- Job Type Full Time
- Qualification BA/BSc/HND
- Experience
- Location Nairobi
- Job Field Project Management 
Nest Lead (Distribution Center Lead) at Zipline
Nest Lead (Distribution Center Lead)
What You’ll Do
Team Leadership & Development
- Be the single point of accountability for cross-functional collaboration within your operations team.
- Lead, coach, inspire and drive a performance culture across a diverse team of facilities, fulfillment, flight and call center operations (where applicable), through clear goal setting and real-time feedback.
- Nurture leaders across the nest through structured training, coaching, and performance management.
- Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new team members to maintain a high-performance, cross-functional team.
- Oversee shift planning, staff scheduling, and resource allocation to ensure adequate coverage across all functional areas.
- Proactively design and support strategies to retain high performers (recognition programs, growth plans)
Nest Operational Strategy & Execution
- Translate national strategy into a roadmap for nest operations, aligned with company goals around customer success, reliability, cost and scale.
- Lead multi-function operations in fulfillment, facilities, flight and call center (where applicable) operations, ensuring alignment with global best practices, quality standards, safety requirements and customer feedback.
- Forecast operational needs and build capacity (demand, people, systems, infrastructure, inventory) to meet demand growth and evolving customer requirements.
- Risk identification & contingency planning: Develop risk matrices for nest operations and implement mitigation strategies .
- Operational Performance & Optimization
- Monitor operational KPIs in real time, responding swiftly to deviations and bottlenecks.
- Own and continuously improve key nest metrics: leverage data to identify performance trends, surface inefficiencies, and implement corrective and preventative actions.
- Drive operational rigor and compliance through SOP adherence, standard work, and process control while adapting systems to local realities.
- Pilot and implement new systems, tools, or workflows that drive scalability at nests.
- Maintain high operational availability of the physical site and equipment by overseeing basic facilities management, including cleanliness, power systems, water supply, workspaces, and safety infrastructure.
- Implement strategies to optimize space utilization, reduce waste, and improve storage efficiency.
- Continuous improvement culture: Empower frontline teams to birth innovative ideas and improvement across nest systems, processes targeted towards customer satisfaction.
Financial ownership – COGs and OPEX
- Take ownership of nest-level Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and Operating Expenses (OPEX).
- Make informed, data-backed decisions around spending in collaboration with procurement, facilities, and inventory management teams.
- Identify cost-saving opportunities across processes, procurement, utilities, and logistics while protecting operational performance.
- Lead cost control initiatives to contribute to a sustainable, healthy nest P&L and global efficiency efforts.
Cross-functional Partnership & Change Leadership
- Collaborate closely with Customer Experience, Engineering, Product, Safety, and Quality teams to enable end-to-end operational efficiency.
- Play a key role in scaling new initiatives (e.g., new use cases, automation pilots, expansion projects) and driving operational readiness.
- Serve as a key contributor to country-wide business reviews and operational planning cycles.
- Change Management Execution: Train and coach teams through operational or technology changes with clear communication and performance tracking.
Partnership Coordination & Customer Success
- Develop & implement strategy for driving supply & demand generation and improving service utilization within your business unit’s terrain.
- Build & manage strategic relationships with regional & district health authorities, community leaders, and media; coordinating campaigns and community events; and providing insights through stakeholder reporting to strengthen Zipline’s brand and operational success.
What Success Looks Like
- The Nest operates with customer obsession, reliability, and autonomy, and proactive problem solving.
- Shift teams operate with clarity, consistency, and ownership.
- The entire team is empowered and accountable: operators take initiative, solve problems at the frontline, and contribute actively to continuous improvement.
- Resources are optimized for maximum output.
What You’ll Bring
- Proven operational leader with a track record of transforming complex, fast-paced businesses into high-performing, customer-obsessed operations. You thrive at the intersection of strategy and execution, bringing both vision and hands-on discipline to every challenge.
- Seasoned People Leader: You have led large, diverse teams through change, inspiring accountability and developing future leaders. Coaching, mentoring, and building talent pipelines are second nature to you.
- Operational Architect: You excel at designing and scaling multi-function operations; optimizing processes, systems, and resources to deliver exceptional reliability, cost efficiency, and growth.
- Data-Driven Strategist: You use analytics and real-time KPIs to guide decisions, spot trends early, and drive continuous improvement across complex operations.
Method of Application
Interested and qualified? Go to Zipline on www.zipline.com to apply

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