Head of Africa Operations – COO

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Africa.

📋 Description

• Define and spearhead the operational strategy for Zipline Africa as the network grows across both existing and new markets.

• Develop the organizational framework, leadership talent, operational mechanisms, and functional skills necessary to sustain operations and facilitate threefold growth within the next 24 months.

• Oversee the complete preparation and successful introduction of new countries, operational sites, and distribution centers across Africa.

• Integrate essential elements such as infrastructure, regulatory compliance, commercial aspects, technology, personnel, logistics, quality, legal matters, and operations for new launches.

• Set high benchmarks for service delivery, customer satisfaction, quality, safety, and operational effectiveness.

• Construct the logistics and warehousing model for Africa, encompassing import/export processes, customs, duty exemptions, freight, third-party logistics (3PLs), inventory management, warehousing, last-mile logistics, and country-specific logistics.

• Develop systems for standardization, disciplined execution, root-cause analysis, cross-country knowledge sharing, and continuous enhancement.

• Enhance unit economics, focusing on delivery costs and operational site efficiency.

• Provide functional leadership and oversight to Country Operations through indirect reporting relationships.

• Serve as the representative for Africa Operations, engaging with regulators, partners, vendors, logistics providers, and other external stakeholders.

• Initiate multiple new nests while enhancing deployment speed, predictability, and cost-efficiency.

• Elevate service reliability, quality, customer experience, launch expenses, cost per delivery, Net Promoter Score (NPS), quality performance, and warehouse efficiency.

• Cultivate leadership capacity, organizational structure, operational mechanisms, and a culture of accountability and continuous improvement throughout the network.

⛳️ Requirements

• Extensive executive-level experience in scaling technology-driven operations across various markets.

• Proven track record of building and guiding organizations through rapid growth, market expansion, and operational challenges.

• Background in logistics, last-mile delivery, or other technology-driven service sectors with significant operational and integration demands.

• Demonstrated capability to translate strategy into an operational framework, develop strong leaders, and establish systems that ensure consistent performance at scale.

• Experience in regulated, infrastructure-heavy, or technically complex environments.

• Familiarity with Africa and/or other emerging markets is highly preferred.

• Strong commercial and operational acumen, including the ability to enhance customer outcomes while improving unit economics simultaneously.

• Outstanding cross-functional leadership skills and the ability to influence stakeholders at the country, global, technical, commercial, and external levels.

• Must be based in Africa or open to relocation.

• Willingness to travel approximately 30% of the time.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.

• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits.

• Opportunities for professional development and career growth.

• Engaging and dynamic work environment with a commitment to innovation.