Nigeria Operations Manager

Okra’s context

At Okra Solar, we’re on a mission to bring Power to the People by unlocking opportunities through energy access for everyone in the world.

Over 650 million people still live without electricity. At a time where technology such as mobile devices, productive agritech and AI are becoming more accessible than ever, we believe that access to energy is the first step toward opportunity and growth.

That’s why we built Mesh-Grid technology that energizes off-grid households at a fraction of the cost of traditional off-grid energy solutions. We supply the tech we specialise in to local energy companies, who go out and deliver affordable, reliable energy to last mile communities.

In order to execute on the mission to 100% energy access for all , we are looking for a hands-on operational leader

‍

🚀 You will have a Mission critical mandate:

‍Lead the operational transformation required to scale Nigeria operations from 2,000 connections installed in country to 50,000 connections within 18 months. You’ll be required to build scalable systems, processes, and teams from the ground up while maintaining the hallmark Okra service excellence.

‍

🛠️ Your teams core KPI is Reduce downtime due to equipment failure to < 1 day.

‍

⚡️If you’re excited about using technology to create tangible impact and want to help shape the future of energy access, you could be the right person to join us.

‍

‍Above Market remuneration with generous stock offer for achieving KPIs and potential to grow to a Country Director role.

Responsibilities

• Mature customer onboarding processes from current hands on processes to an effective onboarding system capable of enabling 15,000 new connections to be deployed by our customers in Q1 and Q2 2026 (that’s over 100 communities across multiple states)
• Improve deployment quality assurance and quality check frameworks ensuring top tier installation standards that are followed by our customers and deployment partners.
• Improve upon inventory management systems including forecasting, procurement, warehousing, and distribution / logistics networks to and from remote communities across Nigeria.
• Improve upon warranty management infrastructure end-to-end claim processing systems servicing multiple customers with fast turnaround time.
• Scale regional team as needed across Support, Deployments, Repair, Testing, and Logistics functions
• Execute on budget planning and cost control systems to forecast and manage spend in accordance with company level planning.
• Manage teams with clear KPIs, AARSI tables, career progression and staff satisfaction in Nigeria.  
• Manage relationships with local suppliers, logistics partners, and service providers where required.
• Oversee deployment scheduling and execution to meet aggressive connection targets while maintaining quality.
• Monitor and optimize operational metrics including deployment speed, service quality, customer satisfaction, and cost efficiency
• Troubleshoot complex operational issues that could impact customer deployment timeline delays or customer relationships - being hands on where required to put out important fires!

‍

Required Experience

• ≥5 years experience working in operations or managing aftersales operations
• Worked for ≥2 companies in Nigeria/Africa
• Senior management experience

‍

Hard Skills

• Experience Across Business Functions
  • Warehousing
  • Logistics execution
  • Deployment/project rollout management
  • Field operations supervision
  • Budget planning and management
  • Exposure to Multinational/Fast-Growth Tech Companies
  • P&L ownership and reporting for a business unit
• Warranty management processes
  • Designing warranty handling and claims processes
  • Scaling warranty operations for large hardware fleets
• Process Implementation for Hypergrowth
  • Selecting/adapting fit-for-purpose systems and processes during scaleup
  • Implementing support ticketing and maintenance escalation systems
  • Experience with ITSM or CRM platforms
  • Recruitment and Talent Development
  • Writing and rolling out installation, commissioning, and HSE Standard Operating Procedures
• Strategic Business Operations
  • Budget forecasting and management

‍

Soft Skills

• Resilience under pressure during periods when "everything is breaking"
• Adaptability and problem-solving for complex operational challenges in emerging markets
• Strong hiring and team building capabilities for rapid organizational development
• Long-term commitment to Nigeria operations (willing to stay in Nigeria for at least the next 3 years)
• Willingness to learn: Openness to new knowledge, techniques, and continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work with non-technical teams
• Collaborative mindset: Ability to work effectively with others, lifting teammates up, learning together, and sharing wins and failures.
• Balanced drive: Passionate about your work while maintaining a healthy pace to avoid burnout and sustain excellence.
• Experimentation and adaptability: Comfortable running experiments, learning from results, and adapting quickly to changes.
• Transparency and openness: Open to sharing and receiving ideas and feedback candidly.
• Integrity and respect: Ability to make ethical decisions even during challenges, acting with honesty and respect.

‍

What your first 6 months will look like

You will be thrown in the deep end while total Nigeria deployments increase by more than 2x Q1 2025 compared to what it is right now.

You will have to help our customers deploy a ramping up volume of new connections, and in parallel be building and optimising systems to ensure deployments are done successfully while stewarding great after sales support for our customers in Nigeria.

In the first 6 months you will →

• Onboard to Airtable, Periscope and other tools, to manage aftersales data flows.
• Run warranty and customer support workflows with the team lead.
• Plan and coordinate deployment schedules.
• Support two in-field customer deployments.
• Set up the Abuja office to meet scaling needs.
• Upgrade inventory management for spares and repairs.
• Build relationships across all functions in the Abuja office, and across leadership level at global offices.
• Firefighting with large scale deployments with new customers and new products in the field

‍

D&I Statement

At Okra we are dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, respected, supported and empowered. Our workplace is an interconnected network, where each individual contributes to the energy that drives innovation, fosters collaboration, and illuminates new possibilities. We are committed to recruiting, retaining, and developing a diverse team of talented professionals, and we welcome candidates of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to join us in our mission. Diversity brings power to our teams so we can bring #PowerToThePeople.

‍