Country Operations Manager - Agent Network

Location: Africa (Nigeria, Kenya, Lagos, RSA)
Language: English (Intermediate+), Ukrainian or Russian (fluent)
Model: Full-time
Contract type: B2B

About the Client

Our client is a high-growth global payment platform utilizing AI-routing in specialized verticals (iGaming, Forex, Crypto). They are building a payments infrastructure for Nigeria through a high-performance offline agent network.

This is a pilot with the ambition to become a scalable model across West Africa.

Their Vision

To build the most efficient agent network for payments in Nigeria. We are starting in Lagos to validate the model within 3-6 months, followed by rapid scaling across other regions and neighboring markets.

We have a ready-made blueprint, informed by the experience of successful agent networks. However, we know that the best solutions are always built on the ground, working directly with real agents and customers. Your local expertise and insights will be critical to our success.

Pilot Success Metrics (Your Scorecard)

• 50+ active agents across 2-3 locations during pilot.
• Unit economics that confidently say: “Scale me now”.
• 70%+ agent retention after 90 days.
• Fraud rate < 1%, quality score 85%+.

Key Responsibilities

Your goal is not just to execute the plan - your goal is to make it work in Nigerian reality.

1. Build the Agent Network From Scratch
   • Find the first high-quality agents who will become the backbone of the network.
   - Example: We may assume the best agents are near Lagos transport hubs - but you may say: “No, markets outperform transport hubs, and here’s why.”
   • Launch training and onboarding:
   - Week 1: 10 leads
   - Week 2: Train the first 5
   - Week 3: First live transactions
   • Maintain Operational Stability - fixed vs variable commission, bonuses, tiers. Two-week sprints per experiment.
   
2. Maintain Operational Stability
   • Track daily agent performance: activity, drop-offs, conversion issues.
   - Target: <2 hours response time for critical issues.
   • Weekly 1:1s with top-performing and struggling agents.
   
3. Fraud & Quality Monitoring (Detective Work)
   • Mystery shopping every 2 weeks.
   • Immediate escalation/containment at first signs of fraud.
   • Work with the product team to improve KYC / risk processes.
   
4. Generate Insights and Improve the Model
   • Why does Agent #7 convert at 40% while Agent #12 hits 75%?
   • Weekly report: What’s working / What’s not / Why / What we test next.

Top 3 KPI Areas (Pilot Phase)

1. Network Scale & Quality
   Target: 50+ active agents (20+ tx/month OR 50,000 NGN+ volume)
   • Month 1: 10 agents
   • Month 2-3: 25-100 agents
   • Month 4-6: 500+ agents (post-pilot ramp)
   
2. Economics & Retention
   • 70%+ agent retention @ 90 days
   • 40%+ customer repeat @ 30 days
   • Blended cost per transaction < benchmark
   
3. Operational Excellence
   Deliverable: A reproducible model + documented proposal: Scale / Pivot / Shut Down.

Requirements

Must Have

• Based in Lagos, with the ability to work hands-on in the field.
• Fluent English + Russian/Ukrainian is a must!
• 2+ years working with agent networks, field sales, or related on-ground operations.
• Builder mindset - 60-70% time in the field, not in slides.

Nice to Have

• Experience in Nigerian fintech (OPay, Moniepoint, Jiji, PalmPay).
• Pilot-launch experience.
• Startup DNA: 0→1 execution, fast learning, high ownership.