Background

PrimeJack is an impact driven company which creates sustainable, fair, equal and scalable value chains in Uganda for export to the European Market. The first value chain developed is from immature dehydrated jackfruit. The young jackfruit is sourced from smallholder farmers by Ugandan SME suppliers and processed in local processing hubs before exported to Europe. The exported product is sold to food companies who use it as an ingredient for meat substitutes and hybrid meat products.

Job summary

The Head of Operations is responsible for overseeing and optimising the operational process within the production side of the organisation. It’s a pivotal management role at PrimeJack, being responsible for the strategic planning, development and implementation of food production and processing technologies. Leadership and management skills are key to this role, as well as your ability to collaborate with diverse teams and manage stakeholders in achieving project goals. You will play a crucial role in developing and implementing strategies to streamline production processes, minimise costs, and maximise output while maintaining the highest quality standards. Through adhering to PrimeJack's core values of Bold, Trust, Agility, and Vulnerability, the Head of Operations will be instrumental in driving R&D initiatives, operations solutions, quality control and productivity.

Responsibilities and competencies

• Strategic planning: Collaborate with senior management to develop and implement production strategies aligned with the company’s overall objectives and goals
• Process optimisation: Analyse existing processes, identify inefficiencies, implement improvements to enhance productivity, reduce costs, optimise resource and manage processors
• Performance monitoring: Establish key performance (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of production operations. Monitor performance metrics regularly and take proactive measures to address deviations from targets
• Continuous improvement: Drive a culture of continuous improvement within the production department by fostering innovation, implementing best practices, and initiating process optimisation projects
• Cross-Functional collaboration: Work closely with other departments such as sourcing, research and development, quality assurance, logistics and product development to ensure seamless production coordination and alignment with the broader organisation objectives
• Resource management: Work with PrimeJack processors to optimise the allocation of human resources, equipment and materials to meet production schedules while minimising costs and maintaining quality standards
• Risk management: Identify potential risks and bottlenecks in the production process and develop contingency plans to mitigate the disruptions and ensure uninterrupted operations. Also that the systems are fully traceable
• Budgeting and cost control: Develop and manage production budgets, track expenditure and implement cost-saving measures without compromising quality
• Technical and Compliance Expertise in Food Operations: A knowledge of food production processes and technologies is preferable, along with an understanding of food safety and quality standards of our clients
• Innovation and Problem-Solving Skills: Creativity and strong analytical skills to develop new food products and improve existing processes
• Strong Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Effective collaboration with both the NL and processing hubs teams, promoting an environment of trust and open communication.
• Leadership and Teamwork: Ability to lead projects and teams, balancing leadership and teamwork for project success, embodying the value of vulnerability in team interactions.
• Conflict Resolution and Negotiation Skills: Navigating and effectively resolving conflicts, with an agile mindset, while maintaining cooperative interactions.

Qualifications

• A degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred
• Proven experience in production management, with a minimum of 5 years in a leadership role
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in data-driven decision making
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategic initiatives to drive operational excellence
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across functions and levels of the organisation
• Solid understanding of production processes, quality management systems and lean manufacturing concepts
• Proficiency in project management tools and techniques
• Experience working in up-scaling production in a fast-paced organisation
• Motivated, organised and flexible

• Strategic planning: Collaborate with senior management to develop and implement production strategies aligned with the company’s overall objectives and goals
• Process optimisation: Analyse existing processes, identify inefficiencies, implement improvements to enhance productivity, reduce costs, optimise resource and manage processors
• Performance monitoring: Establish key performance (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of production operations. Monitor performance metrics regularly and take proactive measures to address deviations from targets
• Continuous improvement: Drive a culture of continuous improvement within the production department by fostering innovation, implementing best practices, and initiating process optimisation projects
• Cross-Functional collaboration: Work closely with other departments such as sourcing, research and development, quality assurance, logistics and product development to ensure seamless production coordination and alignment with the broader organisation objectives
• Resource management: Work with PrimeJack processors to optimise the allocation of human resources, equipment and materials to meet production schedules while minimising costs and maintaining quality standards
• Risk management: Identify potential risks and bottlenecks in the production process and develop contingency plans to mitigate the disruptions and ensure uninterrupted operations. Also that the systems are fully traceable
• Budgeting and cost control: Develop and manage production budgets, track expenditure and implement cost-saving measures without compromising quality

• Technical and Compliance Expertise in Food Operations: A knowledge of food production processes and technologies is preferable, along with an understanding of food safety and quality standards of our clients
• Innovation and Problem-Solving Skills: Creativity and strong analytical skills to develop new food products and improve existing processes
• Strong Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Effective collaboration with both the NL and processing hubs teams, promoting an environment of trust and open communication.
• Leadership and Teamwork: Ability to lead projects and teams, balancing leadership and teamwork for project success, embodying the value of vulnerability in team interactions.
• Conflict Resolution and Negotiation Skills: Navigating and effectively resolving conflicts, with an agile mindset, while maintaining cooperative interactions.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in data-driven decision making
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategic initiatives to drive operational excellence
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across functions and levels of the organisation
• Solid understanding of production processes, quality management systems and lean manufacturing concepts
• Proficiency in project management tools and techniques

• A degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred
• Proven experience in production management, with a minimum of 5 years in a leadership role
• Experience working in up-scaling production in a fast-paced organisation