The posting
Job description
Location: Assigned Region within Kenya Department: Operations Reports To: Leader of Mature Markets Direct Reports: Area Supervisors (0-5) across the assigned region Job Type: Fixed-term contract Working Model: On-site Travel Requirements: Expected to travel to assigned field sites, kitchens, and operational locations.
About Food4Education Hungry kids can’t learn or grow.
Food4Education is an award-winning, locally rooted, and African-led solution to end classroom hunger. Building on more than a decade of learning by doing, we’re powering a new school feeding industry and sharing our blueprint to scale sustainable, nutritious, and affordable school feeding programs across Africa.
Today, we serve over 700,000 kids DAILY in Kenya. But every day, we deliver more than a meal – improving nutrition and education outcomes for children while also creating jobs and opportunities for whole communities. We are an experienced and trusted non-profit partner that operates with the excellence of a global business, reinvesting the value we create into local economies.
To learn more, please visit www.food4education.org
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.
About the Role What if you could take an entire Food for Education region and turn it into an efficient, safe, high-performing operation that serves thousands of learners every day? As a Regional Manager, you will lead the operations of an entire Food for Education region, turning strategy into results and building the teams, systems and operating discipline needed to deliver at scale. You will own the regional income statement, driving cost per meal, utilisation and operational performance across kitchens and schools. Working through Area Supervisors, you will set clear priorities, solve challenges and build a region that consistently delivers safe, efficient and high-quality service. Scope
- Own one assigned region, including its kitchens, schools and Area Supervisors.
- Drive performance across Cost, Production, Delivery, Consumption, Experience, Safety and Controls.
- Translate mature-market priorities into clear regional targets, plans and accountability.
- Partner with the Frontier Markets team during pre-launch and launch, taking full ownership once the region becomes operational.
- Build a safe, disciplined and high-performing operation that can sustain growth at scale.
This is a high-impact leadership role for someone who thrives on ownership, operational excellence and the opportunity to shape how an entire region performs.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Translate F4E's mature-markets priorities into a regional plan with clear targets, initiatives, owners and milestones across all seven performance domains.
- Own the regional income statement, cost per meal, utilisation and cross-functional cost lines, analyse variance across areas and drive recovery through named interventions.
- Own Production, Delivery, Consumption and Experience performance across the region; identify root causes of variation and coordinate Area Supervisor response.
- Maintain Safety and Control standards; ensure critical risks are escalated promptly, and corrective actions are closed with evidence.
- Coordinate support-function commitments, i.e., Government Relations, Supply Chain, Logistics, FS&Q, and others, and resolve constraints beyond Area Supervisor authority.
- Coach Area Supervisors, manage their performance, and build credible succession coverage.
- Provide clear and timely regional reporting to senior operations leadership and follow through on escalation decisions and stakeholder commitments.
- Partner with the Frontier Markets team during regional launch to ensure a successful transition, assuming full performance accountability once the region becomes operational.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS Education:
- University degree or equivalent
Experience:
- 4+ Years of demonstrated experience owning a multi-site Profit and Loss (P&L) in a high-volume operations environment, distribution or comparable.
- Track record of translating organisational strategy into area-level delivery plans with measurable outcomes.
- Experience managing managers across geographically dispersed teams, coordinating multiple support functions and driving performance improvement across cost, service and safety simultaneously.
- Familiarity with the Kenyan operating environment and government or stakeholder engagement is an added advantage.
What Success Looks Like
- The regional income statement is on plan (budget variance within the approved allocation).
- Cost per meal improves, and the gap between areas narrows through named interventions
- Utilisation is strong across the region (tapping above 85%, 90% at portfolio level).
- Safety holds everywhere (food safety 100% pass, zero tolerance).
- Every Area Supervisor knows their targets and owners, and milestones land on time (plan submitted at 100%).
- Your Area Supervisors grow, with reviews on cadence and succession cover in place.
- When an Area Supervisor is blocked, you work with Logistics, Supply Chain, FS&Q, Facilities, Finance or People until it is resolved
- Senior leadership hears about performance from you first.
- A new region runs with full accountability from day one.
What is in it for you? We have a strong culture of constant learning, and we invest in developing our people. You will have weekly check-ins with your manager and regular feedback on your performance. We hold career 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.
Join Us To apply, please submit your updated CV and answer the application questions listed. All applicants will receive communication on the outcome of their application, regardless of outcome. We are committed to building an inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives are valued and people are supported to do their best work. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and lived experiences and make employment decisions based on merit, potential, and alignment with our values.
