Director of Operations and Supply Chain

Company Description 

Opportunity International Nicaragua U.S.A is a global entity that supports Opportunity International Nicaragua a non-profit and Prospera Foods a fast growing B-Corporation. Both organizations are dedicated to transforming the lives of smallholder farmers in Nicaragua by selling their crops to world class food companies. As a certified B Corporation, we have met the high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency standards. We are purpose driven and aim to create benefit for all stakeholders, including workers, communities, customers, and the planet.  

Role Description 

Due to growth this newly created position is an exciting opportunity for someone that is seeking both a role where they can share their leadership knowledge of manufacturing and supply chain as well as develop operations at our new manufacturing facility in South America.

The Director of Operations & Supply Chain is responsible for providing strategic and tactical leadership to the operations team at Opportunity International Nicaragua and will play a key role in future international growth. This role will lead the supply chain process from overseeing grower relationships, managing manufacturing in our world class food processing facility, and leading the distribution process. This position will also be responsible to execute the vision of the CEO for a new food manufacturing facility in South America.   The ideal candidate will live in the Denver, Colorado area, however all qualified candidates will be considered.

Position Responsibilities:

This is a hybrid role with two areas of focus.  

1. Provide strong leadership and strategic direction for the operations team at our food manufacturing facility in Nicaragua 

• Supervise the Operations Manager and provide guidance and foster collaboration with cross functional teams such as Quality, Supply Chain, Safety, & Warehouse while driving a culture of continuous improvement
• Ensure products are cost effective and manufacturing processes are efficient, flexible, and innovative
• Examine raw material sourcing plans and expand the process
• Analyze the supply chain and create a plan to identify key data points and metrics
• Regularly review inventory levels, lead times, and transportation costs, and make recommendations to improve efficiencies 
• Collaborate with leadership to align supply chain initiatives with the companies growth and expansion plans
• Organize the export process to benchmark preparedness, adjust process to improve efficiency, define outcomes, and evaluate results
• Work closely with the CEO to review financial performance of the operations to maximize revenue and improve profit margins to drive desired results

2. Coordinate the operations of constructing a food manufacturing facility at a new site in South America.   

• Analyze the scope of the project and build a strategy to execute the plan
• Assemble a team and decompose the project into actionable steps
• Allocate resources effectively and set timelines and milestones
• Actively monitor progress and troubleshoot issues as they arise and take immediate steps to resolve
• Communicate regularly with stakeholders, especially the CEO
• Manage risks and ensure quality throughout the project lifecycle
• Make necessary adjustments as needed to stay on track with goals and deadlines
• Ensure the project is within budget, timeline, and scope
• Ongoing management of the new facility
• Other duties as assigned  

Position Requirements:

• Must be fluent in Spanish  
• Bachelors’ Degree in Agriculture, Business, Supply Chain, Management or related field. Master’s Degree preferred.
• 7 years’ experience in a food manufacturing setting, with demonstrated skills in improving efficiency
• Experience creating and setting up a new manufacturing facility, with ability to manage multiple projects in a fast paced, dynamic environment
• Must have strong leadership and interpersonal skills with ability to motivate and inspire teams
• Excellent problem solving and decision making skills with a strategic mindset for driving operational excellence and achieving business objectives
• Must have strong time management skills and ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.  
• Familiarity with the challenges, emerging trends, and evolving dynamics within the agriculture industry
• Ability to travel internationally up to 50%

Reports to:  Chief Executive Officer

Location: Remote working from home and up to 50% travel internationally. The ideal candidate will live in the Denver, Colorado area, however all qualified candidates will be considered.

Pay: Salaried, depended on candidates experience

Hours: Full Time 40 hours/week, must have immediate availability to respond to urgent requests and support and be available for travel. Up to 50% of the position will be international travel.  

Supervisory Responsibility 

Support and supervision to production team in Nicaragua and future countries

Travel

Up to 50% travel, International

Environment

• Adheres to company-wide green norms, looks for ways to reduce, reuse, recycle
• Educates oneself on environmental campaigns
• Strives to continually improve and implement new processes to reduce our environmental impact

Benefits of working at Opportunity International Nicaragua U.S.: 

• Competitive insurance 
• Professional development opportunities  
• Work from home 

At Opportunity International Nicaragua U.S.A, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect and inclusion. Equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, past or present military service, physical or mental disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. All aspects of employment are decided on the basis of business need, job requirements, and individual qualifications.