Country: Uganda
Closing date: 02 Aug 2015
Are you just looking for a change, or are you looking for the chance to change millions of lives for the better, including yours? If the answer is yes, read on.
Living Goods is seeking an experienced and resourceful Chief Operating Officer to lead our teams as we enter a time of dramatic growth and expansion. New independent research is proving Living Goods delivers transformative change. As a result we are attracting substantial resources and talent to drive our expansion. The COO will work directly with the CEO to drive strategy and oversee operations across East Africa and new territories as we grow. This is a vital role, ultimately responsible for the success of the organization.
Our ideal candidate will bring a blended background of private and public sector experience, with a proven track record of results, and demonstrated success in leading complex organizations and cultivating talent. This role is based in East Africa in either Nairobi or Kampala with frequent travel between Kenya and Uganda and occasional travel to the US and other countries.
Responsibilities
- Recruit, lead, and mentor the country management teams. Oversee hiring and supporting the talent needed to achieve LG’s strategic goals and meet LG’s human impact, sales, and profit targets.
- Collaborate with the CEO and executive team on the developing strategy, business plans and budgets, and continuous innovation and experimentation to drive performance gains.
- Drive the execution of Living Goods’ impact strategy to maximize gains in health and wealth for our customers.
- Oversee marketing and sales efforts, significantly expanding the network of franchised entrepreneurs.
- Robustly support LGs replication goals by collaborating with the advisory services team and potential replication clients, partners and funders.
- Oversee product and procurement functions to ensure strong sales and margins. Continually test new products to drive profit and impact gains.
- Collaborate on creating and implementing mobile phone tools to drive profit, improve performance and lower the cost of quality control.
- Oversee the financial accounting and reporting function.
- Steward successful relationships with key partners, funders, and local governments.
Qualifications
- Minimum of 8 years of experience in running a large organization or division with at least 50 staff.
- Proven track record of building and leading teams, achieving significant performance and growth targets, and earning promotions.
- Public Health / international NGO experience: background leading operations for large organizations in the public health space, including success winning and managing major bi-lateral aid funded projects and collaborating with health ministries.
- Private sector experience in one of the following fields: consumer package goods, public health, pharmaceuticals, retail, direct selling/franchising, or microfinance. With a strong preference for experience in emerging markets in Africa or Asia.
- Know how in any of the following is an added bonus: managing large field sales teams, consumer product development and sourcing, consumer lending, and mobile marketing.
- Strong financial management, budgeting and accounting know-how.
Compensation
A competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience including health insurance and bonus opportunity. The opportunity to be your best while making lives better for those in need.
What is Living Goods?
At Living Goods we believe the poor deserve better health, a better deal, and a chance at a better life. Living Goods supports networks of ‘Avon-like’ micro-entrepreneurs who go door-to-door teaching families how to improve their health and wealth while selling life-changing products like basic medicines, fortified foods, water filters, clean cook stoves, and solar lights. Living Goods seeks nothing less than a disruptive reinvention of distribution in emerging markets, through networks of franchised micro-entrepreneurs who leverage Living Goods’ brand, buying power and mobile marketing tools to deliver vital products and services at accessible prices to the people who need them most. By combining the best practices from the worlds of micro-enterprise, franchising and public health, Living Goods is creating a sustainable system to improve the health and wealth, of underserved communities.
In Uganda Living Goods is growing national networks of franchised Community Health entrepreneurs who offer treatments and pregnancy care. Recent research proves this system is reducing under 5 mortality by over 20%, at a net cost per person of less than $2 a year. We plan to grow our reach in Uganda five fold in the next four years. Living Goods also launched a consulting division to help organizations around the world adapt and scale our success.
Living Goods has been featured in The New York Times, NBC News, *The Economist,*and The Huffington Post. Check out these articles and more on our *press page.***
Life at Living Goods
Living Goods is aiming to make disruptive changes, dramatically improving the lives of underserved communities. We think big, but we operate small and nimble. At Living Goods, you will have the chance to use your creativity and work with your teammates to conceive and test new ideas every day. If you work well in a dynamic, highly collaborative culture, if you set high standards for yourself and your colleagues, if you know how to fail fast and learn fast, if you meet challenges with calm determination and a sense of humor, you will thrive at Living Goods. See www.livinggoods.org/principles.
How to apply:
To apply for this position please visit our career page and apply for Chief Operating Officer through our applicant tracking system. You will be asked to answer a few short questions that will help us learn a little bit more about you and your interest in working with Living Goods. Kindly also include a cover letter. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
For more information about Living Goods, please visit:
follow us @Living_Goods