Chief Operations Officer

Our client is an award-winning Renewable Energy Enterprise in Kenya that develops hydropower plants to deliver affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity to underserved communities in rural Kenya and East Africa. Their mission is to generate continuous clean energy with minimal environmental impact. Equipped with smart sensors, remote monitoring, and AI-driven control systems, their grids are designed for efficiency and resilience in both on-grid and off-grid settings. The business is rapidly scaling and is set to power more than 10,000 individuals, create local jobs, and avoid significant CO₂ emissions.

The Chief Operations Officer (COO) will be responsible for ensuring disciplined execution, cross-functional coordination, and operational excellence across the organization. As part of the senior leadership team, the COO will lead the Executive Committee (ExCo) as the central platform where all business functions come together, ensuring alignment, accountability, and timely implementation of decisions.

The role directly oversees Operations Managers in Kenya and the DRC, as well as General Managers of subsidiary entities, holding them accountable for performance against agreed KPIs. A key focus will be to professionalize organizational practices, coordinate project development processes, and introduce best practices to raise efficiency and reduce implementation timelines. This role also allows the CEO to focus on external strategy, fundraising, and partnerships.

1. Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Translate strategic objectives into operational plans with clear KPIs for each business unit.
  
• Oversee the implementation of plans and ensure effective monitoring systems.
  
• Provide regular progress and gap reports to the CEO and Board.
  

2. Execution Discipline

• Lead the ExCo as the central coordination platform.
  
• Ensure timely follow-up and implementation of decisions.
  
• Drive interdepartmental coordination (finance, technical, HR, legal, operations).
  
• Track achievement of operational KPIs such as plant uptime, energy availability, revenue collection, and project development milestones.
  

3. Organizational Excellence

• Institutionalize best practices across operations and support functions.
  
• Benchmark organizational practices against industry standards.
  
• Lead initiatives to improve organizational efficiency and project development timelines.
  

4. Financial & Budgetary Oversight

• Oversee preparation and adherence to operational budgets.
  
• Track variances and implement corrective measures.
  
• Ensure effective allocation of resources for operational and project delivery targets.
  
• Collaborate with the CFO for integrated financial planning and reporting.
  

5. Risk Management & Compliance

• Identify and mitigate operational risks across all entities.
  
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, safety, and environmental standards.
  
• Maintain operational risk registers with clear accountability.
  
• Work with the CFO to separate operational and financial risks.
  

6. Leadership & Team Development

• Provide leadership, mentorship, and accountability to Operations and General Managers.
  
• Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and results orientation.
  
• Develop talent pipelines and succession plans for critical operational roles.
  

• Strong operational leadership and execution discipline
  
• Proven ability to lead ExCo and align cross-functional teams
  
• Expertise in organizational excellence and process improvement
  
• Financial and budgetary management skills
  
• Risk management (operational, safety, and regulatory)
  
• Leadership and people development skills
  
• Experience managing multi-country operations
  
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities
  

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred
  
• 12–15 years of experience in operations leadership, ideally in renewable energy, infrastructure, or related industries
  
• Proven track record managing multi-site or multi-country operations
  
• Demonstrated ability to enforce execution discipline and deliver results
  
• Experience introducing best practices and process improvements
  
• Strong knowledge of regulatory frameworks, operational best practices, and energy sector dynamics
  
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills