Job Description
Director of Sales & Operations
Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (AFI Farm, Bole Lemi Industrial Zone)
Reports To: Managing Director, AFI Ethiopia
Contract: Full-time, Permanent · Senior Management
Scope: Sales in Ethiopia and East Africa · Operations, Logistics and Export for all markets
Team: Production, Packing, Quality, Logistics and Export, Procurement, Local Sales
Travel: Travel in East Africa and beyond to meet customers, partners and trade fairs
ABOUT AFRICA FARMING INDUSTRIES
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Premium strawberries, grown all year in the highlands of Ethiopia
Africa Farming Industries (AFI) is part of Pluton-Invest Group. We built a modern indoor strawberry farm in Addis Ababa, at 2,300 metres above sea level. The farm uses indoor-farming technology from South Korea. Climate, light and plant nutrition are controlled by computer and AI, so we can harvest every day of the year high and premium quality strawberries. Our berries are grown without pesticides, tested in a laboratory and fully traceable from the farm to the customer.
We sell to top hotels, chefs, fine food shops and gift buyers, first in Ethiopia and East Africa and then in export markets served by direct flights from Addis Ababa (GCC countries, Europe, Asia). We are a young company with an experienced international team behind it. The next two years are about strongly building the operation, proving the quality of the product and opening and developing the first markets according to the company business plan.
WHY THIS ROLE
One person in charge of everything between the harvest and the customer
The Director of Sales and Operations is our senior manager on the ground in Addis Ababa. You will be responsible for everything that happens after the berries are picked: preparation and packing, cold chain, procurement, national and international certifications, quality control, after-sales service, local distribution and export shipments. You will also lead our sales in Ethiopia and East Africa yourself.
You will work closely with the Managing Director and with our international sales partners. For our customers, freight forwarders, suppliers and the Ethiopian authorities, you will be the face of the company. This is a hands-on job. In the first year you will build the team, the processes and the supplier network almost from zero, and then run them day to day.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
A · Operations and link with production the farm must deliver what sales has sold
Planning Turn the sales forecast into a weekly harvest, grading and packing plan together with the farm production team.
Daily operations Organise the work after harvest: picking times, sorting and grading, pre-cooling, packing, cold-room stock and dispatch. Write simple procedures and make sure the team follows them.
Growth projects Be the operations lead for future expansion of the farm, the cold room and the packing area, working with the technology partner.
Budget and reporting Manage the operations budget (freight, packaging, consumables, labour, losses) and report volumes, costs and service levels to the Managing Director every week.
B · Logistics, cold chain and distribution local and international
Export logistics Set up and run the air-freight chain from Addis Ababa Bole airport: contracts with freight forwarders and airlines, perishable handling, capacity bookings for each destination, compliance.
Cold chain Make sure the temperature chain is never broken between the packing room and the customer: temperature records, packaging tests, airport handling checks, a clear investigation when something goes wrong and recovery process.
Local distribution Build and manage same-day delivery to hotels, restaurants, fine food shops, embassies and event companies in Addis Ababa, and later in other East African cities.
Travel retail Prepare the supply model for sales at airports, working with the duty-free operators.
Cost and service Negotiate rates and service levels. Follow freight cost per kilo, on-time delivery, transit time and losses for each destination.
C · Export desk and trade compliance one export desk, correct papers for every market
Export documents Run the export desk: invoices, packing lists, phytosanitary certificates, certificates of origin, registered-exporter (REX) status, airway bills, Ethiopian customs and foreign-exchange formalities.
Market access Know and follow the food import rules of each export market (product registration, labeling in the local language, import permits) and keep our files up to date.
Importer service Be the daily contact for our import partners abroad: order confirmation, allocation, shipment tracking, documents, claims and payment follow-up.
Trade fairs Prepare samples and shipments for trade fairs and customer tastings.
D · Procurement and suppliers the right inputs, on time, at the right cost
Purchasing Buy everything the operation needs: plants and growing material, nutrients, spare parts for the growing system, packaging (standard packs first, then customer formats and gift boxes), cold-chain consumables and laboratory services.
Imports Manage purchases from abroad: supplier contracts, credit and foreign-exchange requests, freight through Djibouti, customs clearance and the duty-free rights of the industrial zone.
Supplier performance Select and evaluate suppliers, keep a safety stock of critical parts, negotiate yearly agreements and follow quality and delivery times.
E · Certifications and regulatory affairs national and international
Certification plan Lead the company to GlobalG.A.P. and HACCP certification, and later to the other standards our customers ask for (for example BRCGS or IFS for packing).
Ethiopian authorities Manage our relations and filings with the Ethiopian Agricultural Authority, the Food and Drug Authority, the Investment Commission, the industrial zone administration, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Customs Commission.
Brand and claims Support the registration of our brand in each market. Make sure every claim we make about the product (pesticide-free, water saving, traceability) is backed by documents.
Audit readiness: Keep the farm, the packing area and all records ready for an audit at any time, whether from a certifier, a customer or a government inspector.
F · Quality and food safety our quality standard is what allows us to sell at a premium price
Quality system: Write and apply the AFI quality standard: grading rules, sugar level and size, shelf-life rules, laboratory tests on every export batch, and a QR code on every batch with farm data, harvest date and lab certificate.
Laboratory testing Contract accredited laboratories for pesticide residue, microbiology and water analysis, and keep the test results every customer will ask for.
Tasting programme Organise tastings with local chefs and hotels, and bring their feedback back to the production team.
Continuous improvement Follow losses, claims and shelf life for each destination, find the causes and fix them with production.
G · After-sales service a customer problem is solved within 48 hours
Claims Own the claims process from start to finish: inspection on arrival, photos, credit notes, replacement shipments. Answer every claim within 24- 48 hours.
Customer rules Make sure every customer follows our rules on how the product is stored and displayed. Educate hotel, shop and duty-free staff on handling and storage.
Customer feedback Record feedback from chefs, buyers and importers in our shared CRM and report re-order rates and customer satisfaction every week/month.
H · Sales in Ethiopia and East Africa the home market is our showcase
Sales targets Deliver the sales plan for Ethiopia and East Africa in volume, revenue and margin.
Key accounts Open and manage the top hotels, fine-dining chefs, premium grocers, embassies, international organisations, event companies and corporate gift buyers in Addis Ababa, and later in other East African cities.
Price and brand discipline We sell a premium brand and not bulk sales to wholesalers. Discounts and promotions need to follow a specific approval process.
Partnerships Lead discussions with airlines, airport duty-free operators and other strategic partners in the region.
Sales routine Run the weekly sales meeting, keep the forecast and pipeline up to date in the CRM, and share local market information with the management team.
I · People and systems a team that grows at a speed it can manage
Team Recruit, train and lead the Addis Ababa team: from packing, quality, export, logistics team, sales executives. Set clear objectives and develop local talent.
Systems Participate to the CRM implementation, order-to-cash and traceability tools, so that sales, operations and management all look at the same numbers.
Health, safety and compliance Make sure the site respects food safety, health and safety, labour and industrial zone rules.
Management reporting Prepare the operations and sales part of the monthly report to the Board.
HOW WE WILL MEASURE SUCCESS
Main indicators for the first 12 months
Certifications: GlobalG.A.P. and HACCP certification obtained; export registrations completed for the first markets.
Service and Cold Chain: At least 97% of orders delivered on time and complete; no cold-chain break recorded.
Quality: Losses and rejects below 2% of shipped volume; every export batch tested and traceable; claims closed within 48 hours.
Cost: Freight and packaging cost per kilo within budget for each destination; gross margin target respected.
Sales: Ethiopia and East Africa sales plan achieved; at least 85% of customers reorder; no sale below the approved price list.
Readiness: Prices, logistics, documents, volumes, samples and packaging ready before each new market opens.
Team: Addis Ababa team recruited and trained as planned; CRM in daily use; Board report delivered on time every month.
THE WAY YOU WORK
Gets things done Turns a plan into strategic actions, processes and daily routines/checklists. Does not promise what cannot be delivered.
Commercial judgement Protects the price and the brand. Knows when to say no to a discount or to a bulk order.
Ownership Treats a claim, a loss or a late delivery as a personal problem to solve quickly.
Builds relationships Opens doors through people, not cold calls: chefs, buyers, airline and customs contacts.
Comfortable with numbers Reads cost per kilo, margin by destination and re-order rates for example, and acts on them.
Leads people Builds and coaches the team and manage pressure in an operation that runs 365 days a year.
Integrity Does not compromise on food safety, compliance or honest reporting.
WHAT WE OFFER
A founding management role in one of the first high-technology farms in Africa backed by a proven technology partner.
Real influence on how the company is growing: a seat at the senior management periodical meetings and a direct interactions with the Board members.
A competitive package for a senior position in Ethiopia: base salary, performance bonus linked to the objectives above, health cover etc.
International exposure through our customers, partners and trade fairs abroad, and training with our technology partner.
A clear path to grow with the company as the farm expands.
Job Requirements
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We need a practical, commercial manager who knows how goods move in and out of Ethiopia and who can sell a premium product to demanding customers. The right person has probably spent most of his or her career in logistics or freight forwarding, has sold services to hotels, airlines or importers, and understands perishable goods and air cargo through Bole airport. Experience in fresh produce is a real advantage, but the attitude matters more: we want someone who takes ownership, who is careful with details and who is comfortable building things from scratch.
MUST HAVE
At least 8 years in logistics, freight forwarding, supply chain or export operations, including 3 years or more in a management or business development role, ideally with an international forwarder, express company, airline cargo division or logistics group active in Ethiopia.
A track record in B2B sales in Ethiopia: opening and growing key accounts, negotiating contracts, managing a sales pipeline and a price list.
Solid knowledge of Ethiopian import and export practice: customs procedures, the Djibouti corridor, air cargo at Bole, foreign-exchange and credit, phytosanitary and certificate-of-origin documents, industrial zone rules.
Experience with air freight of time-critical or temperature-sensitive goods, and an understanding of cold-chain requirements.
A good network among hotels, airlines, freight forwarders, customs agents and authorities in Addis Ababa.
Fluent English and Amharic. Clear written reports. Comfortable with CRM or ERP tools and with numbers.
A bachelor's degree in logistics, supply chain, business, agriculture or a related field.
NICE TO HAVE
Experience in fresh produce, horticulture or flower exports, food processing, including quality systems such as HACCP, GlobalG.A.P. or ISO 22000.
Experience of East African markets. Other languages is a plus.
Experience in a start-up or a new project where processes had to be created from scratch.
A background in airline customer service or ground operations.
An MBA or a professional certification such as CILT or CSCP.
Previous dealings with the Ethiopian Investment Commission, the Agricultural Authority, the Food and Drug Authority or an industrial zone administration.
How To Apply
Please send your CV and a short letter that tells us more about you through ethiojobs. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a practical and strategic face to face discussion and to a visit of the farm. AFI is an equal-opportunity employer. We particularly welcome applications from Ethiopian professionals with international logistics experience.
