Operations Manager

About the Role

Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest cocoa and chocolate producer, is seeking an Operations Manager in Ghana to lead and drive Operational Excellence. The Operations Manager plays a pivotal role within the sustainability team, directly reporting to the Country Sustainability Manager. This role is responsible for implementing, managing, and optimizing sustainability initiatives at the field level, engaging closely with farmers, customers, and cross-functional teams. The Operations Manager serves as a vital connection between field operations and senior management, ensuring our sustainability programs are efficiently coordinated, monitored, and reported, to meet both customer and organizational goals. This position requires a hands-on strategic leader who enjoys developing processes, empowering teams, and promoting a culture of continuous improvement in alignment with our Forever Chocolate sustainability objectives.

Forever Chocolate is our ambition to make sustainable chocolate the norm. It is built on four bold transformative targets designed to address the biggest sustainability challenges in the chocolate supply chain:

• By 2025, we aim to lift 500,000 farmers out of poverty. By 2030, we will have created a transformative farming model that provides a living income for all farmers in our supply chain.
• By 2025, we will ensure that our entire supply chain is covered by Human Rights Due Diligence, remediating all child labor cases identified. By 2030, the farming communities we source from will be empowered to protect child rights.
• By 2025, we will be forest positive. By 2030, we will have decarbonized our footprint in line with global efforts to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius. By 2050, we will be a net zero company.
• By 2030, we will have 100% certified or verified cocoa and ingredients in all of our products, traceable to farm level.

Key Responsibilities

The Operations Manager will be responsible for:

1. Operational excellence

• Activity planning: develop annual plans for field activities based on customers programs, including certifications programs, KPIs, and budgets
• Workplan management: define detailed workplans with timelines to ensure the effective timely execution of sustainability activities in liaison with the global and regional pillar leads
• Budget & efficiency: oversee budget adherence and drive cost-effective procurement for all field activities
• Targets achievement: ensure all operational targets are met within approved budget limits and timelines

2. Field Team management

• Leadership & performance: act as a role model, fostering a collaborative, high performance culture that aligns with Barry Callebaut’s values
• Resource management: oversee the allocation and upkeep of equipment and materials to support team efficiency
• Talent development: identify training needs and development opportunities to support team growth
• People management: manage the performance evaluation and development plans of direct reports

3. Program design and continuous improvement

• Needs assessment: ensure that activities are needs driven, tailored to local needs and aligned with sustainability objectives
• Program feedback: provide feedback on program feasibility and design to support improvements and scalability
• Process optimization: drive standardization and process alignment, developing tools and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to enhance program efficiency
• Collaboration: work closely with regional and global teams to strengthen program delivery and impact

4. Customers and stakeholders management

• Client engagement: coordinate clients’ visits and events and prepare detailed trip reports
• Internal collaboration: collaborate with internal stakeholders including Sourcing, Sustainability, M&E teams to ensure aligned efforts
• Partnership monitoring: manage and oversee implementing partners to ensure deliverables are met according to contracts
• Certification compliance: coordinate with Certification Bodies for all audit processes ensuring compliance with program standards

5. Monitoring, evaluation and reporting

• Data management: establish frameworks and tools for tracking operational and financial KPIs
• Progress monitoring: monitor and report on budget adherence, KPI achievement and monthly/quarterly program updates
• Audit preparation: lead third party verification processes for program traceability, data management, premium payments, and impact measurement
• Reporting: ensure timely and accurate internal and external reporting on program results

All other tasks required for the proper conduct of his/her mission

About You

• Master degree in Agronomy / Natural Resource Management, Economics, or a related field
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in:  
  • Agronomy, agriculture and sustainability program management
  • Budgeting, cost management and program execution
  • Knowledge of cocoa certifications and verification schemes and global and local regulation
  • Community development
  • Country cocoa industry dynamics and culture
  • Farm services delivery models
  • Field team leadership
  • Reporting and client relationship management

• In-dept knowledge and understanding of certification schemes and sustainability standards, and global and local regulation related to sustainability
• Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to balance field operations with strategic discussions on sustainability.
• Strong communication and influence skills, adept at motivating and engaging field teams
• Goal oriented with a commitment to achieving results and continuous improvement
• Budgeting and resource planning
• Have a data-driven approach to monitoring, evaluation, and analysis
• Able to build strong networks and manage stakeholder relationships effectively.
• Experienced managing complex field operations with large teams and work in a matrixed organization, with a proactive approach to collaboration across functions
• Good Community development facilitation skills and partnership synergies and enhance client relationship and drive program expansion
• Fluent in English; knowledge of the local languages in Ghana’s cocoa belt
• Strong Project Management and problem solving skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite to a competent standard
• Willing to travel frequently up-country