Senior Production Manager Yalelo

Yalelo is Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest producer of tilapia and the Yalelo brand has become synonymous with innovative aquaculture techniques. Yalelo, which was established in Zambia in 2011, has experienced rapid expansion and is now the foremost producer of tilapia in Africa, with monthly harvests of around 2200 tons in Zambia and Uganda. We propagate and cultivate tilapia in the aqueous environments of Lake Kariba and Lake Victoria, daily supplying more than seventy retail establishments in both nations with our freshly harvested produce. Production operations for Yalelo Uganda only commenced in 2019 and have since grown to include 19 onshore ponds and 48 cages on Lake Victoria. Fish harvesting and sales commenced in June 2020 and the site has the capacity to annually deliver 10,000 tons of fish.

Yalelo Uganda is recruiting a Senior Production Manager to head the Production division, including the Lake Operations, Hatchery and Laboratory departments. The Senior Production Manager must be goal-oriented and must possess a minimum of seven years of substantial experience in the production of aquaculture species or other production animals. The ideal candidate should have a solid foundation in both the theoretical and practical aspects of aquaculture. He or she should possess a strong foundation in the management of teams, strategic planning and project management and should comprehend Production SOPs and devise methods to enhance them, meet KPIs, and understand compliance with environmental, health, and safety regulations within the Production division.

Possessing a solid organizational and planning intelligence, a proficient problem-solving approach, and the ability to foster the growth of the production team while constructing and developing a group capable of delivering consistent optimal performance is key to the role of senior production manager. The incumbent must have strong leadership skills and an eye for detail, able to effectively communicate with all relevant stakeholders across the business for seamless coordination of operations. He or she must have a proven track record of managing and motivating teams to achieve production goals.

Responsibilities include:
• Overseeing the production of the tilapia fish, this includes breeding, hatchery, grow out and harvesting.
• Overseeing that the breeding schedule is executed with optimal efficiency to facilitate uninterrupted fish rearing and reproductive operations.
Comprehending the environmental seasonal fluctuations and devise strategies to adjust production accordingly to meet market demands and ensuring that there is always a constant supply of the right product to the market.
• Continuously driving optimization and efficiency within the Production team to get the best out of the biological potential of the production animal.
• Demonstrating readiness to undertake focused research investigations encompassing a wide range of topics such as fish nutrition, animal husbandry, water quality management, and fish feeds.
• Being prepared to regularly monitor quality of marketed fish, live or frozen.
• Taking ownership of a Selective Breeding Program in order to optimize on production performance over the longer term.
• Managing of Broodstock throughout their life cycle; ensuring effective selection, nutrition, conditioning and resting.
• In depth understanding of water quality monitoring, testing and systems, (dissolved oxygen, water temperature, pH, turbidity, un-ionized ammonia, etc.)
• Stocking Density assessments
• Progeny Testing/ Growth Trials
• Establishing benchmark for the grow out operations and management (FCR, Growth, Survival, DOC, etc.).
• Quickly developing an understanding of existing company standard operation procedures (SOP) and making on-going adjustments and improvements in order to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.
• Developing project feasibility studies as required for production departments.
• Preparing and reviewing of annual budgets, capital expenditures, and operating expenses for production division departments.
• Throughout the fiscal year, ensuring that all Production operations are operating in accordance with the budget and are cost-effective.
• Overseeing the implementation and enhancement of health and safety protocols and procedures within the organization, including risk assessments, training and development, incident response and prevention, standard operating procedures, and root cause analysis.
• Must be familiar with Production planning and management, using Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) and Objectives and Key Results (OKR’s) as the core basis of performance management within the Production division.
• Developing, implementing, and continually overseeing schedules for daily, weekly and monthly production planning.
• Supervising succession planning, coaching and mentoring initiatives, human capacity gap analysis, and manpower planning; manages and aids with fast track, graduate trainee, and internship management programs.

Required:
• Master of Science or Bachelor of Science Degree in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science or Animal Science.
• 7+ years of Progressive Management Experience in Aquaculture or fisheries.
• Experience in Fishery and/or Hatchery Operations.
• Extensive practical experience in fish husbandry.
• Experience of Fish Health Monitoring, identification of disease problems, treatment and prevention options and implementation of solutions.
• Must be familiar with Biosecurity Program and protocols development and implementation.
• Experience of feed stock planning, management and logistics within an extended supply chain environment critical.
• Experience in preparation and engagement process for international gold standard aquaculture certifications (e.g. Aquaculture Stewardship Council) would be a significant bonus.
• Strong experience of marine operations, including boat handling, scuba diving, free diving and understanding of variable mooring systems.
• Strong written and spoken English language.
• International driver’s license.

Preferable technical skills:
• Management of large-scale freshwater cage operation.
• Management of a large-scale hatchery that can produce 3 million fingerlings a month of around 5 grams.
• Experience in establishing and managing selective breeding programs.
• Experience with fish counting, grading & transfer equipment and processes.

Preferable management skills:
• Comfortable using the full suite of MS Office programs, but especially MS Excel to perform data analysis and MS PowerPoint to effectively present data to management and within the Production division.
• Comfortable using digital management information systems and ERP’s (e.g. AquaManager, MS Dynamics 365).
• Able to work collaboratively with other departmental managers to achieve shared goals.
• Must be able to operate transparently, learn fast and be prepared to improve with feedback.
• Must be able to continuously adapt and enhance operations ahead of changing regulations, environmental conditions, technologies and company strategy.
• Must be able to demonstrate exemplary communication skills and be prepared to regularly share relevant information across the full hierarchy in an effective manner.
• Demonstrated record of having worked with large indigenous workforces on the African continent.
• Must be able to manage Yalelo Uganda’s relationship with stakeholders and suppliers.

Additional preferable skills:
• Boat master certificate
• Strong open water swimmer
• Open water SCUBA certificate
• Be prepared to regularly work weekends and potentially non-standard hours.

Package Summary:
We will provide competitive package fit for the role.