Operations Support Manager, Africa

Position/Employment type:

Operations Support Manager, Africa / Permanent Employee

Organization/Reporting line:

GardaWorld International/ Reporting directly to the Director, Operations- Africa 

Place of work/Travel:

Africa / with regular travel to country areas of operation 

Contact and Cooperation:

Internally: Company-wide and working with Country HSOs and their full teams, Legal, Finance, HR, Travel Manager, BD and Country Senior Leadership.

Externally: Clients, Government agencies, Security Companies, Unions, Third party security vendors, travel providers, third party suppliers and other providers as and when required.

Job Summary:

The Operations Support Manager, Africa plays a crucial role in the security business by serving as the interface between the Director Operations, Africa and the Country HSOs and their respective security departments. Their primary responsibility is to ensure compliance with company policies and procedures, oversee operations compliance, manage and oversee guard rostering, and ensure effective manpower planning. Additionally, the Operations Support Manager is responsible for ensuring the systems and processes of the business are working efficiently and for establishing and maintaining excellent service delivery across all countries of operation.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Support the Director Operations, Africa to manage the Security Solutions Business Unit commercially and operationally to deliver exceptional value to our clients through the advancement of intelligent/smart security solutions with a clear focus on service delivery and customer support, by ensuring the operational team remains accountable to deliver operational excellence. 
2. Collaborate with the Director Operations, Africa and the Country HSOs to ensure operational compliance with company standards and client requirements. Administrate and implement standardized operating procedures to streamline operations and enhance efficiency;
3. Monitor operational performance metrics and provide recommendations for improvement.
4. Manage Labour efficiency across the business and ensure all countries remain within their outlined labour targets;
5. Support the workforce management process and ensure in country and regional compliance through tracking of metrics and supervising process monitoring systems. Oversee the guard rostering process to ensure adequate coverage and optimal resource allocation in all countries. Collaborate with country HSOs to develop and maintain manpower planning strategies based on client demands and business requirements. Regularly review and analyze manpower data to identify potential gaps or areas of improvement.
6. Be the interface between operations and Compliance and Assurance to include, but not limited to ensuring the resolution of SIRs within GWSA timelines, monitoring compliance and HSE CAPs remain on track and close out within the prescribed timeframe, supervising BMS adherence and working with country HSOs to ensure preparation for external and internal audits and subsequent close out of all audit trackers; 
7. Ensure compliance with company policies, regulations, and industry standards across all countries. Conduct regular audits and inspections both remotely and in person to identify any non-compliance issues to the BMS and implement corrective actions;
8. Provide guidance and support to the Country HSOs in addressing compliance-related challenges.
9. Evaluate the effectiveness of existing systems and processes and identify opportunities for enhancement. Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to design and suggest improvements to streamline operations and increase productivity. Ensure proper training and implementation of new systems and processes across all countries.
10. Work with the Operations Assistant, Africa to ensure all Africa trackers and metrics remain updated and produced within outlined time frames; 
11. Monitor and report any non-adherence of in country leave plans; 
12. Assist in maintaining a culture of service excellence across all countries. Collaborate with the Country HSOs to implement service improvement initiatives. Monitor and evaluate service delivery performance and develop

action plans to address any gaps or issues. Develop organisational arrangements, systems and processes to enable the efficient and effective deployment of resources in line with business QA and growth requirements. Supervise adherence to BMS processes and enforcing company SOPs;

13. Preparation of accurate monthly operational reports.
14. Compliance with operational processes; ensure business operational strategies and initiatives are implemented across all operational areas in a timely and cost-effective manner.
15. Act as a regional escalation and coordination point on behalf of the Director Operations, Africa, supporting continuity of operations and follow-up on priority actions across countries.
16. Provide senior operational support to the Director Operations, Africa in the planning, coordination, and execution of regional operational priorities and initiatives.
17. Support and coordinate regional and in-country operational projects, including system implementations, process improvements, contract mobilisations and demobilisations, audit remediation programmes, and adhoc operational assignments.
18. Provide oversight of regional operational action plans, trackers, and project milestones, ensuring accountability, prioritisation, accurate reporting, and timely closure.
19. Support operational readiness for new contracts, service expansions, and operational changes, ensuring alignment across manpower, compliance, systems, and service delivery requirements.
20. Support the identification and management of regional operational risks, escalating material issues and supporting mitigation actions in collaboration with Country HSOs.
21. Provide mentoring and structured operational support to Country HSOs and operational teams to strengthen capability, consistency, and performance across the region.

Principal Outputs of this Role:

1. Formulation and effective implementation of Business Strategies  
2. Efficient management of business unit and overall business profitability
3. Operations efficiency and cost reduction in accordance with the set parameter
4. Overseeing continued entrenchment of smart and intelligent technology in our operation’s service provision across the country. Achieve operational excellence by building a quality, cost driven business unit.
5. Highly motivated operations staff with clear roles and responsibilities within the Business Unit.
6. Continuity and effective coordination of regional operations through structured escalation and oversight.
7. Effective delivery of regional and in-country operational projects in line with business and compliance requirements.
8. Strong governance and timely closure of regional operational action plans and priorities.
9. Operational readiness for new contracts, service expansions, and operational changes across the Business Unit.
10. Proactive identification and mitigation of regional operational risks to support service continuity xi.           Strengthened country operations through consistent mentoring, guidance, and operational support.

Authority:

Refer to GWSA Security Authority Matrix.

Accountability:

The Operations Support Manager, Africa is accountable to the the Director, Operations- Africa for their responsibilities stated in this job description. These responsibilities will be monitored and managed through the mid-year and annual performance reviews and supported through the monitoring of their KPIs.

Competencies:

• Energetic with a deep understanding of GardaWorld operations processes, ability to motivate teams to produce quality output within strict timeframes;

• Attention to detail and meticulous focus as well as consistency of effort.
• Strong working ability of PowerPoint and the ability to succinctly and clearly convert ideas into presentations.
• Logical thinker, ability to see the big picture and assist in the implementation of strategies for the company and contribute to achievement of the company’s overall operational objectives;
• Demonstrate ability to support large teams and provide others with clear direction and interpret and track measurable and achievable goals;
• Enthusiastic, results oriented with excellent communication and presentation skills
• Influential with an ability to work and interact with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Commitment to results, customer focused and goal driven;
• Ability to work unsupervised and be self-motivating;
• Ability to, support and develop talent within the immediate Operations department; and
• High moral standing with impeccable integrity.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in business administration, Operations Management or a related field;
• Proven experience in operations administration management, in the security industry, preferably in a GardaWorld environment. 
• Minimum five (5) years’ Security service experience with at least 3 years in an administrative operational support position in the commercial security service industry or commensurate military experience;
• Strong knowledge of compliance regulations and industry standards.
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong leadership abilities and experience in managing teams.
• Proficiency in using relevant software and systems for operations management.
• Proficiency in ICT and MSN Excel and PowerPoint.