Operations Manager - Lusaka | Zambia

 Fresh Life is an award-winning social venture based in Nairobi, Kenya. We undertake two exciting lines of work:

• We provide safe, sustainable sanitation services to residents living in urban informal settlements of Nairobi, Kisumu and Lusaka using end-to-end non-sewered sanitation solutions. Watch here!

• We partner with cities to develop and deliver safe sanitation and waste management for urban residents. Using a systematic methodology, we match cities’ sanitation and waste management needs with technology and service delivery models, and then offer clear guidance on the steps that governments, funders, service providers and technology developers can take to develop and implement integrated service delivery systems. 

Operational since 2011, Fresh Life serves nearly 200,000 urban residents with safe sanitation services every day and safely removes 20,000T of sanitation waste per year. We have built a team of over 400 employees from diverse backgrounds who all embody the drive, creativity, teamwork, and passion that make us achieve our goals. For our work, we have been recognized by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals accelerator and by Fast Company as one of the 10 most innovative companies in the world doing social good and one of the 10 best companies in Africa. Fresh Life is a founding member of The Sanergy Collaborative.

As part of our expansion plans into African Cities,  we are looking to hire an Operations Manager to support our operations in Zambia.

The Operations Manager will be responsible for overseeing and managing the company's operations in Lusaka. The successful candidate will be required to develop and implement strategies to ensure the smooth running of operations, while also identifying and addressing any areas of inefficiency or improvement. Additionally, the Operations Manager will be responsible for managing stakeholders, including clients, suppliers, and partners, and ensuring that their needs are met in a timely and efficient manner. The ideal candidate should possess strong leadership and communication skills, as well as a deep understanding of the company's operations and the local business environment.

The contract will be for a 6 months pilot project and will be based in Lusaka. The targeted start date is early April.

• Work closely with Lusaka Water and Sanitation Company (LWSC) to execute the project plan, including but not limited to:

• Coordinating with LWSC on site selection and permitting processes

• Collaborating with LWSC to ensure that the project plan aligns with local regulations and requirements

• Building and maintaining strong relationships with LWSC staff and other key stakeholders to ensure smooth project implementation

• Regularly updating LWSC on project progress, including any challenges or issues that arise, and working collaboratively to identify and implement solutions

• Providing regular reports to senior management on the status of the project, including updates on LWSC engagement and progress toward project milestones.

• Support the compilation and reporting of monthly operational performance data

• Support the team to identify the variances in their weekly, monthly and 12 monthly forecasts. Play a leadership role in projects to identify root causes and propose corrective and preventive actions.

• Coach teams during weekly meetings to ensure that they are projecting outcomes that match the required business performance, by helping the team identify critical cost drivers that are affecting their performance.

• Determine all relevant government/community engagements that would be beneficial to the organization and create a structure for building those relationships. - Establish potential markets and strategic partnerships that will help us drive sales for all FLI products in the region, and create structures to maximize utility - Represent the organization in meetings with County Officials and other organizations on a set agenda agreed with Leadership Team - Lead negotiations and build relationships with local vendors

• Lead identification of gaps in process, a strategy that reduces effectiveness resulting in reduced quality of output and/ or deviation from plan - Proactively lead problem-solving of anticipated challenges in a structured manner using the problem-solving toolkit - Review work instructions to ensure they are fully aligned with on-the-ground realities in Lusaka - Encourage team members to speak up and bring ideas for improvement directly to you or through team me

• Leverage a resourceful, flexible, and improvisational mindset to navigate the dynamic and evolving operational challenges of working in informal settlements, and be willing to roll up your sleeves to get things done. Excel in a fast-paced environment and adapt quickly to changing circumstances.

• Bachelor’s degree in operations management, business administration, or related field; Master’s level degree will be an added advantage

• 2+ years’ proven experience in Fresh Life operations management position.

• Highly organized, excellent planning and organization skills, good time manager, excellent communication skills- both written and verbal, leadership skills, a good negotiator

• Strong problem-solving skills

• Analytical and attention to detail

• Result-oriented, reporting skills
  

Qualities you’ll need to fit in well

• A collaborative spirit that compels you to work beyond your team

• A desire to understand and serve customers

• A willingness to embrace diversity, integrity, and empathy

• An innovative approach to assessing and testing new ideas

• An enthusiasm to achieve set targets and improve yourself profe