Micro Drip is a private limited company that provides affordable irrigation solutions to small and medium sized farmers in Pakistan. Micro Drip believes all farmers, regardless of their income group, have the right to access technology that will enable a higher yield from their land at a lower input cost.
Micro Drip is an investment partnership between Thardeep Rural Development Programme (TRDP), a rural development organization, and Acumen Fund, a US-based social venture capital fund. In addition, Micro Drip works with several corporate partners and leading multi-nationals to leverage their management expertise, market access and product knowledge to offer the best possible solutions for its customers. The Company’s drip irrigation systems are sourced from leading regional and domestic irrigation solutions companies that enable it to provide the most reliable and efficient irrigation systems at the best price to its customers.
Founded in 2007 with offices in Karachi and Hyderabad, Micro Drip has established sales in Southern Sindh and plans to further expand in the province as well as in Punjab over the next couple of years. The company has retail operations in addition to working directly with institutional partners and distributors to expand the scope of its operations. For more information on Micro Drip, please see www.microdrip.pk.
Micro Drip is seeking to hire a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the company from its current start-up phase towards becoming the leading provider of affordable irrigation solutions to small and medium farmers in Pakistan.
General Position Description
The CEO will be responsible for overall company performance and direct all aspects of its planning and operations, including marketing, sales/distribution, finance, human resources, business development, product development and supply-chain management. S/he will set the strategy and develop the plan of
the Company with input from senior management, the Board of Directors, and principal investors. S/he will build a core-team of senior and middle management to execute the Company’s operations, including recruiting for new positions where needed. The CEO will also lead all the business development
initiatives, including strategic relationships with financiers, relevant government agencies and policy makers, other agri-businesses and marketing/distribution partners. The CEO will report to the Board of Directors and engage closely with the principal investors.
Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Develop the 3-year Company strategy of Micro Drip based on the Company’s SWOT and overall market opportunity, with guidance from the Board of Directors and principal investors, and input from senior management team members.
- Direct the development of the annual budget and business plan, working in conjunction w/ other team members
- Oversee the development of the operational plans of key business areas.
- Report to the Board of Directors and investors on Company performance and assist the Board in fulfilling its governance function.
General Management
- Direct and oversee all aspects of Company’s operations, providing guidance to other team members.
- Set operational and financial policies of the Company.
- Maintain a close pulse of key business performance and risk areas, diagnose performance gaps, analyzing risks and take appropriate action as needed.
Business Development and Strategic Relationship Management
- Build and manage relations with key existing and potential stakeholders in the Company – including government officials/agencies, institutional marketing and distribution partners, agri-business companies etc.
- Manage investor relations and cultivate potential new investors and financiers in the Company.
- Organizational Development and Team Building
- Develop the organizational structure and assign clear roles and responsibilities for different positions within the company.
- Build the core management team including recruitment of new managers; develop and execute a general strategy to build and retain Talent in the Company.
- Provide guidance - as needed - on the design and development of operational processes and systems.
- Focus on efficiency and cost effectiveness in running operations with financial sustainability/ viability as a clear goal.
- Build a high performance oriented culture with the highest ethical standards.
Qualifications
Ideal candidates for this role will have excellent general management skills combined with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, capacity to think out of the box and the vision to build a profitable business serving hundreds of thousands of small farmers in Pakistan. They will have strong leadership qualities and the ability to lead change in a coherent and clear manner while maintaining the motivation within the company. They will have a results orientation and a management track record in scaling early-stage businesses in resource constrained and challenging environments. They will also have strong organizational and team-building skills and the ability to attract, build and retain quality management talent.
Additionally they will have the following attributes:
- At-least 10 years of executive/senior management experience - Agri and rural based business experience a strong plus.
- An established track-record in building and scaling early-stage businesses.
- Previous exposure and a strong commitment to serving small farmers with a comfort level of dealing with them directly.
- Strong strategic planning skills and abilities to set/ plan both short and medium term objectives.
- Willingness to spend ample time in the targeted rural markets, particularly in the first couple of years.
- Excellent general management skills.
- Strong professional networks which can be translated into business development opportunities.
- Strong team building skills – ability to attract, motivate and retain talent.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to present arguments and analysis in a clear and succinct manner to Board members, staff, partners and investors.
- Highest level of integrity.
- Commitment to and enthusiasm for Company’s mission and vision, and respect for the organization’s core values: equity, fairness, diversity, voice, participation, knowledge, creativity, humility and respect.
Compensation
Micro Drip offers a competitive compensation package, commensurate with experience.
To Apply
Send a cover letter and resume to ceo@microdrip.pk.
