Position Overview

The Operations Director runs GreenSM Kenya's day-to-day business, turning the launch plan into a safe, reliable and cost-efficient electric ride-hailing service across Nairobi and future cities.

Location: Nairobi, Kenya (with regular travel to other cities)

Reports to: General Manager, GreenSM Kenya

Direct reports: Fleet & Maintenance Manager, Charging Infrastructure Manager, Driver Operations Manager, Customer Service Manager, Safety & Quality Manager

Language: English (required); Swahili (strong advantage)

Purpose of the role: Build and lead the operating engine of GreenSM Kenya, covering fleet, charging, drivers, customer service and safety, so that every ride meets GreenSM's standards and the business scales profitably.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operations strategy and planning

• Design the operating model, processes and SOPs for launch and scale-up in Kenya, aligned with GreenSM's regional standards.
• Forecast demand and plan fleet, driver and charging capacity by zone and time of day.
• Prepare operating budgets and manage costs against plan, with a clear view of unit economics per vehicle and per trip.

2. Fleet and maintenance

• Manage the EV fleet lifecycle: delivery, registration, deployment, maintenance, repair, accident handling and disposal.
• Set up depots, workshops and spare-parts supply with OEMs and local service partners.
• Maximise vehicle uptime and utilisation while controlling cost per km.

3. Charging infrastructure

• Plan, build and operate charging stations and depots, including site selection, power supply, equipment and installation.
• Coordinate with Kenya Power, landlords, contractors and charging partners on capacity, tariffs and reliability.
• Optimise charging schedules to reduce downtime and electricity cost.

4. Driver operations

• Run driver recruitment, onboarding, training and certification with a focus on safety, service and EV driving practices.
• Manage driver performance, incentives, discipline and welfare programmes.
• Maintain a stable, motivated driver base, including partner-driver and fleet-owner models.

5. Service quality, customer care and safety

• Monitor trip quality, wait times, cancellations and ratings; act quickly to fix service gaps.
• Lead the customer service centre and incident, complaint and lost-property handling.
• Set and enforce safety, security and insurance standards, and lead emergency and crisis response.

6. Technology and data

• Work with the product and technology teams to localise dispatch, driver app, telematics and payment flows (e.g. M-Pesa).
• Use operational data and dashboards to drive decisions and continuous improvement.

7. Compliance and stakeholders

• Ensure operations comply with Kenyan transport, labour, tax, environmental and data protection requirements.
• Support the General Manager with the NTSA, county governments, Kenya Power, EPRA and other authorities on operational matters.
• Manage key vendors and partners and negotiate service-level agreements.

8. People and culture

• Hire, coach and develop the operations leadership team and frontline staff.
• Promote a culture of safety, accountability and customer focus, and work closely with GreenSM's head-office operations teams.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, Logistics or a related field; Master's or MBA is an advantage.

Experience

• 8+ years of operations experience, including 4+ years in a senior leadership role managing large, field-based teams.
• Background in ride-hailing, mobility, fleet management, logistics, automotive or another high-volume, service-driven operation.
• Experience launching or scaling operations in a new market is strongly preferred.
• Hands-on knowledge of EVs, charging infrastructure and fleet maintenance is a strong advantage.
• Good understanding of Kenya's transport sector, labour environment and regulatory framework.

Skills and attributes

• Strong operational discipline, process design and problem-solving skills.
• Data-driven, comfortable with KPIs, dashboards and cost analysis.
• Proven leadership: able to coach managers, motivate frontline teams and handle drivers and unions constructively.
• Strong vendor management and negotiation skills.
• Calm and decisive under pressure, including during incidents and service disruptions.
• Fluent in English; Swahili preferred. Comfortable working with a multicultural, cross-border team.
• Commitment to safety, integrity and sustainability.
• Willingness to work flexible hours and travel within Kenya and to head-office locations when needed.

Key Performance Indicators

• Fleet: Vehicle uptime, fleet utilisation, maintenance cost per km, accident rate
• Charging: Charger availability, average charging time, electricity cost per km
• Drivers: Active drivers, retention, training completion, driver satisfaction
• Service quality: Average wait time, cancellation rate, app rating, complaint resolution time
• Safety and compliance: Incident rate, audit results, licence and insurance compliance
• Cost and efficiency: Operating cost per trip, budget variance, vendor SLA performance
• People: Key operations hires filled on time, team retention, engagement scores

What We Offer

• A senior leadership role in the launch of a pioneering green mobility brand in East Africa.
• Health insurance, relocation or housing support where applicable, and international career development.
• Opportunity to work with GreenSM's regional and global operations teams.

• Design the operating model, processes and SOPs for launch and scale-up in Kenya, aligned with GreenSM's regional standards.
• Forecast demand and plan fleet, driver and charging capacity by zone and time of day.
• Prepare operating budgets and manage costs against plan, with a clear view of unit economics per vehicle and per trip.
• Manage the EV fleet lifecycle: delivery, registration, deployment, maintenance, repair, accident handling and disposal.
• Set up depots, workshops and spare-parts supply with OEMs and local service partners.
• Maximise vehicle uptime and utilisation while controlling cost per km.
• Plan, build and operate charging stations and depots, including site selection, power supply, equipment and installation.
• Coordinate with Kenya Power, landlords, contractors and charging partners on capacity, tariffs and reliability.
• Optimise charging schedules to reduce downtime and electricity cost.
• Run driver recruitment, onboarding, training and certification with a focus on safety, service and EV driving practices.
• Manage driver performance, incentives, discipline and welfare programmes.
• Maintain a stable, motivated driver base, including partner-driver and fleet-owner models.
• Monitor trip quality, wait times, cancellations and ratings; act quickly to fix service gaps.
• Lead the customer service centre and incident, complaint and lost-property handling.
• Set and enforce safety, security and insurance standards, and lead emergency and crisis response.
• Work with the product and technology teams to localise dispatch, driver app, telematics and payment flows (e.g. M-Pesa).
• Use operational data and dashboards to drive decisions and continuous improvement.
• Ensure operations comply with Kenyan transport, labour, tax, environmental and data protection requirements.
• Support the General Manager with the NTSA, county governments, Kenya Power, EPRA and other authorities on operational matters.
• Manage key vendors and partners and negotiate service-level agreements.
• Hire, coach and develop the operations leadership team and frontline staff.
• Promote a culture of safety, accountability and customer focus, and work closely with GreenSM's head-office operations teams.

• Strong operational discipline, process design and problem-solving skills
• Data-driven, comfortable with KPIs, dashboards and cost analysis
• Proven leadership: able to coach managers, motivate frontline teams and handle drivers and unions constructively
• Strong vendor management and negotiation skills
• Calm and decisive under pressure, including during incidents and service disruptions
• Fluent in English; Swahili preferred
• Comfortable working with a multicultural, cross-border team
• Commitment to safety, integrity and sustainability
• Willingness to work flexible hours and travel within Kenya and to head-office locations when needed
• Hands-on knowledge of EVs, charging infrastructure and fleet maintenance is a strong advantage
• Good understanding of Kenya's transport sector, labour environment and regulatory framework

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, Logistics or a related field
• Master's or MBA is an advantage
• Background in ride-hailing, mobility, fleet management, logistics, automotive or another high-volume, service-driven operation
• Experience launching or scaling operations in a new market is strongly preferred