Operations Manager

Operations Manager - Nasaru Naturals (Shompole, Kenya)

On-site full-time | High-performance role

Background

Nasaru Naturals is pioneering the world's first carbon negative spirulina farm at origin - building in one of the Earth's most naturally alkaline and nutrient-rich ecosystems. Our innovative production method produces spirulina below the global cost, using sunlight, natural alkalinity, and gravity-fed systems. We are a high-performance team building a globally competitive climate-positive agrifood company from Kenya.

The Role

We are hiring a highly capable, hands-on Operations Manager to run all day-to-day farm operations at our Shompole site. This is a full-time, on-site leadership role focused on execution, productivity, and systems discipline. You will be responsible for pond operations, team performance, harvesting, processing, quality control, equipment reliability, SOPs, and data accuracy. This role is central to proving the model and leading future expansion and sites.

If you thrive in remote environments, love building systems from the ground up, and have deep ownership over results — this role is for you.

1. Production & Yield optimization

Manage daily spirulina cultivation, biomass density, harvesting, drying and packaging Maintain water chemistry parameters and troubleshoot deviations Ensure consistent production yields and high-quality outputs Maintain daily production logs, dashboards and reporting discipline Liase with global spirulina experts to continuously improve yield

2. People & Performance

Lead and manage the on-site team (technicians, harvesters, security) Build a high-performance culture with accountability and clarity Responsible for performance based hiring and firing of staff. We maintain a high-performance culture with clear accountability. Conduct training, coaching, and weekly performance reviews Enforce discipline, SOP adherence, and safe working practices

3. Infrastructure & Maintenance

Oversee pumps, paddlewheels, pipelines, drying units, power systems Ensure preventative maintenance and zero preventable downtime Coordinate contractors, repairs, and local suppliers Manage inventory of critical spare parts and cost control. Plan material needs and logistics.

4. SOPs, Safety & Compliance

Create and implement detailed SOPs for all operational processes Lead on-site Health Safety and Environment culture, compliance, and incident reporting Keep accurate records for audits, buyers, and regulatory compliance

5. Community & Stakeholder Relations

Engage respectfully with Maasai community leadership

Success looks like

Pond productivity consistently hits target biomass density and production cost Stable, predictable daily harvesting & drying output Zero preventable equipment downtime Strong, disciplined on-site team delivering without micromanagement

Required Qualifications

4-8 years experience, ideally in field operations/ agriculture/ aquaculture/ food processing/ field-based manufacturing Proven track record running on-site teams in remote or challenging environments Strong mechanical intuition (pumps, motors, bearings, basic troubleshooting) Ability to build systems, not just operate them Strong communication, leadership, and problem-solving abilities Comfortable living full-time on-site in Shompole High integrity and ability to make sound decisions independently

Preferred

Experience with algae, aquaculture, water chemistry, or controlled-environment production Experience building SOPs and dashboards from scratch Experience working with rural communities and scaling operations from pilot to multi-unit sites

Compensation & Benefits

Competitive salary (based on experience) On-site accommodation (private housing) and meals Medical cover Transport support for monthly Nairobi rotations Clear growth path into Head of Operations as we scale Optional performance-based equity after 12–18 months Direct access to inspiring business leaders and global exposure across the frontier of climate-smart agriculture
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