Ocean Job Board
565
Organizations
1,090
Jobs
Operations Lead (Sierra Leone)
West Africa Blue
Operations
Freetown, MA, USA
Posted on Friday, March 22, 2024
About West Africa Blue
West Africa contains 14% of the world’s remaining mangroves. Along with immense carbon sequestration potential, these coastal ecosystems support a diverse amount of terrestrial and marine fauna, including IUCN Red List Threatened Species such as Hawksbill Turtles, Green Turtles, Slender-Snouted Crocodiles, the West African Manatee and the Timneh parrot. Yet these important coastal ecosystems are under increasing threat due to both climate change and human activities.
As a result, West Africa Blue (“Blue”) is on a mission to work hand-in-hand with communities and governments to preserve, restore and sustainably manage coastal ecosystems in West Africa through the development of high integrity coastal blue carbon projects. Our team is diverse, innovative, entrepreneurial, and committed.
We share a love of nature and a deep, longstanding connection to West Africa. We embody a balance of efficiency and speed of implementation with strong values and a mission-driven approach. Our goal is to set the highest standards for community engagement, transparency, and sustainability in our projects.
Blue was co-founded by Solon Capital Partners, a leading, West Africa-focused investor established in 2010 to provide capital and support to high-impact organizations throughout the region.
The Role
With our flagship project in Sierra Leone underway, Blue is seeking a dynamic professional to take on the exciting and critical role of Operations Lead with our Sierra Leone team. You will be joining a team that is passionate, collaborative, and fun. We share a sense of adventure and are united by the challenge of helping overcome one of the world’s biggest challenges
Responsibilities
The Operations Lead will be responsible for leading/supporting the following core functions:
- The effective implementation of the company's operational activities; proficiently managing multiple workstreams simultaneously.
- Developing, implementing, assessing, and as needed, refining operational policies, procedures, and systems in line with the company’s needs.
- Lead and manage the coordination of logistics.
- Procurement processes.
- Facilities and inventory management: vehicles, offices, accommodations, tools, equipment, materials, and supplies.
- Developing and managing budgets and managing operational activities according to budget.
- Working collaboratively with partners, suppliers, and other external stakeholders, maintaining positive, professional working relationships.
- Drafting and managing itineraries.
- Compiling comprehensive reports which include elements of financial reporting.
- Managing and mentoring an operations team to meet required performance and productivity standards.
Qualifications and Experience
- 4+ years’ experience working in an operational role within a high-paced, results-driven, team-oriented environment.
- Strong organizational skills; a track record for effectively juggling many tasks at once.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; a demonstrated ability to produce high-quality written work and reports.
- Experience managing teams of colleagues and/or consultants.
- Experience with capacity-building.
- A proven ability to troubleshoot and problem-solve efficiently.
- A demonstrated capability to attend to detail.
- Proficient with Microsoft Office suite and standard business productivity tools.
- Proficiency in English and Krio.
- Experience working in Sierra Leone / West Africa.
The following attributes are beneficial, but not required:
- A master’s degree in business, management, communications, or similar.
- Project management experience.
- Experience with climate action work, and/or community livelihood projects.
- Experience working within rural settings with local communities.
- Proficiency in Sherbro and/or Mende.
Personal Attributes
- An open mindset and a strong sense of cultural awareness.
- Comfortable spending time in the field and in underdeveloped areas.
- A quick learner who can adapt effectively.
- Passion and sense of urgency around nature-based solutions and communities.
- Hands-on problem solver.
- Sound judgement and critical thinking.
- A self-starter motivated to work on their own initiative without prompting.
- Energetic, proactive, respectful, and patient engagement with colleagues.
- A consummate professional with a keen attention to detail
What does Success in the Role Look Like?
- Blue’s operational activities are conducted at a high standard and on schedule with minimal setbacks.
- Blue’s operations team is highly functional, well-managed, well-organized, highly productive and high performing.
- Multiple workstreams are effectively managed in parallel.
- There is proactive, effective and consistent communication with the broader Blue team and external stakeholders.
- Problems are efficiently resolved as they arise.
- Company property is secure, well-managed and efficiently utilized.
- Blue stakeholders consistently share positive feedback regarding your ability to collaborate.
- Your colleagues regard you as a dependable and proficient team member.
- Blue is progressing towards and achieving its targets.
- The highest standards of ethics and integrity are continuously demonstrated, without exception.
The Operations Lead will be based in Freetown, Sierra Leone, with occasional trips to Blue’s project areas.
We offer competitive compensation packages akin to those at start-ups and fast-growing businesses.