About This Role
This is a second-in-command position at a Chinese engineering consultancy operating in Ethiopia's infrastructure space, meaning you would function as the bridge between expatriate leadership and local operations. The role carries real weight — you are not simply executing tasks but shaping how the company runs day-to-day while the General Manager focuses on strategic direction. It suits someone who has already managed people and processes at a senior level and understands how foreign engineering firms operate in Ethiopia.
What the Requirements Say About This Role
The emphasis on "exceptionally qualified" and "strategic" signals that CRTEC is not looking for someone to grow into the role — they want a proven operator who can stabilize and professionalize internal systems immediately. The dual focus on administrative operations and large-scale infrastructure projects suggests they need someone comfortable moving between office governance and field-level project realities. Given the company's Chinese origins, the unspoken requirement is likely the ability to navigate cross-cultural management — coordinating between Chinese leadership expectations and Ethiopian regulatory and labor environments.
How to Approach This Application
Your application should demonstrate that you have managed operations at scale, not just contributed to them — quantify team sizes, budgets, or project portfolios you have overseen. Because the company operates in rail and transit infrastructure, any exposure to transport, construction, or publicly funded projects in Ethiopia gives you a meaningful edge. Address the cross-cultural dimension directly: show that you can translate between international management practices and local execution without friction.
Who This Role Suits
This role is best suited for a seasoned operations or administration director with 10+ years of experience, ideally in engineering, construction, or consultancy, who is comfortable reporting to foreign executive leadership. Competition will be stiff given the executive title and the small pool of professionals in Ethiopia with both infrastructure exposure and senior operational management experience.
China Rail Transit Engineering Consultancy – Ethiopia (CRTEC Ethiopia) is seeking an exceptionally qualified, strategic, and experienced Deputy General Manager – Operations & Infrastructure to support executive leadership in overseeing administrative operations, consultancy services, and large-scale infrastructure projects in Addis Ababa.
Position Overview
- Reports To: General Manager
- Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Employment Type: Full-Time
- Salary: Negotiable
Key Responsibilities
- Executive Oversight & Operational Strategy:
- Direct and streamline company-wide administrative and operational workflows in close alignment with the General Manager.
- Formulate, implement, and periodically review corporate administrative policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and operational frameworks.
- Support long-term strategic planning, resource allocation, and organizational scaling to drive operational efficiency across all business units.
- Infrastructure & Complex Project Supervision:
- Provide high-level administrative, logistical, and operational oversight for major engineering programs, including airport upgrades/construction, road networks, and technical consultancy engagements.
- Conduct regular site inspections and operational reviews to monitor progress, enforce quality controls, and ensure adherence to project baselines and contractual timelines.
- Coordinate project resource deployment, including manpower, equipment, and administrative logistics across multiple active project sites.
- Cross-Functional Leadership & Logistics Management:
- Lead, mentor, and evaluate cross-functional administrative, procurement, and site operations teams.
- Oversee supply chain workflows, transport/fleet operations, equipment dispatch, and facility management across head office and field operations.
- Enforce robust internal control systems to safeguard company assets, optimize overhead costs, and eliminate operational bottlenecks.
- Stakeholder & Partner Relations:
- Act as the main point of contact for government authorities, project partners, clients, and subcontractors.
- Facilitate contractual negotiations, resolve inter-organizational disputes, and ensure smooth inter-agency coordination for statutory approvals and permits.
- Promote strong corporate governance and represent the company in high-level stakeholder meetings and industry forums.
- Compliance, Risk & Performance Monitoring:
- Oversee strict compliance with Ethiopian legal frameworks, regulations, environmental mandates, and civil aviation/road sector standards.
- Establish risk mitigation strategies to address operational, safety, legal, and environmental hazards across all active operations.
- Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) for administrative departments and track operational performance metrics against company goals.
- Executive Reporting & Decision Support:
- Prepare and present comprehensive weekly, monthly, and quarterly administrative, progress, and financial-impact reports for the General Manager and executive board.
- Provide data-driven operational insights and strategic recommendations to support executive decision-making.
Qualification
- Education:
- Master’s Degree (M.Sc./MBA) or Ph.D. in Civil Engineering, Infrastructure, Construction Management, or a closely related engineering field is highly preferred.
- Experience:
- Minimum of 15 (fifteen) years of relevant professional experience in engineering project administration, infrastructure supervision, and operational management.
- Direct track record supervising major infrastructure works (roads, airport projects) and technical consultancy services.
- Competencies & Language:
- Strong leadership capabilities with executive-level decision-making skills.
- Professional fluency in English is mandatory; conversational Chinese is an added advantage.
How To Apply
Interested applicants should email their CV, cover letter, and degree/professional certificates to ht3492@gmail.com or helentesfaye016@gmail.com
Subject Line: Application – Deputy General Manager – [Your Full Name]
Attachment Name: Deputy General Manager – [Your Name] – [Phone Number]
Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
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Deputy General Manager
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