Field Operations Regional Manager at PULA

At Pula, we are radically restructuring agricultural insurance, using technology to insure the previously unbanked, uninsured, untapped market of 1.5 billion smallholders worldwide.

We work in over 14 countries across Africa and Asia, and by 2021, we have facilitated crop insurance cover to over 4.7 million farmers across Kenya, India, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Zambia, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Malawi. Since raising our Series A our operations have expanded globally including now Asia and Latin America.

Pula is fast-paced, constantly adapting to new opportunities and challenges. We are a high-performance, multi-cultural team. We expect our team to value performance, results and professionalism.

At Pula, our ways of working are informed by our Pula DNA, our culture. The Pula DNA is represented in four pillars as indicated below:

• Obsessed with results: We are responsible for our future and therefore we get things done!
• Connect the Dots: We continuously identify different customer needs & business problems and build solutions that deliver value.
• Have a Can do Attitude! We dare to do things differently to make things work.
• We have each others’ back: We look out for each other & we share high quality, timely feedback that makes us better.

We have been funded by venture capital investors (TLCom, Women’s World Banking, African Risk Capacity, Omidyar Network, ACCION, MercyCorps) and global NGOs (African Development Bank, MasterCard Foundation, CGAP/World Bank as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation).

Project Description

Every year, Pula runs a series of operational activities including farmer sensitization campaigns, training of clients and Crop Cut Experiments (a survey designed to measure the yield of different crops). The Regional Manager will be responsible for assisting the Operations Lead in overseeing and executing all the operational activities within the country

What you will be doing: 

Under the direct supervision of the Operations Lead, The Regional Manager shall provide full support to the Operations Lead and field team with all necessary project activities to ensure maximum efficiency on the ground. The ideal candidate learns quickly, is resourceful and has experience managing teams and running a field project. The Regional Manager will be expected to conduct  following  tasks including and beyond:

• Participate in enumerator  recruitment, select, assign, schedule, coach, counsel and discipline employees.
• Assisting in Conducting Regional Manager and Enumerator/Agent Training.
• Assisting in managing and running Regional Manager meetings.
• Compiling Staff Headcount
• Management of field enumerators
• Conducting enumerator Training.
• Assisting in  client training/Mobilization/workshops
• Management  and support for  crop cut exercises.
• Management support for  yield index insurance payouts, if necessary.
• Data collection and data management: that is, refining the study design and survey instruments, overseeing and monitoring data collection exercises using the Business Intelligence dashboard and assisting with data quality queries.
• Coordinating with client field staff and insurance auditors.
• Escalating issues experienced in the field.
• Help to go to the field to diagnose issues when required.
• Help set project budgets, Recordkeeping for expenses and reconciliation against the budget for each project.
• Help with internal data audits when required
• Handling and resolving customer complaints from farmers and stakeholders as needed
• Assisting in product launches when required.
• Identify good performers, and transparently and honestly reports on non-performing staff.
• Clear and consistent communication up and down the reporting lines.
• Any other duties as requested by management

Who you are: 

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE AND KEY COMPETENCIES

• A BSc degree in  Project Management, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness or a degree in Business/ management related field.
•  Experience with (2 years) and proven skills in working with clients, project teams, farmers, field teams and agro dealers.
•  Experience in data collection and data management.
• Skills to interact with clients, farmers, field teams and agro dealers.
• Ability to work independently in a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional, and multicultural environment
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Intermediate Excel skills is an added advantage

Some more expectations:

• Our team is deeply field based. We hire from the areas that we are working, rather than focusing on hiring only from capital cities or major metropolitan areas.
• The individuals best suited for these positions are those who are comfortable speaking in relevant local languages and moving around rural areas.
• Everyone needs to be able to work “on the go”: staff are expected to call into conference calls multiple times a week, and to submit communications on email and other mediums throughout the week. While it is difficult to keep a phone and other devices charged while working in rural areas, the best employees plan their movements well enough to ensure being in contact at the right times