Operations Manager

Supervisor: General Manager, El Salvador
Location: El Salvador 
Start Date: ASAP 
Contract Type: Full-Time Employee 
Travel: up to 30% 

About Acceso
Acceso (www.acceso.org) is an award-winning social enterprise that is revolutionizing food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean to put smallholder farmers first. Acceso’s mission is to create fundamental and lasting positive economic change in the lives of rural smallholder farming families. Acceso’s seed-to-market model provides smallholder farmers with a sustainable way to participate in formalized markets, enabling them to work themselves out of poverty with dignity and to prosper. Acceso is currently a team of over 600 determined and driven change-makers supporting over 35,000 smallholder farmers across Colombia, Haiti, El Salvador and Guatemala.   

About this Role
The Operations Manager, in collaboration with the COO and Operations teams, will be responsible for planning and managing all aspects of process and operational activities within Acceso. This role ensures the seamless and efficient execution of functions with process, while overseeing operational tasks. The Operations Manager will spearhead new processing initiatives, including the selection of equipment, development of processes in coordination with expert consultants, and the supervision of processing operations. This extends from quality control to the export of final products, ensuring alignment with buyer demands. In the logistics domain, the Operations Manager will play a key role in optimizing supply chain management and ensuring operational efficiency. As a member of the senior management team, this position also presents opportunities for professional growth and broader management responsibilities. 

The primary responsibilities include: 

• Operationalize and update actual fruit and vegetable processing facilities at collection centers and fish and sea food processing plants with standard procedure practices, quality standards, and regulatory requirements. 
• Processing and Operation activities from transforming raw materials into finished products, overseeing the day-to-day functions that ensure workflow, resource utilization, quality and standards. 
• Developing and implementing streamlined operational processes, ensuring efficiency, accuracy, and compliance with company policies. 
• Identifying bottlenecks and areas for improvement within existing processes and proposing solutions for optimization 
• Accountable for aligning and synchronizing the functions of the supply chain (Logistics and Distribution) with operational processes 
• Responsible for preparing and managing project implementation schedules, ensuring that all operational timelines are met, and presenting reports with key metrics to evaluate execution.  
• Lead the research and development of new product lines, driving the expansion of Acceso’s offerings to align with market demands. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Processing facilities
  • Continuous evaluation of results, with a focus on aligning process improvements and corrective actions across operations and the supply chain 
  • Collaborating with expert consultants to identify, select, and install appropriate equipment. 
  • Assessing and ensuring that buildings and equipment meet the requirements for projected production estimates. 
  • Continuously reviewing proposed materials for processing centers to ensure ease of maintenance, durability, and cost-effectiveness. 
  • Evaluating the layout of processing plants to ensure adequate space for producing the projected quantities and promote continuous improvement. 
• Processing and Operational activities 
  • Assist in the recruitment, hiring, and training of local managers and processing staff. 
  • Conduct ongoing reviews of equipment and processes to reduce labor and operational costs. 
  • Assess costs and efficiency against set targets, and collaborate with the finance team to update projections accordingly 
  • Create and maintain comprehensive operations manuals and oversee the certification of Acceso facilities, including but not limited to:  
    • Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). 
    • Good Agricultural Practices (GAP). 
    • Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HAPCC). 
    • Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs). 
    • USDA Organic Certification manuals. 
    • FSSC 22000 
    • Organic Certification 
    • BRC  
  • Train operations and management teams on the effective use of all manuals. 
  • Enhance logistics and distribution functions to improve efficiency, while updating manuals and processes to ensure effective operational execution. 
  • Manage inventory to prevent shortages or excesses by monitoring inventory levels, forecasting demand, and communicating potential outcomes to teams across various departments. 
    • Prepare operational reports to measure KPIs and metrics, ensuring operational proficiency. 
• Oversee ongoing operations of processing facilities  
  • Delegate, organize and manage local processing teams to meet ongoing production standards and targets. 
  • Complete regular audits to ensure proper utilization of equipment and all operations procedures. Working closely with Operations teams and Commercial Director, ensure coordinated supply of raw materials and delivery of final products to customers. 
• Lead testing and development of new products 
  • Oversee research and development of new products lines based on customer feedback and market opportunities. 

Qualifications 

• Minimum required: Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering or related field (Master’s degree a strong plus).  
• Eight years minimum experience in food processing, new products development, or industry.  
• Team leadership & management experience.   
• Experience in processing and installation of equipment  
• Experience researching and deploying innovations, lower costs and/or improve production quality   
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)  
• Proficient in the knowledge and utilization of ERP systems to enhance operational efficiency and data management, with a solid understanding of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as a valuable plus.  
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities; data-driven  
• Excellent organizational & communication skills.   
• Strong entrepreneurial spirit and business sense.  
• Mission driven and personal commitment to improving the lives of smallholder farmers. 
• Ability to build trust and positive relationships; collaborative. 
• Highly organized with excellent time management skills. 
• Drive and ability to work independently and handle multiple tasks simultaneously. 
• Ability to travel ~30% of the time, with occasional periods of higher or lower travel needs. 
• Language skills:  Spanish fluency; English a plus   

 
Application Instructions: 
To apply, please submit your CV/Resume and Cover Letter via the form below. For your application to be considered, please submit all materials in English. 
 
For more information about Acceso and careers with us, please visit Acceso.org/careers. 
 
Acceso is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, HIV/AIDS status, protected veteran status, disability and all other protected classes.