Senior Operations Manager Africa

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.
  

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.