Production Manager – Regional Aggregation Centers (RACs) job at True North Consult Ltd

Position Description

Job Title: Production Manager – Regional Aggregation Centers (RACs)

Reports To: Initially to the CEO (transition phase)/ Director Technical Operations (long term)

Supervises:

• Direct Indirect
• • RAC Coordinators / Site Managers
• • Production Data & Analytics Officer(s)
• • RAC support and community training staff
• • International Operations & Maintenance (O&M) partner teams (transition/handover phase)

Interacts/Interfaces with:

• Internal External
• • Director Technical Operations
• • Finance & Investment team
• • Data, M&E and Analytics team
• • Trade & Export team
• • Other departments
• • MAAIF, Ministry of Trade and other government MDAs
• • Agricultural extension officers (regional & district level)
• • NGOs supporting farmers and production
• • Political and business leaders in each region
• • International partner companies (RAC set-up, training, O&M)
• • Commodity traders, buyers and export markets
• • Trade/export standards and certification bodies
• • Farmers, community and regional leaders

Job Purpose

• Lead the establishment, coordination and management of Uganda’s 18 Regional Aggregation Centers (RACs), closing the gap between farm-level supply and secured market demand.
• Build and maintain a national production-intelligence and analytics capability – covering production data, infrastructure and extension-service mapping – to guide Organization’s regional aggregation strategy and to support Organisation’s trade house initiative

Responsibilities /Key Deliverables

Production Planning & Data Analytics

• Maintain a national database of relevant government and partner infrastructure – border storage facilities, warehousing, testing and assessment facilities, and underutilized transport assets (motorbikes, vehicles) within MAAIF, the Ministry of Trade and other MDAs/government projects – for use across the 18 RACs.
• Build and maintain farmer production data across Uganda’s 18 production zones; analyze the data and professionally advise the Organization on regional production decisions.

Stakeholder & Government Coordination

• Maintain records of agricultural extension officers and their postings nationwide; map available MDA skills at regional and district level; engage NGOs supporting farmers; and track PDM data and related/supported products.
• Convene regional and sector-based stakeholder meetings to agree guidelines on priority crops and animal products for each RAC.
• Engage the political and business leadership in each region; train and equip them to support the RACs.
• Strengthen linkages between farmers, government structures, NGOs, traders and export markets to grow the volume, reliability and quality of commodities aggregated through the RACs.

Commodity Trading & Finance

• Apply knowledge of the commodities industry (including warehouse receipt systems) and of commodity trading and finance to raise funds for RAC operations and apply financial and technological tools to grow the RACs.

Trade, Export & Logistics

• Apply knowledge of trade and export systems, standards and certification (regionally and internationally) to ensure RAC produce consistently meets buyer and export requirements.
• Manage transport, logistics and export supply-chain timelines, using the RACs as primary points of supply to fulfil global buyer demand efficiently.

RAC Operations & Capacity Building

• Drive the progressive transfer of RAC operations and maintenance (O&M) from international partners to local capacity, in support of organization’s target of 1 million jobs and a national production data and analytics platform by 2031.
• Lead the set-up, training, operation and maintenance (O&M) of RACs, including with international partners where engaged, and progressively build local capacity for takeover.
• Support the training and development of farmers, community leaders and regional leaders, in pursuit of Organization’s target of 1 million jobs and a national production data and analytics platform by 2031.

Governance & Reporting

• Report directly to the CEO on RAC performance, production data and analytics, and operational risk, through agreed regular reporting and review sessions.
• Operate within delegated decision-making authority for day-to-day RAC operations, escalating budget, partnership and policy matters beyond approved thresholds to the CEO.
• Undertake any other assignment as may be required.

Key Performance Indicators

• Number and percentage of the 18 planned RACs operational and meeting agreed production/throughput targets.
• Volume and value of commodities aggregated through the RACs against secured market/order demand.
• Completeness and accuracy of the national production, infrastructure and extension-service database across the 18 production zones.
• Number of farmers, leaders and community members trained, onboarded and actively engaged through the RACs.
• Progress against the agreed plan for localizing RAC operations and maintenance from international partners.
• Export volumes and compliance achieved against trade, standards and certification requirements.
• Timeliness, accuracy and quality of performance and analytics reporting to the CEO.

Financial Responsibility

• Accountable for the RAC program’s operating plan and budget.
• Responsible for mobilizing and managing funds required for RAC set-up and operations, in line with approved budgets and Organisation’s financial policies.

Person Specification

Education & Training

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in business administration, Finance, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics or a related field.
• Investment, finance or commodity-trading qualification, or equivalent professional training, is an added advantage.

Skills & Experience

• 10 years of work experience in agribusiness value chain management, commodity trading, supply chain/logistics management or large-scale, multi-site operations management.
• Demonstrated experience with commodities, data collection, trading, analysis and presentation for executive decision-making.
• Knowledge of Uganda’s 18 production zones, product distribution, and the ability to gather, build and analyze farmers’ production data.
• Knowledge of government and partner infrastructure – storage, warehousing, testing and assessment facilities, and transport assets – across MAAIF, the Ministry of Trade and other MDAs.
• Knowledge of agricultural extension structures, MDA capacity at regional/district level, the NGO landscape supporting farmers, and PDM related programs and products.
• Knowledge of the commodities industry (including warehouse receipt systems) and of commodity trading and finance, including raising funds for operations.
• Knowledge of trade and export systems, standards and certification, regionally and internationally.

Core Competences

• Strategic & Operations Leadership
• Production Planning & Agribusiness Acumen
• Commodity Trading & Finance
• Data Management & Analytics
• Stakeholder & Government Relations
• Trade, Export & Regulatory Compliance
• Logistics & Supply Chain Management
• Capacity Building & Training
• Decision-Making & Accountability
• Negotiation & influencing

• Maintain a national database of relevant government and partner infrastructure – border storage facilities, warehousing, testing and assessment facilities, and underutilized transport assets (motorbikes, vehicles) within MAAIF, the Ministry of Trade and other MDAs/government projects – for use across the 18 RACs.
• Build and maintain farmer production data across Uganda’s 18 production zones; analyze the data and professionally advise the Organization on regional production decisions.
• Maintain records of agricultural extension officers and their postings nationwide; map available MDA skills at regional and district level; engage NGOs supporting farmers; and track PDM data and related/supported products.
• Convene regional and sector-based stakeholder meetings to agree guidelines on priority crops and animal products for each RAC.
• Engage the political and business leadership in each region; train and equip them to support the RACs.
• Strengthen linkages between farmers, government structures, NGOs, traders and export markets to grow the volume, reliability and quality of commodities aggregated through the RACs.
• Apply knowledge of the commodities industry (including warehouse receipt systems) and of commodity trading and finance to raise funds for RAC operations and apply financial and technological tools to grow the RACs.
• Apply knowledge of trade and export systems, standards and certification (regionally and internationally) to ensure RAC produce consistently meets buyer and export requirements.
• Manage transport, logistics and export supply-chain timelines, using the RACs as primary points of supply to fulfil global buyer demand efficiently.
• Drive the progressive transfer of RAC operations and maintenance (O&M) from international partners to local capacity, in support of organization’s target of 1 million jobs and a national production data and analytics platform by 2031.
• Lead the set-up, training, operation and maintenance (O&M) of RACs, including with international partners where engaged, and progressively build local capacity for takeover.
• Support the training and development of farmers, community leaders and regional leaders, in pursuit of Organization’s target of 1 million jobs and a national production data and analytics platform by 2031.
• Report directly to the CEO on RAC performance, production data and analytics, and operational risk, through agreed regular reporting and review sessions.
• Operate within delegated decision-making authority for day-to-day RAC operations, escalating budget, partnership and policy matters beyond approved thresholds to the CEO.
• Undertake any other assignment as may be required.

• Demonstrated experience with commodities, data collection, trading, analysis and presentation for executive decision-making.
• Knowledge of Uganda’s 18 production zones, product distribution, and the ability to gather, build and analyze farmers’ production data.
• Knowledge of government and partner infrastructure – storage, warehousing, testing and assessment facilities, and transport assets – across MAAIF, the Ministry of Trade and other MDAs.
• Knowledge of agricultural extension structures, MDA capacity at regional/district level, the NGO landscape supporting farmers, and PDM related programs and products.
• Knowledge of the commodities industry (including warehouse receipt systems) and of commodity trading and finance, including raising funds for operations.
• Knowledge of trade and export systems, standards and certification, regionally and internationally.
• Strategic & Operations Leadership
• Production Planning & Agribusiness Acumen
• Commodity Trading & Finance
• Data Management & Analytics
• Stakeholder & Government Relations
• Trade, Export & Regulatory Compliance
• Logistics & Supply Chain Management
• Capacity Building & Training
• Decision-Making & Accountability
• Negotiation & influencing

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in business administration, Finance, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics or a related field.
• Investment, finance or commodity-trading qualification, or equivalent professional training, is an added advantage.