General Manager of Operations - Kampala job at K Hotels Entebbe

About Ranchers Finest

Ranchers Finest is one of Uganda's leading meat processing and distribution companies, supplying premium beef, pork, poultry, and goat/mutton products across wholesale, retail, and distributor channels. We are at an inflection point — scaling production capacity, tightening our operational model, and building the infrastructure to compete at a higher level. We are not looking for a manager. We are looking for a builder.

The Opportunity

This is not a caretaker role. As General Manager of Operations, you will step in as the operational heartbeat of Ranchers Finest — owning everything from the processing floor to supply chain execution and financial performance. You will work shoulder-to-shoulder with the Founder & Chairman to turn strategy into results, make difficult calls with incomplete information, and leave a visible mark on how this business runs. If you thrive in fast-moving environments, take pride in building systems from the ground up, and want genuine ownership over outcomes — this role was designed for you.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Production Management

• Oversee all meat processing operations across beef, pork, poultry, and goat/mutton product lines, ensuring quality, yield, and throughput targets are consistently met.
• Drive continuous improvement in production efficiency, cold chain management, food safety compliance, and operational cost control.
• Manage and optimize plant utilization, maintenance schedules, and equipment performance.

Supply Chain, Logistics & Procurement

• Design and manage an end-to-end supply chain — from livestock sourcing and raw material procurement through processing, cold chain logistics, and final delivery — with relentless focus on reliability, cost, and quality.
• Build and strengthen relationships with farmers, livestock traders, input suppliers, and third-party logistics providers across Uganda.
• Identify and close supply chain vulnerabilities; develop contingency sourcing strategies to protect production continuity.
• Drive logistics efficiency including route optimization, fleet management, and cold chain integrity from plant to customer.

Financial Performance & Cost Control

• Own the operational P&L end-to-end — drive EBITDA through disciplined cost management, margin improvement, and smart allocation of resources across all product lines.
• Establish rigorous operational budgeting processes and hold department heads accountable to financial targets.
• Work closely with Finance to produce accurate monthly performance reporting, variance analysis, and forward-looking operational forecasts.
• Identify and execute cost reduction initiatives — from yield improvement and waste reduction to procurement savings and overhead rationalization — without compromising quality or safety.
• Provide the Founder & Chairman with clear, data-driven insights to support capital investment decisions and growth planning.

People & Organizational Leadership

• Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing team of department heads and operational staff.
• Foster a culture of accountability, safety, quality, and continuous improvement across the organization.
• Build organizational capacity and talent pipelines in line with the company's growth ambitions.

Required profile for job ad : General Manager of Operations - Kampala

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Food Science, Agriculture, Engineering, or a related field; MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification preferred.
• Minimum 8–12 years of progressive operational leadership, ideally within meat processing, FMCG, agri-business, or food manufacturing.
• Proven track record of owning an operational P&L, managing large multi-functional teams, and delivering results in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience operating in East Africa or sub-Saharan African markets is highly desirable.
• Strong financial acumen with the ability to interpret management accounts, build business cases, and drive cost discipline.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Hands-on, entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to operate effectively in a dynamic, resource-constrained setting.

What We Offer

• Real ownership — a role where your decisions shape outcomes, not just influence them.
• A seat at the table with the Founder & Chairman, with genuine influence over company direction.
• Competitive compensation package benchmarked to the seniority of this role in the Ugandan market.
• The opportunity to build something lasting — systems, teams, and a business that endures.

• Oversee all meat processing operations across beef, pork, poultry, and goat/mutton product lines, ensuring quality, yield, and throughput targets are consistently met.
• Drive continuous improvement in production efficiency, cold chain management, food safety compliance, and operational cost control.
• Manage and optimize plant utilization, maintenance schedules, and equipment performance.
• Design and manage an end-to-end supply chain — from livestock sourcing and raw material procurement through processing, cold chain logistics, and final delivery — with relentless focus on reliability, cost, and quality.
• Build and strengthen relationships with farmers, livestock traders, input suppliers, and third-party logistics providers across Uganda.
• Identify and close supply chain vulnerabilities; develop contingency sourcing strategies to protect production continuity.
• Drive logistics efficiency including route optimization, fleet management, and cold chain integrity from plant to customer.
• Own the operational P&L end-to-end — drive EBITDA through disciplined cost management, margin improvement, and smart allocation of resources across all product lines.
• Establish rigorous operational budgeting processes and hold department heads accountable to financial targets.
• Work closely with Finance to produce accurate monthly performance reporting, variance analysis, and forward-looking operational forecasts.
• Identify and execute cost reduction initiatives — from yield improvement and waste reduction to procurement savings and overhead rationalization — without compromising quality or safety.
• Provide the Founder & Chairman with clear, data-driven insights to support capital investment decisions and growth planning.
• Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing team of department heads and operational staff.
• Foster a culture of accountability, safety, quality, and continuous improvement across the organization.
• Build organizational capacity and talent pipelines in line with the company's growth ambitions.

• Strong financial acumen
• Exceptional leadership
• Communication skills
• Stakeholder management skills
• Hands-on, entrepreneurial mindset

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Food Science, Agriculture, Engineering, or a related field; MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification preferred.
• Minimum 8–12 years of progressive operational leadership, ideally within meat processing, FMCG, agri-business, or food manufacturing.
• Proven track record of owning an operational P&L, managing large multi-functional teams, and delivering results in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience operating in East Africa or sub-Saharan African markets is highly desirable.