Head of Operations

Location: 

Kumasi, ASHANTI REGION, GH, P. O. BOX

At Barry Callebaut, we are on a journey to transform the cocoa and chocolate industry. As the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, our actions truly shape the future of our industry. We are a business-to-business company, serving the entire food sector, from the cocoa bean to the finest chocolate product. We are a company with a purpose, we believe in doing well by doing good and reinvesting in the communities we operate. We have a long-standing commitment to sustainability and our goal is to shape a sustainable cocoa and chocolate future. We are headquartered in Zurich, and have more than 12,000 passionate Employees working in more than 40 countries worldwide. We are very proud of who we are and what we do. And of course, we are always looking for talented people to help us have a positive impact on our industry and beyond!

About the Role

The Head of Operations has a strategic position in the company, she/he maintains a strategic and robust plan to ensure that both value and risks are managed correctly. She / He is responsible for mitigating the risks within the market whilst running an effective and efficient sourcing campaign. The Head of Operations will manage the implementation of our sourcing initiatives and oversee operations, people, budgets, and stakeholder engagements and responsible for ensuring full compliance to all applicable regulatory, clients and internal requirements. She/He will lead a team of employees both in the office and field to champion the direct sourcing of cocoa beans from local communities within Ghana. The role is based in Kumasi, Nyonkopa Cocoa Buying Ltd, reporting directly to the Managing Director.

 

 

Key Responsibilities

 

Strategy implementation

  • Establish and execute a clear strategy for sustainably sourcing Ghana cocoa beans to meet the full needs of the local factory (BC Ghana) as well as for Export. Ensuring volume targets are met within the stipulated deadlines.
  • Identify, evaluate and onboard cocoa suppliers (farmers) in key cocoa Regions into our database.
  • Engage and collaborate with stakeholders and other functions to support the sustainable Sourcing strategy.
  • Work closely with the sustainability teams to ensure the attainment of client’s volumes and the certified cocoa volume targets. 
  • Develop and administer sourcing policies, controls and procedures in accordance with stated business objectives and requirements
  • Meet all key financial targets linked to the sourcing activity – cycle time, receivables, and field losses reduction.
  • Proactively manage suppliers’ base ensuring supply with no adverse impact on the business. Analyze, identify and understand supply chain risks and develop contingency plans to mitigate the risks.
  • Manage ongoing relationship with suppliers/ farmers, performance monitoring, problem resolution and issue management or escalation on timely manner.
  • Develop and maintain knowledge of market conditions, trends, competition, sources of supply and supplier capabilities for cocoa beans supply.
  • Keep abreast with the changing and dynamic regulatory environment – stay updated with all applicable laws, government regulations and industry guidance.
  • Identify opportunities for business improvement and makes constructive suggestions for change.
  • Report to management on sourcing performance, risks and financial metrics.

 

People Management

  • Provide leadership and direction to the Sourcing teams ensuring their engagement, training, development and growth within the business.
  • Takes a lead role in building a foolproof and strong sourcing management culture; spends time coaching team members and identifying skills gap/ development areas.
  • Conduct all business dealings with the highest level of integrity and regard for legal and compliance issues
  • Ensure compliance to the Company’s code of conduct for employees and suppliers.
  • Ensure compliance to health and safety rules to avoid workplace accidents.
  • Maintain a strong positive connection with field teams including Purchasing Clerks and cocoa farmers to understand and identify business critical issues to ensure the alignment of tactics and strategies.
  •  Carry out any other task, mission or project within the department or outside it according to the needs of the hierarchy or Management.

 

 

Monitoring, evaluation, reporting and knowledge sharing

  • Traceability: establish efficient and robust systems to track program outcomes and share results with internal and external partners
  • Data management: ensure the accuracy of data and regular reporting to stakeholders
  • Learning & knowledge sharing: contribute to a learning culture by actively sharing insights across Barry Callebaut’s regional and global teams

 

Stakeholders management

  • Directly interface with clients during field visits, communicating and showcasing our field activities and impact to enhance engagement.
  • Represents the company during stakeholder meetings and workshops with our partners, clients, authorities, civil society, institutions, industry associations etc. to stay ahead of trends and regulations.

 

 

About You

  • Bachelor’s degree in relevant field - Supply Chain, Marketing/ Trade / Management with a minimum of 10 years’ experience in commercial role
  • Good knowledge of the evolution of the cocoa market, financial management and well informed on current trends on sustainability and regulatory affairs.
  • In-depth knowledge and understanding of risk management techniques
  • Good collaboration and interaction with local communities, farmers and suppliers
  • Have strong leadership abilities, with a high sense of responsibility
  • Good business acumen with strong analytical and negotiation skills
  • Proficiency in MS Office applications – Word, Power Point and Excel
  • Willing to travel 20-40% with the local territory.

At Barry Callebaut, we are committed to Diversity & Inclusion. United by our strong values, we thrive on the diversity of who we are, where we come from, what we’ve experienced and how we think. We are committed to nurturing an inclusive environment where people can truly be themselves, grow to their full potential and feel they belong. #oneBC - Diverse People, Sustainable Growth.

If you want to learn more about Barry Callebaut, please find further information here.

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