The Role
About KOKO Networks
KOKO Networks is a venture-backed climate technology company with 1,000+ employees across East Africa, India, and Europe. We offer a fast-paced and highly collaborative work environment with significant opportunities for professional growth. Our core lines of business are: (1) KOKO Fuel, a clean bioethanol cooking solution delivered to over one million households in Kenya and Rwanda via networks of agents with smart fuel ATMs; and (2) KOKO Climate, which retails the emissions reductions earned from switching households from deforestation-based fuels to a sustainable alternative. In 2021, KOKO was recognized as the world’s leading emerging markets climate technology solution by the Financial Times and the International Finance Corporation.
Your Role
As Head of Operations, you will lead KOKO’s in-country warehousing, distribution, network technology and quality management efforts across our three core supply chains: fuel, cookers and network technology. Your teams will ensure KOKO products are in the right place at the right time for the right cost to deliver a first-class customer experience.
This role reports to the Managing Director.
What You Will Do
- Oversee KOKO’s end-to-end in-country fuel supply chain to minimize KOKO Point fuel stock shortages, fuel quality control issues, and cost per liter of fuel delivered
- Oversee KOKO’s end-to-end in-country cooker supply chain to minimize cooker and canister shortages, customer hardware quality issues, service centre for repairs and warranties, and cost per cooker delivered
- Oversee in-country lifecycle of network technology hardware (KOKO Points, Smart Tanker Systems, and Smart Depot Systems) to ensure timely and efficient; assembly, deployment, commissioning, maintenance, and decommissioning of all network hardware and act as liaison to global product and engineering teams on technology opportunities and continuous improvements
- Engage in KOKO’s sales & operations planning (S&OP) process to facilitate appropriate in-country stock levels of fuel, cookers, canisters, network hardware, and associated spare parts
- Analyze and evolve KOKO’s operating model for warehousing and last-distribution based on customer feedback and opportunities to drive better and more efficient service delivery
- Relationship management with strategic partners and 3PLs on Service Level Agreements deliverables, nurturing long-term partnerships and shared growth goals
- Engagement and relationship management with key regulatory stakeholders like Rwanda Standards Board and Rwanda Utilities and Regulatory Authority on tactical items, customer engagement and other long term shared goals
- Hire, train, coach, and manage direct reports and to achieve key performance indicators on set requirements, quality, and safety, while building a deep bench of future company leaders and a strong performance culture
- Maintain customer satisfaction through professional conduct and engagements while ensuring an effective interface with other departmental staff is maintained
- Ensure that the function operates in accordance with respective Health, Safety and Environmental and company policies and procedures
What You Will Bring To KOKO
- University degree in Engineering, relevant technical field or business management
- 5+ years of experience in a related field, with a proven track record of high performance
- 5+ years of management experience building and mentoring teams
- Aptitude for cross-functional management, including ability to identify activities that matter most and keep teams focused on delivering top priorities on-time and to the highest standard
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills
- Ownership mindset and comfort in a fast-paced, growth-stage startup environment
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to bridge gaps across cultures and backgrounds
- Strong data analysis and synthesis skills, including expertise with Excel and PowerPoint
- Unquestionable integrity and ability to embed company culture and values within teams
KOKO is committed to gender and racial diversity in the workplace. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply!
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The Company
What We Do
KOKO Networks is a venture-backed technology company operating in East Africa and India. We build and deploy dense networks of cloud-connected "KOKOpoints" inside local corner stores, which serve as consumer access points for goods and services delivered in partnership with major suppliers. Our first consumer solution is a liquid ethanol cooking fuel, which delivers significant cost savings and quality of life improvements in the multi-billion dollar market for urban cooking fuel. This fuels solution is delivered through a Kenyan operating partnership with Vivo Energy, the company which owns and operates Shell-branded fuels distribution infrastructure across Africa.
