About my client
The Company is a global agribusiness group supplying food, feed and industrial raw materials to fast-growing markets, particularly across Asia and Africa. Its value chains span farming, processing and distribution, supported by an extensive international sourcing network built around several million partner farmers.
The Company has built strong positions across a range of agricultural commodities, including grains, protein and feed ingredients, oilseeds and natural fibres, and presents itself as a purpose-driven organisation with explicit commitments to farmer livelihoods, sustainable resource management and climate action across its supply chains.
In a Sub-Saharan African country, the Company holds a majority interest in an integrated cotton business covering the full value chain from farmer sourcing to ginning, quality control and export, supplying international textile markets.
To lead this business through its next stage of development, my client is looking for its future General Manager – Cotton Business.
The position
The General Manager acts as full profit-and-loss owner of the in-country cotton business, accountable end-to-end for its strategic direction, operational delivery and organisational strength.
The role sits at the intersection of farmers and strategic stakeholders relations, industrial processing, export operations, finance and regulatory affairs, within a complex, asset-intensive agricultural commodity business where the Company holds a leading market position.
Given prevailing sector dynamics and the Company’s standing in the market, the role carries real influence over both business performance and the broader development of the cotton sector and rural economy in its country of operation.
Based in-country in Sub-Saharan Africa, you will report to the regional or global leadership of the Company’s cotton business.
Responsibilities
Business strategy and stakeholder leadership
- Define and drive the best-fit strategy for the business unit, balancing growth, sustainability and profitability objectives.
- Act as the face of the business with regulators, industry bodies and other key external stakeholders, maintaining close and constant engagement to navigate a complex and evolving regulatory environment.
- Build and protect the Company’s leadership position and reputation within the local cotton industry.
Supply chain and operational execution
- Design and deliver farmer engagement and support programmes aimed at improving yields and strengthening the sustainability of the sourcing base.
- Oversee the full operational chain — procurement, processing, quality control and shipments — ensuring consistent execution from farm gate to export.
- Ensure that commercial and operational execution is fully and accurately reflected in the business’s financial and accounting records, beyond theoretical or point-in-time profitability.
Financial performance and accountability
- Deliver the budgeted commitments on volumes, margins, overheads, financing costs and net profit.
- Maintain rigorous financial discipline and full traceability between operational activity and reported results.
People and organisational development
- Build, mentor and develop a strong management team, ensuring effective career-pathing and succession throughout the organisation.
- Reinforce a high-performance culture aligned with the Company’s broader people and talent agenda.
Innovation and sustainability
- Bring innovation to sourcing, processing and stakeholder engagement practices.
- Drive engagement with all key stakeholders on the sustainability issues critical to the sector, reinforcing the Company’s long-term commitments on farmer livelihoods, natural resources and climate.
Your profile
- Current or recent experience as General Manager / Business Unit Manager in a sourcing- and processing-intensive agricultural commodity business, able to be immediately operational.
- Proven P&L ownership experience, including budget delivery across volumes, margins, overheads and profitability.
- Strong experience managing complex regulatory and stakeholder environments in an emerging-market agricultural context.
- Demonstrated experience with smallholder farmer supply chains and rural sourcing networks.
- Solid general management and team leadership skills, with a track record of developing talent and building organisational capability.
- Professional fluency in English or French is required, with a solid working knowledge of the second language.
- Willingness to be based in-country in Sub-Saharan Africa, with strong cultural and operational agility.
The Company and its leadership are committed to offering equal opportunities to all potential employees and have zero tolerance for discrimination. The Company is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants irrespective of age, sex, race, ethnicity, disability and other factors that have no bearing on an individual’s ability to perform their job.
Contact
Send resume to contact@yannhazoume.com, before July 24, 2026