Country Head

Job Purpose

• The Country Head will be responsible for leading the operations with full accountability for business performance, manufacturing excellence, statutory compliance, organizational capability and long-term growth. The role will drive profitable growth across the Africa, Middle East & Turkey (AMET), Europe and Americas region while building a high-performing organization anchored on safety, quality, operational excellence and customer centricity.

Company Background

• Leading Specialty Chemicals manufacturing company

Key Responsibilities

Business & P&L Leadership

• Own the overall P&L of the company, delivering sustainable revenue growth, profitability, cash flow and return on capital employed.
• Develop and execute the country strategy aligned with company’s global business objectives.
• Drive business growth while balancing commercial priorities, operational excellence and long-term sustainability.
• Lead annual business planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance reviews.

Customer & Market Leadership

• Lead the largest regional business across Africa, Middle East & Turkey while driving growth agenda of exports to over 80 countries (including Europe, Americas).
• Build and manage strategic relationships with key customers and channel partners.
• Drive market expansion through organic growth, new customer acquisition, new product commercialization, and entry into adjacent markets.
• Develop deep understanding of customer needs, competitive dynamics, and regional market opportunities.

Profitability and Competitiveness

• Lead manufacturing operations to achieve world-class standards in safety, quality, productivity, reliability and cost competitiveness.
• Optimize capacity utilization, yields, conversion efficiency, utility consumption, inventory, manpower productivity & overall manufacturing costs.
• Drive continuous improvement through TPM, Lean, automation & operational excellence initiatives.
• Ensure efficient procurement, planning, logistics, maintenance & quality management.

Statutory and Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with statutory, environmental, health, safety, Free Zone, Customs, GAFI, and other applicable regulations.
• Institutionalize robust safety and quality systems while fostering a culture of compliance and continuous improvement.
• Ensure implementation and sustainability of ISO, TPM, DuPont safety and other operational management systems.

Capital Projects & Business Growth

• Lead capacity expansion, capital investment and strategic improvement projects.
• Deliver projects safely, on time, within budget and aligned with business objectives.

Organization & Leadership Development

• Build a high-performing organization through talent development, succession planning, capability building, and leadership development.
• Establish effective performance management systems, KRAs/KPIs and regular performance reviews.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, safety and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder Management

• Build strong relationships with the Board, regional leadership, government authorities, regulators, customers, industry bodies, suppliers, and other external stakeholders.
• Represent the company to strengthen its reputation and support long-term business growth in the regions.

Functional Competencies

• Strong commercial acumen with demonstrated P&L management capability.
• Strategic business planning, budgeting, forecasting and financial management.
• Strong understanding of continuous and batch chemical manufacturing operations.
• Expertise in manufacturing, maintenance, engineering, quality, EHS and supply chain management.
• Knowledge of chemical processes, process safety, automation (PLC/DCS), and operational excellence methodologies including TPM.
• Working knowledge of SAP/ERP systems.
• Experience implementing and sustaining Quality, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems (ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 or equivalent).
• Experience managing capital projects and capacity expansion initiatives.
• Ability to build relationships with government authorities, customers, suppliers and strategic partners.
• Sound understanding of commercial, finance, logistics, procurement and supply chain functions.

Behavioral Competencies

• Global business perspective with strong commercial orientation.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into execution.
• Strong business judgment and sound decision-making ability.
• Proven leadership in building high-performing teams and developing future leaders.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills across customers, regulators and government authorities.
• Strong cross-cultural leadership capability with the adaptability to work effectively in diverse environments.
• High resilience, adaptability, and ability to operate in ambiguity.
• Collaborative leadership style with strong execution discipline and accountability.
• Passion for operational excellence, continuous improvement and innovation.
• High integrity, perseverance and commitment to organizational values.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering.
• MBA in Operations Management or Business Management preferred.
• 15–20 years of leadership experience in multinational or reputed manufacturing organizations within chemicals, specialty chemicals, fertilizers, or related process industries.
• Age: 45–53 years.
• International business exposure and experience working with global stakeholders preferred.