Projects & Operations Lead (Remote, West Africa hours, possible quarterly travel to Nigeria)

I run a portfolio of businesses and projects across manufacturing, consumer products, e-commerce and software, with most of the physical work in Lagos, Nigeria though I also have outsourced operations in the UK. I need a senior, hands-on Projects & Operations Lead to own delivery across that portfolio and keep me out of day-to-day execution. The role starts with a 3-month paid probation period. Confirmation into the permanent role depends on the 90-day outcomes below: owning 3 to 5 projects, milestones delivered on budget, and a measurable drop in my involvement in routine follow-up.

This is not a virtual assistant, project coordinator or research role. You will be accountable for outcomes: budgets, deadlines, suppliers and contractors. You will manage a Lagos-based Field Associate who is already in place and acts as your eyes and hands on the ground, and you will work with an AI agent setup that handles research, drafting, financial models and documentation. Your job is to direct both, verify what they produce, negotiate, chase, d ---------- and deliver.

READ THESE TWO POINTS FIRST
1. Hours: you work West Africa Time (UTC+1). That is roughly 4:00pm to 12:00am Manila time, Monday to Friday, with occasional calls outside that. Do not apply if this does not work for you long term.
2. Travel: you may be required to spend at least one week in Lagos every quarter, plus additional trips for critical project phases. Occasional travel to China for supplier visits, factory inspections and sourcing is also possible. You must be able and willing to obtain the necessary visas and travel. Flights and accommodation are covered.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Own 3 to 5 active projects end to end, from brief to completed deliverable, within approved budgets.
• Select, negotiate with and manage suppliers, manufacturers, fabricators, developers and other contractors. Chase delivery until work is finished on the agreed date.
• Direct the Field Associate: set their visit schedule, specify exactly what evidence they bring back (photos, measurements, documents), and approve contractor payments only against that evidence.
• Brief the AI agents, review their output critically, and never act on an unverified number, price or supplier.
• Turn my voice notes and instructions into committed action plans with owners and dates.
• Raise risks early with a recommended course of action, not just a description of the problem.
• Within 90 days, take over maintenance of the AI workflows and reduce my involvement in routine follow-up to almost nothing.

WHAT I NEED FROM YOU

• 3+ years delivering projects involving external contractors, suppliers or construction, ideally in an emerging market.
• Experience directing someone remotely who acted on your behalf (field team, site rep, sourcing agent) and being accountable for their work.
• Proof you have personally chased and closed out difficult deliveries: a late contractor, a failed shipment, a supplier dispute.
• Negotiation results you can quantify: savings, better terms, money recovered.
• Daily use of AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Grok or similar) for real work, and the ability to explain a time the tool was wrong and how you caught it.
• Strong written and spoken English. Comfortable being direct with vendors and with me.
• Commercial judgement, discretion and integrity. You will handle money and confidential information without supervision.

NOT REQUIRED

• Advanced Excel or financial modelling. The agents build the models; you need to read one and spot a wrong assumption.
• Research or presentation skills. The agents do this.
• A specific degree. Track record matters more.

NICE TO HAVE

• Prior work with Nigeria or another African market.
• Manufacturing, sourcing or e-commerce background.
• Coordinating software developers as a non-developer.
• Working directly with a founder or owner-operator.

HOW TO APPLY
Reply with:
1. Your CV or profile.
2. Two projects you personally delivered that involved external contractors or suppliers: your role, what went wrong, how you fixed it, and the measurable outcome.
3. One example of directing someone remotely who acted on your behalf, and how you knew their reports were accurate.
4. One example of an AI tool giving you a wrong answer in real work, how you caught it and what you did.
5. Confirmation you can work West Africa Time long term and travel to Nigeria and to China when required, and accept a 3-month probation period.
6. Your salary expectation in USD per month.

Applications that skip items 2 to 5 will not be read. Shortlisted candidates do a paid 48-hour practical assessment: an incomplete project brief, access to an AI assistant, and you are judged on what you verified, what you flagged as uncertain, and which decisions you would take to me versus make yourself. Polish is not scored.