Chief Operations Officer

Main Purpose:

• The Chief Operating Officer is to build and maintain and eco-system for the organisation driving the following:
  • Value creation across all regions of the organisation through setting the correct operation direction in each territory;
  • Drive operational excellence yielding to drive healthy profitable top line, sustained gross margins with best-in-class EBITDA margins;
  • Build talent capabilities across the regions for the best talent within the group to have the pipeline of SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) delivering performance and a culture of promoting within, setting the right tone for the succession plans;
  • Engage, modify, and set the right business model within the high uncertainty of the business dynamics in Africa for a sustainable business model;
  • Conduct planning for new setup capacity or expansion of existing data centres by driving efficiency, scalability, and consistency of our service operations;

Key Performance Areas:

Business Planning:

• Architect of the operational options for the business across all regions with various options and gearing the best value creation options;
• Evaluate the best investments for Capex deployment with best-in-class ROI and yields for value creation;
• Shift and balance the directions of Capex spends between maintenance investment, fast return projects flow 100% to EBITDA with long-term / low yields projects to have a balance in the group portfolio;
• Assist the CEO to evaluate options for mergers and acquisitions;
• Ensure efficient use of Opex for the right sized P&L for the group / regional performance;
• Collaborate with Regional Executives in ensuring that the strategic objectives will be achieved annually;

Corporate Governance and Compliance:

• In collaboration with the CEO / CFO Chair ensure the deployments of profitable projects;
• Centralised the Go to market (GTM) Committee with streamlining the group / OpCo Roadmap with various functions and Regional Executives towards one consolidated Go to Market strategy;
• Identify the Go to Market messages with one unique Corporate Identity Campaigns representing the business to the African market segments;
• Ensure full compliance to the industry standards and force the best-in-class service operations measurements to overpass competition as well as beat the local / regional KPI standards to position the organisation differently;
• Defining effective, measurable, and sustainable performance metrics and managing the outcomes of various regions / divisions;

Develop Corporate Policies that Encompass Regional Operations and Business Operations Excellence:

• In collaboration with functional leaders, set the playbook for the operational direction for the Group and the regions;
• Apply the best in class use cases for the business to exchange Know-How and redeploy success stories;
• Set the operational guidelines for the best-in-class operational direction and management including platform design and automation;
• Execute the DoA matrix aligned to policies and approved board guidelines;
• Develop political lobbying approach to get the best policy to deploy profitable projects;
• Collaborate with the leadership team to develop and implement plans for the operational infrastructure of systems, policies, processes, and staff;
• Analyses performance data and innovates solutions to increase revenues;
• Proactively anticipates the needs of emerging business strategies for the region and provide input on best practices for data centre design, logistics and operations planning;
• Represents and actively participate in meetings related to risk management and legislative requirements for the organisation;
• Through the relevant functional Head of Departments, review that each operation and function is correctly and optimally resourced, is operating at agreed standard/s and achieving agreed goals and targets in line with the regional and business strategy for the organisation;
• Works closely with the Operations Leadership team to achieve operational excellence in accordance with the organisation’s business requirements and local legislations around safety, sustainability, risk, policies, compliance, and governance;
• Proactively engages with relevant stakeholders within the organisation (Products and Project Teams) to drive continuous improvements in the business operating model;
• Provide input to the Business Operations teams on leading-edge product offerings and services to ensure that the organisation retails its competitive edge;
• Optimise the organisation’s operating capabilities, implement strategies to maximise client satisfaction, and implement effective operational and financial procedures that support efficient and cost-effective operations that enables sustainable growth;

Risk Management:

• Develop an operational risk matrix and appropriate indicators, so as to align the risk management approach across all regions;
• Highlight risks caused by delayed investments in maintenance Capex;
• Provide advise on options for the best deployment of resources to create shareholder values;
• Manage succession risk with the relevant teams within the business;
• Evaluate risk and drive quality assurance efforts;

Business Excellence:

• Proactively anticipates the needs of emerging business strategies for the region and provide input on best practices for data centre design, logistics and operations planning;
• Represents and actively participate in meetings related to risk management and legislative requirements for the organisation;
• Through the relevant functional Heads of Department, review that each operation and function is correctly and optimally resourced, is operating at agreed standard/s and achieving agreed coals and targets in line with the regional business strategy for the organisation;
• Works closely with the Operations Leadership team to achieve operational excellence in accordance with the organisation’s business requirements and local legislations around safety, sustainability risk, policies, compliance, and governance;
• Proactively engages with relevant stakeholders within the organisation (Products and Project Teams) to drive continuous improvements in the business operating model;
• Conducts research on market trends and developments on innovations and advances in data centre technology;
• Provide input to the Business Operations teams on leading-edge product offerings and services to ensure the organisation retains its competitive edge;
• Optimise the organisation’s operating capabilities, implement strategies to maximise client satisfaction, and implement effective operational and financial procedures that support efficient and cost-effective operations that enables sustainable growth;
• Identify and develop strategic partnerships;
• Achieves consistent brand messaging in the respective country markets;

Human Capital Management:

• Overview, updates and maintains the relevant organisation structures and maintains liaison with Human Resources;
• Develop the necessary plan/s to ensure that Business Units within operations meet their agreed goals and objectives, meet staff on a pre-agreed basis, identify and agree key performance areas, key objectives / tasks, and action plans;
• Carries out evaluation of staff, identifies performance strengths and deficiencies, and arranges for necessary action (for example further on the job training);
• Ensure that members of staff are being rewarded equitably and that the requisite human resources policies, procedures, and systems are in place and are being followed accurately;

Key Decisions:

• Decides on Strategic projects for the business;
• Decides on the commercial opportunities to present to the Exco and relevant Stakeholders;
• Decides on recommendations regarding the Capex investment;
• Decides on the Go to Market strategy;
• Decides on the Employee / Customer Engagement programme;
• Decides on operational efficiencies;

Accountable For:

• Accountable for the Performance of the African regions;
• Accountable for Strategic projects and provides input in site selection;
• Accountable for Risk, Governance and Compliance;
• Accountable for Operational and financial performance / profit and loss;
• Accountable for Stakeholder management;

Job Requirements:

Formal Qualifications Required:

• Master’s degree in relevant field – Desirable;
• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field (Engineering, Business Administration or relevant) – Essential;

Experience:

Job related Experience Required:

• Experience in a medium to large company in technical or operational role as part of Senior Management / Exco Team. Data Centre industries or similar – 12 years – Essential;

Role Related Experience Required:

• Strategy and growth focussed – 5+ - Essential;
• Previous international experience, operating at executive level – 4+ - Desirable;
• People and team management – 5+ - Essential;
• Financial analysis – 2+ - Desirable;
• Investor relations and reporting – 2+ - Desirable;
• Sustainability initiatives – 3 – 5 – Desirable;
• Data centre development and operations – 3 – 5 = Desirable;

Knowledge Areas:

• Implementing strategies – Essential;
• Clean energy technologies – Essential;
• Business development and strategic partnership – Desirable;
• African markets – knowledge of Telecoms / Data Centre industry and market – Desirable;

Skills / Competencies:

• Complex project management – Essential;
• Financial analysis – Essential;
• People and team management – Essential;
• Demonstrable competency in strategic planning and business development – Essential;
• Strategic analysis – Essential;

Understanding of data analysis and performance / operations me