Marketing Head – Edible Oils & Fats will lead the overall commercial strategy for a major and strategic business category.
- The role will have responsibility for the full P&L and will drive sales growth, market share, pricing discipline, profitability, distribution, and brand performance across Kenya and regional markets.
- The position combines strategic commercial leadership, category expertise, sales management, marketing strategy, and operational execution to strengthen the organization's position within the edible oils and fats market.
- The ideal candidate will bring strong strategic thinking and operational excellence, with the ability to manage complex market dynamics, lead large commercial teams, and drive innovation and transformation across the commercial value chain.
Key Responsibilities
Commercial & Category Leadership
- Develop and implement the commercial strategy for the Edible Oils & Fats category in line with overall business growth and profitability objectives.
- Own the category P&L, driving performance across pricing, product mix, margins, and volume.
- Lead business planning and forecast alignment with Production, Supply Chain, Finance, and other key functions.
- Identify opportunities for category growth through core portfolio optimization, innovation, value-added products, and premium segments.
- Monitor market trends, competitor activity, consumer behavior, and category dynamics to inform commercial decisions.
Sales & Route-to-Market Excellence
- Lead national sales teams and regional sales heads to achieve revenue, distribution, volume, and profitability targets.
- Develop and optimize route-to-market strategies to strengthen market coverage, product availability, and cost efficiency.
- Drive sales execution through clear KPIs, performance dashboards, structured business reviews, and accountability mechanisms.
- Build and manage strategic distributor relationships, ensuring strong performance, profitability, and sustainable partnerships.
- Identify opportunities to improve sales productivity and channel effectiveness.
Marketing & Brand Development
- Develop and execute portfolio strategies aligned with consumer needs, market opportunities, and commercial objectives.
- Lead integrated marketing and communication strategies to strengthen brand awareness, consumer relevance, and market positioning.
- Work closely with R&D and cross-functional teams to identify and develop new product and category growth opportunities.
- Strengthen consumer trust and brand differentiation through effective positioning, communication, and innovation.
- Ensure marketing investments are aligned with commercial priorities and measurable business outcomes.
Trade Marketing & Channel Development
- Lead trade marketing strategies and programs to strengthen brand visibility, distribution, and in-store execution.
- Develop channel-specific activation strategies across General Trade, Modern Trade, and other relevant channels.
- Optimize promotions, pricing, and pack architecture to maximize commercial returns.
- Partner with Finance and Sales Operations to monitor trade spend, promotional effectiveness, and ROI.
- Strengthen execution standards and visibility across key customer and distribution channels.
Digital & Data Enablement
- Champion the adoption and effective use of BI tools, CRM systems, and digital dashboards to improve commercial decision-making.
- Leverage data analytics to inform pricing, promotions, customer segmentation, distribution, and sales strategies.
- Use market and consumer data to identify emerging opportunities and risks.
- Explore e-commerce and digital trade opportunities to complement traditional routes to market.
Leadership & Capability Building
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing commercial team with clear objectives and performance standards.
- Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, customer focus, and continuous improvement.
- Develop the capabilities of sales, marketing, trade marketing, and sales operations teams.
- Strengthen collaboration with Supply Chain, Finance, Production, R&D, and other key stakeholders.
- Drive effective succession planning and talent development within the commercial function.
Requirements
Ideal Candidate Profile
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or a related field.
- MBA or other relevant advanced qualification is preferred.
Experience
- 12–15 years of progressive experience in FMCG commercial leadership, including at least 5 years managing a significant category P&L.
- Proven experience within edible oils/fats category.
- Strong experience across General Trade and Modern Trade.
- Demonstrated experience integrating sales, marketing, and trade marketing to drive category growth and profitability.
- Proven track record of leading and developing large, diverse commercial teams.
- Strong experience in distributor management, route-to-market optimization, pricing, trade investment, and commercial planning.
- Demonstrated success in driving revenue growth, market share, and profitability.
Why This Opportunity?
- This is a high-impact commercial leadership opportunity for an experienced FMCG professional to shape the next phase of growth within a major Edible Oils & Fats business.
- The successful candidate will play a critical role in driving commercial strategy, strengthening market performance, developing high-performing teams, and identifying new opportunities for sustainable growth across Kenya and regional markets.
Benefits:
- Company vehicle
- Fuel card
- Dedicated driver
- Furniture Allowance
- 28 days’ leave with airfare once every 2 years
- Work Permit
- Family accommodation
- Medical Insurance
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