Overview
Director of Manufacturing & Supply Chain Jobs in Kampala, Central Region, Uganda at Jetpac Africa
Title: Director of Manufacturing & Supply Chain
Company: Jetpac Africa
Location: Kampala, Central Region, Uganda
Co‑Founder Role Description
Role Type
Founding Team Member | Owner‑Operator (Phase 1 Role)
Company Stage
Pre‑Revenue | Pre‑Production | Fundraising | First Factory
Geography
United Kingdom (HQ) → Uganda (factory‑based)
Jetpac UK Limited is building a new generation of affordable, compostable takeaway packaging, manufactured in Uganda using sugarcane waste and supplied to the UK, EU, and African markets.
We are a pre‑revenue, pre‑factory startup, raising capital to launch our first manufacturing site and scale across multiple countries.
We are looking for a Manufacturing & Supply Chain Co‑Founder — not an employee — who wants to build a factory from the ground up and own the outcome.
Role Purpose
As Co‑Founder and Director of Manufacturing & Supply Chain, you will own the creation, economics, and reliability of Jetpac’s first factory.
You are accountable for taking the business from:
- No factory
To
- A commissioned, stable, and scalable manufacturing operation with validated unit economics
This is not a delegated operations role.
This is ownership of outcomes.
Scope of Ownership (Phase 1: Factory Design, Launch & Stabilisation)
1. End‑to‑End Factory Build
You will:
- Lead site evaluation and factory layout design (flow, utilities, safety)
- Translate product requirements into production and equipment specifications
- Procure, install, test, and commission all equipment
- Deliver a fully documented Manufacturing Readiness Plan before launch
Success measure: A factory that runs reliably, not just one that looks complete.
2. Integrated Manufacturing & Supply Chain Economics
You will jointly own:
- Cost‑per‑unit economics (materials, labour, utilities, scrap, maintenance)
- Yield, uptime, and throughput
- Raw‑material consistency and supplier performance
- Inventory levels and cash efficiency
There is one scoreboard, not two departments.
3. Supply Chain Creation from Zero
You will:
- Source and qualify raw materials, consumables, spares, and logistics partners
- Negotiate pricing, MOQs, payment terms, and long‑term supply reliability
- Design inbound logistics and warehousing to support production stability
Supply chain decisions must support manufacturing reality, not theoretical optimisation.
4. Quality, Compliance & Credibility
You will:
- Establish pragmatic, startup‑appropriate quality systems (e.g. HACCP, GMP, ISO‑aligned)
- Build QC protocols for incoming materials, in‑process control, and finished goods
- Prepare the factory for audits, certifications, and customer approvals
You are empowered to stop production when quality or safety is at risk.
5. Team, Systems & De‑Risking the Future Split
You will:
- Hire and develop early production, maintenance, QA, and warehouse staff
- Build systems, SOPs, and performance dashboards from day one
- Ensure knowledge is embedded in the organisation, not trapped in your head
A core expectation of this role is to reduce founder dependency over time, enabling a future structure with separate Manufacturing and Supply Chain leadership.
Role Evolution (Explicit)
This role is intentionally combined for Phase 1.
Following factory stabilisation and scale:
- Manufacturing execution and Supply Chain management are expected to diverge
- You may continue to lead both, lead one, or transition into a higher‑level operational role, depending on company growth and strengths
Designing for this evolution is part of your mandate.
Founder Commitment & Compensation
- This is a co‑founder role, not a salaried job
- Prior to funding, compensation is equity‑based, with performance‑linked vesting
- Salary transitions post‑funding and post‑operational milestones
- You must be in Uganda or willing to relocate to Uganda is required during factory build and stabilisation
Equity is earned by de‑risking the business, not by time served.
Required Experience & Profile
Essential
- Direct experience commissioning, scaling, or turning around a manufacturing operation
- Hands‑on understanding of production equipment, processes, and factory systems
- Strong cost discipline and unit economics thinking
- Comfort operating in ambiguous, resource‑constrained environments
- Willingness to take end‑to‑end accountability
Desirable
- Experience sourcing machinery or inputs internationally (China exposure helpful)
- Background in packaging, FMCG, materials, food, or process industries
- Experience supporting fundraising or technical due diligence
What Will Disqualify You
- Preference for a stable salary over ownership risk
- Discomfort with performance‑based equity
- Desire to specialise early instead of owning the whole system
- Aversion to hands‑on factory work in emerging markets
What Success Looks Like (Phase 1)
- Factory commissioned on time and within the agreed capital envelope
- Stable production at validated unit economics
- Reliable supply chain with controlled inventory and cash usage
- Clear SOPs, KPIs, and operational discipline in place
- A team capable of running the factory without daily founder intervention
Final Note
This role is designed to attract builders, not passengers.
If you are motivated by accountability, ownership, and creating something tangible that can scale globally, we should talk.