Our client
Bles Dairies East Africa is a fast-growing supplier and service provider for Kenyan dairy farmers . The business has grown rapidly over the past years and continues to scale in volume, complexity and geographic reach.
Growth is driven by vertically integrated fodder production, a growing national depot network, direct-to-farm distribution and strong partnerships with global suppliers. As the business moves into its next phase, operational excellence and disciplined execution are critical.
To support this growth, Bles Dairies East Africa is looking for an Operations Director who will take ownership of day-to-day execution and help turn rapid growth into controlled and profitable scale.
The role
As Operations Director you are the operational backbone of the organization and work very closely with the Managing Director. You act as his right hand, taking full ownership of execution across production, logistics, depots and service delivery.
This is a hands-on leadership role in a fast-growing environment. You bring structure where complexity increases, introduce clear processes and ensure that operations scale without losing control.
You are present on the ground, close to team and sites and comfortable making decisions in a dynamic emerging market context.
Location: Eldoret, Kenya
Sector: Dairy
Key responsibilities
- Own day-to-day execution across the full operational chain
- Act as the primary escalation point for operational issues
- Ensure continuity, reliability and service consistency as volumes grow
- Introduce structure, discipline and predictability through clear processes
- Define and enforce SOPs, KPIs and ownership across functions
- Drive planning rhythms linking sales, production, logistics and finance
- Oversee depot operations, inventory control and national distribution
- Optimize logistics flows, fleet utilization and last-mile delivery
- Balance service levels with cost control and operational efficiency
- Ensure alignment between production planning and market demand
- Oversee operational performance of field and contracting activities
- Own operational systems, reporting and data integrity
- Build operations that are process-driven rather than people-dependent
- Lead, manage and develop operational teams across multiple locations
- Set standards, hold teams accountable and create a strong execution culture
Candidate profile
We are looking for a senior operations leader with a proven track record running complex, growing businesses in an emerging market.
You combine practical judgment with structure and are comfortable in the field, at depots, or reviewing performance data. You understand how operations function in emerging markets and know how to scale without overcomplicating. You have experience managing depot-based supply models, wide SKU ranges, and route-to-market execution serving customers across multiple locations.
- Proven experience in operations leadership within agribusiness, FMCG, logistics or food value chains
- Strong understanding of production planning, logistics and service delivery
- Experience building structure and discipline in growing organizations
- A hands-on leadership style with the ability to manage and motivate teams
- Comfort operating in emerging markets; East Africa experience is a strong plus
- Ability to work closely with senior leadership as a trusted operational counterpart
- A pragmatic mindset with focus on execution, reliability and results
- A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent level of education)
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