The Recruiter

Our client – the Nigerian subsidiary of an international group operating in the agro-industry sector – is a company specialized in the local production of therapeutic nutritional foods aimed at combating malnutrition, particularly among children and vulnerable populations.

Its products are supplied to public health programs, humanitarian aid initiatives, and nutritional support programs in hospitals and medical facilities.

The Nigerian subsidiary is based in Kano (Northern Nigeria), where it operates an industrial facility validated by agencies such as UNICEF, WFP, and Médecins Sans Frontières to meet local and regional needs.
The company processes locally sourced raw materials into adapted nutritional products, while also supporting local farmers.

The Context

The company – with 200 employees and USD 35 million in annual revenue – is experiencing a phase of hypergrowth, requiring the recruitment of seasoned professionals for several strategic positions. The objective is to effectively support the executive management in the company’s transformation.

REPORTS

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer / Managing Director
Scope: End-to-end supply operations across one or multiple sites (manufacturing + warehouses + distribution); domestic and/or export
Key interfaces: Procurement, Manufacturing/Plant Managers, Quality & Food Safety, Maintenance/Engineering, Planning (S&OP), Logistics/3PL, Sales/Trade Marketing, Finance, HR, Regulatory/Customs (if export)

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

Lead and optimize end-to-end supply operations to deliver service excellence, cost competitiveness, quality compliance, and agility in a processed agro-food business. The role ensures the right products are produced and delivered on time, in full, and safely, while balancing shelf-life constraints, demand volatility (promotions/seasonality), raw material variability, and food safety requirements.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1) End-to-end supply operations leadership

• Define and execute supply operations strategy aligned with growth, margin, and service targets.

• Lead multi-site operations governance: performance reviews, standard ways of working, continuous improvement roadmap.

• Build resilient supply capability (capacity planning, dual sourcing, contingency plans, cold-chain readiness as needed).

2) Integrated planning & S&OP leadership

• Own/lead the supply-side of S&OP: demand review alignment, supply planning, constraint management, and executive S&OP decisions.

• Set planning assumptions: lead times, safety stocks, shelf-life rules, production constraints, promo uplifts.

• Drive forecast-driven replenishment and reduce bullwhip effects with Sales/Marketing (promotions, new launches).

3) Production planning, scheduling, and execution control

• Oversee Master Production Scheduling (MPS): line scheduling, changeover management, campaign planning, and capacity utilization.

• Ensure execution discipline (daily/weekly plan adherence), rapid issue escalation, and recovery plans when deviations occur.

• Optimize throughput while respecting quality holds, allergen changeovers, sanitation windows, and maintenance plans.

4) Procurement interface & raw/packaging material availability

• Coordinate with Procurement to ensure supply continuity for key ingredients and packaging (availability, MOQ, lead times).

• Manage supplier performance with procurement: OTIF, quality defects, responsiveness, documentation compliance.

• Address commodity volatility impacts via planning: buffer stocks, alternative materials, reformulation readiness (with QA/R&D).

5) Inventory, warehousing, and shelf-life management

• Own finished goods and (in some models) raw/WIP inventory performance: target stock levels, inventory turns, expiry control.

• Implement FEFO/FIFO discipline, aging dashboards, and actions to reduce slow movers and write-offs.

• Lead warehouse performance: space utilization, picking accuracy, cold-chain controls (if chilled/frozen), hygiene standards.

6) Logistics, distribution, and customer service performance

• Lead distribution strategy: network design, 3PL governance, transport optimization, delivery scheduling.

• Drive service-level excellence (OTIF, fill rate) for retail DCs, distributors, and foodservice customers.

• Manage export logistics (if applicable): Incoterms coordination, documentation, customs brokers, shipping reliability.

7) Cost-to-serve and productivity improvement

Drive continuous improvement programs to reduce total supply cost:

• line efficiency, changeover reduction, waste reduction, yield improvement

• transport and warehouse productivity

• packaging/logistics optimization (pallet patterns, case configuration)

Partner with Finance to measure savings, validate business cases, and track benefits realization.

8) Quality, food safety, and compliance integration

• Ensure supply operations fully adhere to food safety and quality systems (HACCP, ISO/FSSC, GMP).

• Coordinate recalls/withdrawals readiness, traceability drills, and corrective action closures impacting supply continuity.

• Ensure packaging integrity, labeling compliance, and allergen management constraints are embedded into planning and execution.

9) Risk management & business continuity

Build and test contingency plans for key risks:

• raw material shortages, packaging delays, equipment downtime

• power outages, transport disruptions, cold-chain failures

• regulatory holds, contamination events, product recalls

Define escalation protocols, crisis playbooks, and recovery lead times

10) People leadership & capability building

• Lead and develop supply planning, warehouse, logistics, and operational excellence teams (directly or via managers).

• Implement training standards, succession planning, and performance management.

• Foster strong cross-functional collaboration and a “one-plan” culture.

• Degree in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, or related field (MBA is a plus).

• Typically 12–15+ years in supply chain/operations with 5+ years in senior leadership (Head of Supply Chain, Supply Ops Director, Plant-to-Distribution leader).

• Strong experience in processed agro-food / FMCG food with exposure to shelf-life management, QA constraints, and promo-driven demand.

Competences

A. Knowledge (what you must know)

• End-to-end supply chain in processed foods: planning, manufacturing constraints, warehousing, distribution.

• Shelf-life dynamics, FEFO/FIFO, cold-chain principles (if chilled/frozen).

• Food safety & quality constraints affecting planning: HACCP/GMP, allergen segregation, sanitation windows, traceability.

• S&OP governance, demand variability drivers (promotions, seasonality, new launches), safety stock methods.

• Logistics and 3PL contract management; transport cost drivers and route optimization basics.

• Cost-to-serve analytics and productivity levers 

      B. Know-how (what you must be able to do)

• Build a resilient “one-plan” operating rhythm: S&OP cadence, KPIs, escalation and recovery routines.

• Translate demand signals into executable schedules under constraints and maintain plan discipline.

• Manage inventory strategically: service vs working capital, expiry control, slow-mover action plans.

• Lead cross-functional trade-offs (service vs cost vs quality) and make fast decisions during disruptions.

• Negotiate and govern 3PL/transport providers with measurable service and cost outcomes.

• Deliver measurable continuous improvement programs and sustain results.

C. Interpersonal skills (how you work)

• Strong leadership and stakeholder influence (especially with Sales and QA).

• Clear communication under pressure; strong escalation judgment and crisis management calm.

• Data-driven decision-making with pragmatic execution focus.

• Collaborative, accountable, and capable of challenging constructively.

• Ability to inspire operational teams and drive disciplined routines.

EXPECTED RESULTS

• Reliable product availability and customer service performance (high OTIF) with controlled costs.

• Strong planning discipline: improved forecast collaboration, high plan adherence, fewer emergencies.

• Reduced working capital through improved inventory turns and lower expiry/write-offs.

• Improved operational efficiency: reduced waste, better yields, improved warehouse/logistics productivity.

• Robust compliance and audit readiness with no major supply disruptions due to preventable issues.

• A capable, engaged supply organization with clear governance and continuous improvement culture.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)

Service

• OTIF / Fill rate by channel/customer; perfect order rate

• Customer complaints linked to delivery/availability; chargebacks (if applicable)

Planning

• Plan adherence (schedule attainment)

• Forecast accuracy at family/SKU level (in collaboration with Sales)

• Promo forecast accuracy and new launch readiness (supply perspective)

Inventory & working capital

• Inventory turns; days of inventory (DIO)

• Expiry/obsolescence write-offs (% of inventory or sales)

• Stockout rate and backorder levels

Manufacturing-supply efficiency (interface)

• Waste/yield loss % impacting supply

• Changeover time and schedule stability

• Line utilization vs constraints (where applicable)

Logistics & warehousing

• Warehouse picking accuracy; on-time dispatch

• Transport on-time delivery; damage rates

• Logistics cost per case/kg/ton; 3PL SLA compliance

Risk & compliance

• Number of major supply disruptions; time to recover (TTR)

• Audit findings impacting supply operations; traceability drill performance

People

• Safety incidents in warehousing/logistics (in partnership with HSE)

• Team capability metrics (training completion, retention of key roles)

1. WORKING DOCUMENTS 

• S&OP calendar and meeting packs (demand review, supply review, executive S&OP).

• Master production schedule (MPS), capacity plans, constraint logs, recovery plans.

• Inventory policies: safety stock rules, FEFO/FIFO procedures, shelf-life thresholds, slow-mover action lists.

• Procurement-supply alignment docs: supplier lead times, MOQ, service and quality scorecards, risk registers.

• Warehouse SOPs: receiving, storage, picking, dispatch, hygiene and cold-chain checks.

• Transport and 3PL contracts, SLAs, scorecards, route plans, cost breakdowns.

• KPI dashboards: OTIF, inventory turns, expiry, plan adherence, logistics cost-to-serve.

• Quality integration docs: allergen matrix, sanitation schedules, release/hold rules, recall/withdrawal playbooks.

• Business continuity plans and escalation protocols.

TOOLS

• ERP: SAP / Oracle / Dynamics / Odoo (materials, inventory, production, purchasing, order management).

• Planning/APS: Kinaxis, OMP, SAP IBP/APO, Blue Yonder, or equivalent (as applicable).

• WMS/TMS: Warehouse and transport systems (Manhattan, Blue Yonder, SAP EWM/TM, or local solutions).

• BI/Analytics: Power BI/Tableau; Excel/Google Sheets; SQL (as needed).

• Quality systems: QMS tools, traceability systems, recall management workflows.

• Collaboration & governance: Teams/Slack, SharePoint/Drive, project tools (Asana/Trello/Notion).

•   Operational excellence: Lean tools, standard work documents, problem-solving templates (A3, 5-Why).