Regional Operations Manager- MENA
Overview of Role
The Regional Operations Manager- MENA leads plant operations for several plants located in Africa. This individual will be responsible for overseeing contracted availability of power to our customers, a healthy and well-maintained fleet of assets, and the performance of all plant operations teams, customer relationships, corporate reporting and financial management. In addition to the plant operations teams, this person will work closely with the corporate operations support.
Responsibilities
Oversee operations and maintenance for several plants in the region – ensure that all plants’ assets are well-maintained and the plants are 100% available to deliver power to our customers.
Manage the plant managers and O&M teams at each plant in Africa. Create and maintain a system of performance management to ensure all team members are performing to the highest expectations. The Regional Operations Manager will be responsible for interviewing, hiring and dismissal of employees where necessary.
Oversee the creation of annual plant budgets. Ensure weekly or monthly plant budget vs. actual financial performance. Identify areas of opportunity for cost reduction.
Build a culture of continuous improvement in the Africa region. Help ensure plant managers and staffs are trained in lean/six-sigma principles. Set targets for cost reductions and efficiency gains through the identification of waste-removal opportunities.
Increase standardization of processes, performance management, staff scheduling, etc. throughout the region. Ensure those processes and procedures are documented into standardized SOP format and document control system.
Improve and standardize Key Performance Indicators across the plant operations. KPIs should highlight performance in contracted power availability, labor, safety, fleet status, finance, continuous improvement and more.
Engage in regular performance reviews and reporting with the operations executives and the corporate operations support team.
Maintain positive customer relationships. Attend customer meetings where necessary, intervene to resolve invoice disputes, assist in identifying improvement opportunities in customer relationship management. Engage in high-level commercial discussions and negotiations where necessary.
Identify large-scale purchasing cost-reduction opportunities, including regional parts suppliers, OEM parts support, oil vendors, labor providers, etc.
Required Experience
Bachelors Degree in Business Management, International Business, Finance, Engineering (Mechanical/Electrical/Industrial)
Masters Degree in Business Administration a plus
10+ years experience in power generation or heavy industrial plant operations preferred. Management of large-scale plant operations and/or multiple plant operations spread amongst several countries also preferred. Will consider other industry experience with applicability to power generation
Bi-lingual in English and Arabic
Multi-lingual in French and/or Portuguese a plus
Must be a leader that is comfortable managing individuals of multiple levels of experience, education and culture
Should be willing to demonstrate experience in large-scale operational improvements
Plant management experience
Highly organized
Experience with efficiency management (Lean or Six Sigma)
Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment
Computer skills with working knowledge of MS Office applications, such as Word, Excel and Power Point required
Strong analytical and detail-oriented aptitude
Strong written, verbal and inter-personal communication skills
