A/ About this Job

Loowatt is a UK-based B2B solution provider of premium waterless, and circular economy sanitation solutions for Africa. We believe everyone should have a toilet that is safe and clean, protects water resources, supports circular economies, and most importantly, brings a bit of joy to everyday life. To achieve this, we have developed a patented, off-grid sanitation technology ideal for communities with limited access to water and sanitation. The toilet is designed for regular servicing (i.e., weekly waste collection), and delivers a user experience akin to a flush toilet. Importantly, the system enables the transformation of the waste into byproducts (e.g. energy and fertilizer), and contributes to the resilience of the communities being served.

In Madagascar, Loowatt SARL in partnership with Loowatt Ltd. developed the original Loowatt urban sanitation service working with NGOs, impact donors, utility partners, and government stakeholders. The service is now available in more than 30 districts of the capital, has more than 5,500 users, and on the cusp of major expansion.

Loowatt recently commenced services in Durban, South Africa, following a highly successful user-experience pilot conducted by local partners. With local partners, we attained support from the South African Government’s Water Research Commission and Unilever’s FCDO-funded TRANSFORM Programme to introduce a new home service, Kalula, which replicates the Madagascar service model. The service is now seeing strong traction, rapid sales growth, and evident potential for a path to profitability and scale. Discussions with potential local service provider partners are underway.

The Role: Loowatt is seeking a dynamic, experienced, impact-driven business leader to drive growth in South Africa, to deliver on these key objectives:

1. Lead a growing South Africa office dedicated to business development through sales of toilets systems to corporates, service providers, and municipalities, including development-financed tender opportunities and CSR-funded projects;
2. Build on the momentum developed by Kalula to lead in the successful establishment of an appropriately structured South African servicing entity that will scale up toilet services, this being an essential building block to rapid expansion in the country.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate's responsibilities shall include:

• Fostering an inclusive corporate culture that demonstrates an enterprise-wide commitment to the goals of Loowatt, respect for those who deliver (or use) Loowatt toilets, genuine team spirit and employee enthusiasm for ongoing professional and personal development
• Ensuring legal and ethical compliance
• The following priorities:

o  Leading South Africa business development with commercial urgency to establish and deliver on robust sales targets

o  Focusing deeply on understanding customer needs, refining product and marketing strategies to meet these needs, and prioritising customer satisfaction

o  Bringing a rigorous process-driven approach and detailed documentation of pipeline development and conversion to weekly, monthly and quarterly reports

o  Leading partnerships with key local stakeholders including commercial collaborators, government funders, investors, development banks and grant funders 

o  Leading market analysis of new market applications that support high-margin sales and services in sectors such as construction, events, and tourism 

o  Developing capabilities of the local sales team and key personnel to support high-growth, high-quality local enterprise with broad market reach

o  Building a keen and detailed understanding of the financial models required to support operating the Loowatt System as a service

o  With support from the Loowatt board, leading the establishment a South-Africa based service company to scale up services for Loowatt toilets in the Kalula (B2C) model and possible future models

Experience and Skills

Required:

• A strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial mindset, outstanding organizational leadership skills, and a robust commercial background
• An excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and ethical integrity
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a senior (C or D level) business leadership role in a commercial company, holding full P&L level responsibility and with strong financial acumen
• Demonstrable success in leading profitable business growth strategies, preferably in a service and/or logistics focused business
• Relevant experience in the development of enterprises and/or services in South Africa’s informal settlements
• Excellent English verbal, written and presentation skills

 

Advantageous:

• Experienced in working with and reporting to an offshore based parent company
• Relevant experiences in a similar service, or logistics, sector business
• Experience in government collaborations, such as PPPs
• Project management skills
• Experience in applying IT&T business technologies for commercial advantage

 

B/ WHAT WE OFFER:

• Room for growth – With bold growth targets, we offer considerable room for individual growth to support us in achieving significant growth.
• Mission driven team – You will be quickly embraced as part of a team that is big on collaboration and impact.
• An opportunity for impact – You will be part of a triple-bottom line business; as well as financial impact, you will contribute to creating social and environmental impact in the UK and overseas.
• Inclusive environment – We work hard to create an inclusive environment that encourages empathy and embraces diversity.
• Training and mentoring – We will offer opportunities for internal and external training and mentoring to help you progress in your personal career and role.
• Flexible working – Working hours are typically 9:30 am to 5:30 pm from Monday to Friday, but we are flexible to accommodate your needs.
• Competitive remuneration – We offer a competitive salary and bonus structure to help us attract the best talent we can find.

C/ HOW TO APPLY:

Send your CV and cover letter by email to careers@loowatt.com, with South Africa Country Manager in the subject heading. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, although the final deadline is the end of day 22 September 2023.

Shortlisted candidates would be expected to undertake a first stage of assessments, to include:

• a virtual interview with the line manager and another key member of staff, and
• a practical assessment to assess key skills.

Candidates that progress to the second stage will be invited to third and final interview to clarify additional details and assess cultural fit.