Operations Lead

Job description

Alistair is one of East and Southern Africa’s fastest growing service companies, providing a variety of self-delivered logistics solutions with core competencies in road freight and operational hire of material handling equipment. The business has gone from strength to strength, growing quickly in both its geographical coverage and variety of services offered to clients. At the moment, the Group employees over 800 personnel, delivers services across sixteen countries and is poised for significant further expansion.

Core Competencies:
-Material Supply
-Customs Clearance
-Road Freight
-Material Handling
-Storage and Warehousing
-Offshore & Onshore Equipment Rental
-Specialized Inspection Services

Vision
To be known as the Company that makes Africa work better.

Company Behaviours
Honesty, Customer Focus, Continual Improvement, Humility, and Safety.

Accountabilities & Responsibility Areas
-Reporting to the Head of Operations
-Act as the single point of contact for all Zambia-based fleet and border operations.
-Coordinate with ALZ Senior Fleet Managers, Regional Ops Leads, Border Teams, -Driver Management, and HSSEQ to ensure trip execution and turnaround.
-Manage daily engagement with local authorities (ZRA, RTSA, Police), supported by our compliance and government liaison teams.
-Ensure compliance with all permits, licensing, regulatory documentation, and procedural requirements for the ALZ Fleet.
-Provide daily truck progress updates to clients (via Client Liaisons) and ensure data accuracy through regular audit spot checks.
-Handle operational-level client complaints related to ALZ and feedback.
-Lead the Zambian Ops team and ensure cross-functional coordination (Driver Management, Fleet, Workshop, Clearing, Compliance, Finance, etc.).
Monitor staff performance and support local recruitment and onboarding.
-Track delays, analyze trip data, and identify inefficiencies.
-Submit weekly and monthly operational reports.
-Take first-line responsibility for incident response (theft, breakdowns, accidents) and escalate major issues as required.
-Skills and Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Business Administration, or a related field (or equivalent vocational/logistics experience).
-At least 5 years of experience in regional or cross-border logistics operations.
-Familiarity with customs procedures, border agency coordination, and trip management.
-Proficiency in transport management systems, or other operational systems.
-Experience managing operational teams across departments (fleet, clearing, driver management, etc.).

Core Skills:
-Strong leadership and team delegation skills, with a hands-on management style.
-Ability to resolve operational challenges quickly and engage both internal and external stakeholders (e.g., police, ZRA, RIT, security vendors).
-Strong understanding of compliance requirements, licensing, and border procedures.
-High-level coordination and communication skills for client updates, staff direction, and cross-department reporting.
-Financial stewardship including float management, fuel controls, and cost awareness.

Key Attributes:
-Detail-oriented and highly accountable.
-Operationally resilient and able to work under pressure.
-Proactive, ethical, and capable of leading by example.
-Strong judgment, capable of independently managing and escalating issues as needed.

The Company reserves the right to withdraw from the recruitment process at any time, at its sole discretion. The sharing of any aptitude test, assessment, or invitation to an interview does not constitute an offer of employment or guarantee any future employment with the Company. Candidates acknowledge that progression through any stage of the recruitment process does not imply or ensure an eventual offer of employment.