At Pula, we are radically restructuring agricultural insurance, using technology to insure the previously unbanked, uninsured, untapped market of 1.5 billion smallholders worldwide. We work in eight countries across Africa and Asia, and are seeking a Senior Manager, Field Operations to join our team.
This is a senior-level role focused on managing managers and systems rather than direct field execution. You are not the right fit if you are currently a Country Field Manager or equivalent without experience owning multi-country portfolios, or if you are seeking a role focused on direct supervision of enumerators or day-to-day operations.
What You'll Be Doing
Project Delivery & Accountability
- Own a portfolio of large-scale field programs across multiple countries.
- Set delivery strategy, resourcing models, QA thresholds, and escalation mechanisms.
- Hold full end-to-end accountability for scope, timelines, budget, and data quality, acting as the senior escalation point for delivery and quality trade-offs.
- Oversee project setup, resourcing, training, field execution, monitoring, and final data submission through Country Field Managers.
- Proactively manage portfolio-level risks to ensure consistent, high-quality outputs that meet both client expectations and Pula’s operational standards.
Quality Assurance & Process Improvement
- Own department-level quality outcomes, including defining QA standards, enforcing adoption, and holding senior managers accountable for results.
- Drive delivery quality across Field Operations by identifying systemic gaps, strengthening QA frameworks, and owning the end-to-end operationalization of SOPs across countries.
- Ensure QA processes are embedded in day-to-day execution through senior field leadership, rapidly diagnose root causes when adoption fails, and independently implement corrective actions.
People & Performance Management
- Directly manage and develop Country Field Managers, providing clear direction, performance accountability, and coaching at a senior level.
- Indirectly lead large field teams by setting expectations, performance standards, and escalation mechanisms.
- Hold country leadership accountable for capacity building, quality outcomes, and the development of high-performing, autonomous teams.
Client & Stakeholder Management
- Serve as the senior Field Operations contact for assigned projects, owning client communication on delivery performance, risks, data quality, and scope decisions.
- Lead alignment on methodology, expectations, and trade-offs.
- Manage escalations to resolution to maintain strong, trust-based client relationships and sustained satisfaction.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with senior stakeholders across Insurance Operations, Data Services, Technology, and Commercial teams to align priorities, operating models, and delivery standards across the full project lifecycle.
- Resolve cross-functional dependencies and trade-offs to ensure seamless execution and strong internal client satisfaction.
Special Projects and Strategic Initiatives
- Lead and own ad-hoc or department-wide initiatives, including piloting new methodologies, scaling best practices, and implementing solutions that enhance operational efficiency.
- Take full accountability from concept through implementation, ensuring initiatives deliver measurable impact.
The Right Candidate Will Have
- Progressive Field Operations Leadership: 8+ years of experience in field operations, data collection, or large-scale service delivery, including at least 3 years in a senior management role with responsibility for teams of managers and cross-country delivery outcomes.
- Large-Scale Data Collection (500,000+): Demonstrated success in delivering repeated, high-volume data collection programs (e.g., farmer registration, yield measurement, household surveys, polygon mapping), with ownership of standardization and QA consistency.
- Field Team/ Agent Network Leadership (5,000+): Proven experience building, mobilizing, and managing large-scale agent/enumerator networks of 5,000+, including recruitment, training, and deployment planning.
- Quality Assurance & Operational Excellence: Expertise in designing, implementing, and monitoring QA frameworks. Track record of identifying systemic gaps and designing practical solutions at scale.
- Financial & Operational Acumen: Experience in budget ownership, forecasting, reporting, and variance analysis, with a focus on portfolio-level cost accountability.
- Collaboration & Cross-Cultural Experience: Ability to work effectively with multicultural, multidisciplinary, and senior stakeholders across geographies.
- Integrity & Self-Management: Exceptional work ethic, integrity, and the ability to autonomously manage complex portfolios in fast-paced environments.
- Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree with an outstanding academic record; advanced degree a plus.
- Additional Skills: Fluency in French is a plus.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply via the Pula application portal at pula.bamboohr.com or through the provided recruitment link at https://www.myjobmag.co.ke/apply-now/1187203.
