Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Job Description

Our client is a key player in the agricultural production sector.  They are looking to hire an experienced Chief Operating Officer to lead the farming and food processing operations.

Job Summary

The successful candidate MUST have a strong operations & manufacturing background and prior FCMG experience. Strong finance and accounting background preferred.

Essential responsibilities

• Contribute to the formulation of the overall company strategy by ensuring that all efforts taken positively impact efficiency and profitability
• Oversee end-to-end operations of plantain farming, procurement, and flour processing.
• Manage all factory and farm staff, including production, quality, maintenance, finance, and administration.
• Ensure efficient resource utilization, preventive maintenance, and continuous plant uptime.
• Maintain compliance with NAFDAC, SON, food safety, HACCP, and export standards.
• Develop and implement budgets, cost control measures, and performance reporting.
• Expand farmer networks to ensure daily access to 70MT of plantain and manage raw material supply chains.
• Drive export readiness and meet contractual obligations with local and foreign buyers.
• Direct and control both farm and factory operations from raw material procurement to final packaging.
• Implement lean manufacturing practices and minimize wastage.
• Supervise maintenance of key equipment (boilers, dryers, grinders, packaging lines).
• Ensure all products meet NAFDAC, SON, Codex Alimentarius, EU / US import standards.
• Lead implementation of HACCP, ISO 22000, and GMP.
• Recruit, train, and manage production staff and technical teams.
• Establish a performance-driven culture with regular staff appraisals.
• Prepare budgets, forecasts, and operating plans.
• Monitor unit costs (₦ / kg of flour) and improve margins.
• Oversee contract farming, logistics, and raw material storage.
• Support Managing Director in negotiating distributor contracts.
• Manage all relationships with key external stakeholders – government and regulatory agencies – to ensure the company adheres to all relevant rules and regulations.
• Closely evaluate and improve both manufacturing operations and financial performance.
• Prepare periodic reports (weekly, monthly and quarterly) for upper management and the board of directors evaluating operating and financial performance.
• Ensure strict adherence to stringent health and safety regulations.
• Maintain overall organizational adherence to and performance of all duties in compliance with related manufacturing legal / statutory regulations, professional duties, responsibilities and obligations.
• Maintain accurate records business records – both physical and electronic – while minimizing reliance of paper use.

Experience and Qualification Requirements

▪ Minimum of 5 years of experience in a similar role with a demonstrated track record of leadership, hard work and success.

▪ Minimum of 3 years of experience in an operations role with a demonstrated record of success.

▪ Must possess strong oral and written communication skills, along with the ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks.

▪ Strong problem-solving skills and demonstrated ability to work independently.

▪ Proven experience as a Chief Operating Officer or in a similar management role.

▪ Proven experience in strategy planning and budgeting.

▪ Demonstrable knowledge of business processes and functions (finance, HR, procurement, operations etc.)

▪ Strong analytical ability and excellent communication skills.

▪ Outstanding organizational and leadership skills.

▪ Problem-solving aptitude.

▪ BSc / BA in Operations, Finance, Accounting or relevant field; MSc / MBA is a plus

▪ Solid and verifiable references