Job Description

Village Capital finds, trains, and invests in early-stage entrepreneurs with business solutions to major global problems. We build communities around entrepreneurs that increase opportunities for growth and success. Our peer-selected investment approach delivers strong results for early-stage businesses and investors. Village Capital builds bridges for entrepreneurs who are creating an inclusive and sustainable world. Our programs connect high potential, early-stage entrepreneurs with the people, institutions, and capital they need to succeed. Since 2009, Village Capital has supported more than 1,000 entrepreneurs through our programs, and partnered with affiliated investment funds, including VilCap Investments, that have invested seed capital in more than 90 program graduates.

 

Consultant qualifications

• Post graduate qualification in a relevant field from an accredited academic institution


• Minimum 5 years of experience in the cold chain logistics sector or related sectors


• Demonstrable experience designing operations strategies for SMEs in the African continent, with preference to West Africa


• Proven track records of working with founders, and entrepreneurs in Africa


• Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English


• Familiarity with the geopolitical climate in West Africa

SCOPE OF WORK

• Review the existing operations of cold rooms (virtually, if applicable), any existing documentation guiding cold room operations, and the existing training procedures for new cold room operators. The consultant should leverage the management team for access to undocumented organizational information.


• Align with management on their perception/target productivity for an efficient cold room operation.


• Co-develop an operations manual (taking management views into account) that documents the operations of a cold room including, but not limited to cold room design, construction, operating hours, operating processes i.e., how to open a cold room, how to accept produce into the cold room, how to process produce out of the cold room, and maintenance processes and procedures. The manual should take into consideration ISO 9001:2015.


• Develop an onboarding process documented through an onboarding plan that defines the timelines within which a staff member should master the operations manual.


• Conduct mock exercises with management to determine the effectiveness of using the manual as an onboarding tool for new employees.


• Develop a comprehensive asset register detailing tools, and assets essential for cold room operations. The register should incorporate a “how-to guide” detailing usage instructions.


• Conduct a workshop with the management team to present the operations manual, and collect final feedback prior to submitting the final document.