Description

The board believes that the company has a stronger growth potential than its current trajectory. It attributes underperformance to a lack of strong African presence of its leadership team, overly transactional branding, and a scattered focus on low-hanging opportunities. The board seeks stronger structure, execution discipline, and a profitability-driven approach.

The incoming General Manager will be tasked with leading the company into a new operational phase on the ground in Kenya. This is not a role for a strategist alone-the priority is execution. The business plan is in place; the focus is now on performance delivery, commercial discipline, and building a scalable, efficient operating model.

The successful candidate will be empowered to assist to optimise operations on the ground, instil commercial accountability, and improve project velocity from investment committee approval through to COD and revenue generation.

Strategic Priorities for the First 12-18 Months

• Operationalize the Platform:

Reporting to the CEO, this role will provide on the ground management to the Kenyan team, while working with the rest of the management team to ensure commercial and operational project viability.

• Drive Project Profitability:

Focus on ensuring opportunities are converted into realities - that they pass quickly through Investment Committee stage, reach COD efficiently, and begin generating revenue through following disciplined financial and operational processes.

• Market and Portfolio Focus:

Shift from opportunistic deal-making to a more focused, market-specific strategy with deeper execution capability in fewer, high-impact geographies.

• Investor Confidence and Governance:

Maintain active, transparent communication with the board and funding partners. Reinforce confidence through visible progress on financial performance and project deployment.

Key Technical Competencies

• Energy Sector Expertise: Deep familiarity with late-stage development, financing, and construction of similar infrastructure projects.
• Project Finance Acumen: Proven ability to structure and raise debt and equity for infrastructure projects, manage investment committee processes, and ensure robust financial modelling and compliance.
• Execution Leadership: A track record of turning underperforming businesses or portfolios into disciplined, high-performing operations. Demonstrable ability to deliver results in complex, emerging market environments.

Leadership & Organisational Capabilities

• Change Leadership:

Strong presence and clarity of purpose. Able to galvanize a distributed team and instil a culture of delivery, accountability, and professionalism.

• Commercial and Operational Insight:

Ability to identify and leverage commercial and operational levers, rationalize overheads, and deliver value across project and corporate levels.

• Board Engagement:

Skilled at reporting, influencing, and partnering with investment boards, LPs, and strategic stakeholders.

• Emerging Markets Savvy:

Experience navigating regulatory, financial, and operational complexities in African jurisdictions.

Candidate Profile

• Previous operational leadership in a PE/impact-backed venture organisation with a track record of delivering growth, or

• Previous experience in driving commercial and operational excellence in a similar environment.

• Comfortable with ambiguity, complexity, and scale-up dynamics.

• Experience in reporting to and working with European DFi's