Lead Operations, Drive Growth and Build the Future

A leading Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and authorised distributor of European construction and heavy earthmoving machinery is recruiting an accomplished Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead its operations across West Africa.

This executive leadership opportunity is suited to a commercially focused operations professional with extensive experience in heavy equipment, mining machinery, construction equipment, aftermarket services, spare parts, workshops, rentals, product strategy, and regional business growth.

The successful candidate will provide strategic and operational leadership across the organisation’s West African operations, ensuring sustainable revenue growth, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, profitability, and alignment with internationally recognised OEM standards.

Position: Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Location: West Africa
Industry: Construction Equipment / Heavy Earthmoving Machinery / OEM
Function: Operations / Business Management
Reports To: Managing Director / Board
Salary: USD 8,000–12,000 per month
Salary Terms: Negotiable based on experience and qualifications

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Role Overview

The Chief Operating Officer will provide strategic and operational leadership across West Africa, covering sales, aftermarket services, spare parts, workshop operations, equipment deployment, logistics, inventory, customer support, and branch operations.

The role will be responsible for translating the company’s strategic objectives into strong operational and commercial performance. The COO will focus on sustainable revenue growth, profitability, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence.

The position will work closely with European OEM principals to ensure compliance with required standards covering quality, product strategy, technical support, staff training, warranty management, and business development.

Primary Objective

The primary objective of the Chief Operating Officer will be to build and lead a high-performance, profitable, and customer-focused heavy equipment business across West Africa.

The role will include:

• Increasing market share.
• Expanding equipment sales.
• Growing after-sales service.
• Developing a strong recurring spare-parts business.
• Improving profitability and operational performance.
• Strengthening customer relationships.
• Developing scalable business operations across the region.

The successful candidate will be expected to transform the company’s operations into a well-structured, key-performance-indicator-driven, and scalable regional business.

The COO will also strengthen relationships with European OEM principals and position the company as a preferred machinery partner for major construction, mining, infrastructure, and industrial customers across West Africa.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic and Operational Leadership

• Develop and execute the organisation’s operational strategy in alignment with its business objectives.
• Lead daily operations across West Africa.
• Ensure effective coordination between all business functions.
• Establish scalable operational systems, procedures, and controls.
• Drive a performance-oriented culture focused on growth, profitability, customer service, and operational excellence.
• Identify opportunities for expansion, new product lines, additional branches, and strategic partnerships.

2. Sales and Business Development

• Lead machinery sales across the construction, infrastructure, mining, quarrying, road construction, agriculture, and industrial sectors.
• Drive sales of European heavy construction and earthmoving machinery.
• Develop relationships with major contractors, mining companies, government agencies, and large fleet owners.
• Monitor sales pipelines, tenders, quotations, dealer bookings, and conversion ratios.
• Work with account strategy and business planning teams to increase market penetration.
• Identify emerging market opportunities and actively pursue growth strategies.

3. After-Sales Service and Customer Support

• Build and strengthen the company’s after-sales service capability, covering service workshops, field support, workshop repairs, and technical assistance.
• Ensure high equipment availability and minimum downtime for customers.
• Monitor preventive maintenance and service-contract programmes.
• Improve workshop productivity, technician utilisation, response time, and repair turnaround.
• Establish field-service capabilities across major territories.
• Ensure professional handling of technical issues, warranties, and customer concerns.

4. Spare Parts and Inventory Management

• Oversee spare-parts operations, forecasting, procurement, stocking, warehousing, and distribution.
• Maintain optimal inventory levels for critical components.
• Improve parts availability and working-capital efficiency.
• Monitor obsolete, slow-moving, and ageing inventory.
• Coordinate with OEM suppliers, planning teams, and inventory management functions.
• Develop recurring spare-parts revenue and strengthen parts contribution to overall business profitability.

5. OEM and European Principal Management

• Maintain strong relationships with European OEM principals.
• Ensure compliance with OEM standards, operational policies, systems, and brand requirements.
• Coordinate product launches, technical updates, warranty procedures, and training programmes.
• Negotiate commercial terms and annual targets.
• Represent the company at senior-level OEM meetings, international reviews, and business conferences.

6. Profit and Financial Management

• Take overall responsibility for operational profit-and-loss performance.
• Manage budgets, forecasts, capital expenditure, and working capital.
• Improve margins across equipment sales, spare parts, services, workshops, and rentals.
• Ensure effective cost control and operational discipline.
• Review operational and commercial performance against agreed budgets and targets.
• Protect profitability while supporting sustainable business growth.

7. Multi-Country and Branch Operations

• Oversee branch operations across West Africa.
• Standardise procedures, reporting, customer service, workshop operations, inventory controls, and service levels across different locations.
• Coordinate with branch managers and regional leadership teams.
• Monitor branch performance against financial, commercial, and operational targets.
• Improve consistency and accountability across the regional operating network.

8. Supply Chain and Logistics

• Oversee imports, customs clearance, shipping, transportation, and equipment delivery.
• Coordinate logistics planning with suppliers, agents, customers, and internal stakeholders.
• Optimise supply-chain costs and delivery timelines.
• Ensure imported equipment, spare parts, and components reach the required locations efficiently.
• Maintain compliance with applicable cross-border trade and customs requirements.

9. People Leadership

• Lead and develop senior managers across all business functions.
• Build high-performing operational, commercial, technical, and support teams.
• Establish key performance indicators, performance management systems, and succession plans.
• Strengthen leadership accountability and management capability.
• Promote continuous learning, technical capability development, and operational improvement.