Chief Operations Officer - Kenya

About the role

Lead and transform end‑to‑end operations in Kenya, overseeing the head office and field execution. The COO will embed cost discipline, operational controls and accountability while driving measurable cost reductions and productivity gains.

Key responsibilities

• Own Kenya operations performance, ensuring consistent execution, service levels and governance across all sites and routes.
• Deliver a cost‑reduction and productivity programme: baseline costs, identify savings, execute initiatives and track benefits.
• Build an execution‑led operating cadence with KPIs, visual management, problem‑solving routines and corrective actions.
• Strengthen operational controls and compliance (SOPs, delegations, inventory, cash, asset and vendor controls).
• Redesign processes and organization for efficiency, simplifying workflows, optimizing staffing and standardising best practices.
• Lead supply chain and logistics optimisation, including demand planning, procurement governance, fleet and route optimisation and inventory accuracy.
• Partner with Finance to embed cost visibility, budget ownership, variance reviews and ROI‑based decision making.
• Drive change management, develop operational talent and implement performance management across the team.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business Administration or related field (required); MBA or Master’s preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive operations leadership experience in multinational organisations, with proven cost‑reduction and productivity results.
• Experience leading turnaround or transformation programmes across head‑office and field sites.
• Strong track record of building high‑accountability cultures and developing talent.

Required skills

• End‑to‑end operations leadership, service delivery and operational governance.
• Cost management, budgeting, unit economics and benefits realisation.
• Operational controls, risk management and audit readiness.
• Supply chain, logistics and procurement optimisation.
• Continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma) and structured problem solving (A3, 5‑Why).