Field Manager - Kenya

Position :    Field Manager

Location :   Kenya

Duration :   One year with possibility of extension

Preferred start date :   As soon as possible

About Pula:

At Pula, we are radically restructuring agricultural insurance, using technology to insure the previously unbanked, uninsured, untapped market of 1.5 billion smallholders worldwide. Insurance is complex, agriculture is hard, dealing with small holder farmers is impossible. We do all three.

We work in over 22 countries across Africa, Asia, LATAM, & Europe and by 2022, we have facilitated crop insurance cover to over 6.6 million farmers across Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Tanzania, Madagascar, Ghana, Cote D’Ivore , Senegal, Ethiopia, Mali, Rwanda, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Mozambique. Since raising our Series A our operations have expanded globally including now Asia and Latin America.

Pula is a fast-paced space, constantly adapting to new opportunities and challenges and we are made up of a high-performance, multi-cultural team. We expect our team to value performance, results and professionalism.

At Pula, we:

• Obsess with results: We are responsible for our future and therefore we get things done!
• Connect the Dots: We continuously identify different customer needs & business problems and build solutions that deliver value.
• Have a Can do Attitude! We dare to do things differently to make things work.
• We have each others’ back: We look out for each other & we share high quality, timely feedback that makes us better.

Who you are**:**

• You understand that we are helping to protect the food security of nations.
• You have an intuitive understanding of rural life drawn from personal or professional experience
• You want to make a difference.
• You are resilient, proactive and have a problem-solver’s mindset
• You are not afraid to roll up your sleeves to get things done.
• You are an effective communicator and good planner
• You are a great team leader

What you will be doing:

We go to the remotest of areas to measure yields as farmers harvest. From North Nigeria, South Zambia, Northern Kenya; name it. We are there. We do not believe in hiding behind a desk to come up with fuzzy claim reports from blackboxes that do not reflect the outcome on the ground. We want our payouts to reflect the farmers’ outcomes. We deeply care about that.

The Field Manager at Pula has an essential role of leading the teams that interact with farmers and partners on the ground. You will be responsible for collecting the most complete and accurate data possible on farmers and their harvests which will stand up to the most intense scrutiny. This entails recruiting and training effective teams and contractors as well as engaging clients, government officials, and other stakeholders with clear, timely communication to ensure smooth operations. All of this must be executed with the utmost efficiency to minimize the cost of insuring smallholder farmers, thus ensuring the greatest number of farmers can be covered.

• Client-Specific Deliverables

1. • Collaborate with the commercial manager in client engagement, onboarding & contracting and providing recommendations
   • Take lead in organizing for internal kick-off meetings in collaboration with Commercial Manager
   • Collaborate with the commercial manager in organizing for external kick-off meetings
   • Establish and maintain interpersonal relationships with key partners and stakeholders across the private and public sector to ensure smooth running of project operations.
   • On a quarterly basis, participate in stakeholder fora and seek pitching opportunities
   • Oversee nation wide sensitization campaigns while engaging with internal and external stakeholders through collaboration in sectoral activities e.g., policy formulation, project design etc.
   • Coordinate with the commercial and insurance operations teams to provide monthly progress reports for all field operations activities
   • Coordinate and deliver high level trainings and workshops to Pula’s partners and clients across different industries
   • Provide strategic guidance to the field operations team through the Field Associate Manager

• Execution of data collection:

1. • Recruit Field Associate Manager, Field Coordinators and Call Centre Coordinators while providing oversight on Field Agent recruitment
   • Build a pipeline of candidates that have performed well in previous seasons for upcoming seasons
   • Monitor data collection closely and action any flags through the use of available dashboards
   • Provide strategic guidance on data collection issues, unusual events or significant farm losses, ensuring that they are meticulously and indisputably documented.
   • Provide accurate timelines for project implementation and completion through collaboration with the commercial and insurance operations teams based on the uniqueness of clients
   • Ensure meticulous completion - leave no farm behind.

• Evaluate efficiency of service delivery and operations using spending data, while actioning strategic initiatives to keep costs low for field operations and call center teams

1. • Detailed assessment of real costs by location and responsibility
   • Apply ingenuity to find savings wherever possible
   • Ensure all expenses are reconciled within policy deadlines.
   • Monitor budget vs spend closely

• Strategic Development and learning

• Organize post-project team workshops to evaluate key learnings and improvements in the design, tools, and execution of the project

• Coordinating with the innovations and expansion teammates on launching new initiatives and pilots

• Other operational work

• Design data collection tools and any other operational related tools where necessary.

• Write content for any stakeholders as asked (internal, clients, etc)

• Other assignments as tasked

The Field Manager will report to the Director of Field Operations, while also working closely with other departments to coordinate execution throughout the client journey.

The right applicant would have the following skillset:

• 5 years + experience working in agriculture/ social enterprises. Experience leading field operations or Monitoring and Evaluation department is a must have
• Experience working at national level in a fast moving environment/ startup is an added advantage
• Experience in managing teams remotely is an added advantage
• Deep commitment to the "art of management" and nuances of modern management practice
• Ability to work independently – highly self-motivated
• Creative problem-solving skills
• Highly collaborative, with an outgoing personality and clear and consistent communication
• Detail-oriented, meticulous, and attentive to accuracy
• Ability to grasp complex analytical concepts quickly and thoroughly
• Prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely delivery

To learn more about Pula:

• TED Talk: Crop Insurance, an Idea Worth Seeding
  • https://www.ted.com/talks/rose_goslinga_crop_insurance_an_idea_worth_seeding?langu age=en
• New York Times: He Grew up on a Farm. Now, He Helps Protect Them
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/03/business/microinsurance-africa-thomas-njeru.html
• The Economist: The Poor, Who Most Need Insurance, Are Least Likely to Have It
  • https://www.economist.com/international/2019/08/22/the-poor-who-most-need-insurance- are-least-likely-to-have-it