Location: Ghana (with multi-site oversight)

JOB DESCRIPTION

Role Overview

The Operations Manager is responsible for leading and coordinating all post-procurement operations across Duapa Agri’s trading, processing, logistics, and quality functions. This role owns the full operational lifecycle from receipt of purchased raw materials through processing, storage, logistics, quality assurance, and final dispatch to off-takers, export channels, or finished-goods markets.

The role exists to ensure disciplined execution, strong internal controls, quality consistency, and efficient coordination across production, logistics, inventory, and quality functions, while working closely with Procurement, Finance, and Commercial teams.

The Operations Manager is the single point of accountability for operational performance.

Scope of the Role

• Role begins: After procurement is completed and goods are received at warehouse/factory (GRN and initial QC sampling).
• Role ends: At dispatch for export, delivery to off-takers, or release of finished products to market.

Key Responsibilities

1. Production & Processing Operations

• Plan, supervise, and coordinate production and processing activities across all sites, including:
• Partner/toll processing facilities
• Duapa-managed processing plants
• Finished-goods and food production sites
• Ensure adherence to approved SOPs, production schedules, and shift discipline.
• Monitor production outputs, yields, downtime, rejects, and corrective actions.
• Supervise site-level Production/Processing Supervisors and ensure consistent reporting.
• Coordinate basic maintenance planning and operational readiness across sites.

2. Logistics, Warehousing & Inventory Management

• Oversee all logistics operations, including inbound transfers, inter-site movements, exports, and deliveries to off-takers.
• Supervise warehousing operations to ensure:
• Accurate stock records
• Secure storage
• Proper documentation
• Loss and shrinkage prevention
• Approve and monitor all stock movements, dispatch plans, and physical custody of goods.
• Ensure inventory controls are enforced and aligned with internal control requirements.

3. Quality Control & Assurance

• Embed quality control checks across receiving, processing, storage, and dispatch stages.
• Oversee raw material quality assessments for export commodities (e.g. Raw Cashew Nuts, Cashew Kernels, Shea Nuts, Shea Butter etc), working with QC personnel and providing escalation support.
• Supervise processing and finished-goods quality assurance, including:
• In-process quality checks
• Packaging integrity
• Batch traceability
• Compliance with food safety and quality standards
• Ensure all quality issues, rejections, and disputes are documented and resolved with clear corrective actions.
• Support the Managing Director on final quality sign-off and dispute escalation where required.

4. Operations Coordination & Cross-Functional Alignment

• Act as the primary coordination point between Operations and:
• Procurement: delivery schedules, specifications, rejection feedback, yield data
• Finance: stock valuation, cost tracking, approvals, internal controls
• Commercial: production planning against sales orders, delivery timelines, packaging requirements
• Ensure operational alignment without overlap or role conflict.
• Drive disciplined communication and follow-through across all operational units.

5. Operations Control & Reporting

• Supervise the Operations Coordinator as the operational control tower.
• Ensure daily, weekly, and monthly reporting across:
• Production performance
• Stock movements and inventory balances
• Logistics and dispatch status
• Quality metrics and incidents
• Track KPIs and follow up on action items to ensure execution discipline.

Decision Rights & Authority

• The Operations Manager has authority over:
• Production planning and execution
• SOP enforcement and corrective actions
• Dispatch readiness and stock release (subject to quality clearance)
• Logistics planning and warehouse controls
• Day-to-day operational decisions across production, logistics, inventory, and quality

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Production Management, Operations Management, Food Science, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in operations, production, or processing roles.
• Proven experience managing production, logistics, warehousing, and quality functions.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing or agro-processing operations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams and enforce operational discipline.

Preferred

• Experience in agro-processing, food manufacturing, FMCG, or export-oriented operations.
• Multi-site operations experience.
• Exposure to quality systems, traceability, and compliance standards.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong operational leadership and execution capability
• Systems and SOP-driven mindset
• Analytical thinking with attention to detail
• Strong coordination and communication skills
• Ability to manage complexity and competing priorities
• Integrity, accountability, and respect for internal controls

Performance Measures

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Operational stability and consistency
• Improved production yields and reduced downtime
• Reduced stock variances and operational losses
• Improved quality compliance and reduced disputes
• Strong coordination across Procurement, Finance, and Commercial teams
• Reduced need for direct founder intervention in daily operations