The posting
Job description
Title: Area Operations Officer Location: Field-based, Murang’a County Reports to: Regional Coordinator, Decentralized Operations
About the roleFood for Education (F4E) feeds over 500,000 children across Kenya every school day, and we're scaling to one million meals a day. That growth only happens because people show up in the field every day with ownership. As an Area Operations Officer, you are the operational backbone of 5–8 production sites (kitchens) in your area. Each site comprises 2-3 Kitchen Officers (cooks) and 1-2 servers. You're not a supervisor passing down instructions, you're the person who makes sure every kitchen under your watch runs safely, efficiently, and to standard. You know your sites better than anyone: their performance, their challenges, their opportunities. You bring solutions, not just reports. This is a field-based role. You'll visit 1-2 sites each day - you’re on the ground, in the kitchens, with the teams.
Our Values
At Food for Education, our values are guiding principles that provide us with purpose and direction and set the tone for our interactions with all stakeholders:
- Build with excellence and curiosity - We’re not afraid to try new things and iterate as much as we can to find the best and most efficient way to get results;
- Be the change you seek - We acknowledge that continuous improvement is a shared responsibility;
- We do what we say; and say what we do - We embrace an ownership mentality;
- Ask why; and commit- Share openly and question respectfully and commit fully. When we understand the why, we are able to work with a purpose.
Your Mandate
Site Operations & Standards
- Conduct structured audits of your sites, ensuring compliance with F4E's SOPs, food safety policies, and operational standards.
- Train kitchen staff on SOPs and communicate policy updates — you're the bridge between the service centre and the sites.
- Ensure every site has what it needs to operate: stock, PPE, equipment, and supplies are • Validate stock takes twice a month at every site you oversee.
Financial Oversight
- Own your understanding of cost-per-meal (CPM) variance across all your sites. You are the person who knows why costs moved, and you surface both concerns and opportunities to your manager.
- Support billing processes in partnership with your Regional Coordinator and the finance team.
- Drive timely procurement: 90% of orders submitted on time, every cycle.
Data, Reporting & Analysis
- Track, synthesize, and report on performance trends at the school and kitchen level.
- Respond to data requests from the service centre with accuracy and speed.
- Own yield variance analysis — understand the drivers, flag anomalies, and recommend corrective action.
Capacity & Growth
- Understand your site’s capacity: you know when sites are over- or under-utilized and proactively bring that intelligence to your manager.
Stakeholder Management
- Build and maintain relationships with other field teams and school leadership in your area. This includes occasional check-ins with the schools you serve to learn about how you and your team can improve the experience.
- Coordinate and host site visits for F4E staff and donors.
Facility Maintenance
- Own 100% reporting and escalation of facility maintenance issues; nothing is left unreported, nothing is someone else's problem.
Who You Are
- You have experience in operations, field management, or program delivery, ideally in food systems, health, or a service organization.
- You're comfortable spending your days in the field. You don't manage from a desk.
- You're analytically strong. You can read data, spot a trend, and explain the 'so what' clearly.
- You hold yourself and others to high standards. You don't wait to be asked to escalate a problem.
- You build genuine relationships with community stakeholders, local officials, and school leaders.
- You communicate clearly, upward and downward, and you know the difference between information and insight.
Core Competencies:
- Technical: Program Implementation Data Literacy & Reporting Budgeting & Financial Management Quality Assurance Logistics & Field Coordination Stakeholder & Community Engagement Risk Assessment & Management Digital tools & data collection Capacity building & training Project/activity management
- Soft Skills & Behavioral: Communication Problem Solving & Adaptability Independence & Proactivity Attention to Detail Partnership Coordination Planning & Coordination Compliance & Ethics Ownership & Accountability
We are an equal-opportunity employer
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, colour, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.
Career Growth and Development We have a strong culture of constant learning, and we invest in developing our people. You will have check-ins with your manager and receive regular performance feedback. We hold 360 reviews every six months and set aside time to discuss your aspirations and career goals. You will have the opportunity to shape a growing organization and build a rewarding, long-term career.
