Overview

We are Recruting!

Our client, a leading Grocery Store Chain, is looking for a Butchery Country Manager to join their team in Lusaka, Zambia.Local business directory

If you are interested or would like to know more, please click the link below.

Role Purpose

The Butchery Country Manager is responsible for leading and directing the entire butchery function across over 40 stores in Zambia. This includes strategic planning, operational excellence, team capability development, procurement oversight, product quality management, regulatory compliance, and the achievement of sales, margin, and shrinkage targets. The role drives the national vision for best‑in‑class butchery operations while ensuring consistent customer experience, food safety standards, and sustainable growth.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute the national butchery strategy aligned with the retailer’s overall business objectives.
• Lead product range planning, category performance reviews, and competitive benchmarking.
• Identify growth opportunities, new product lines, and value‑added services to improve customer satisfaction and revenue.

Operational Management

• Oversee butchery operations in all stores, ensuring correct implementation of processes, SOPs, merchandising standards, and HACCP requirements.
• Conduct regular store visits to monitor quality, hygiene, production, staffing, yields, and adherence to safety standards.
• Drive operational KPIs across sales, margins, waste reduction, shrinkage control, customer service, and inventory accuracy.
• Monitor daily, weekly, and monthly performance reports and implement corrective action plans.

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Product Quality & Food Safety

• Ensure all stores follow stringent hygiene, sanitation, and cold‑chain protocols.
• Oversee product freshness, cutting standards, portioning accuracy, trimmings control, and packaging quality.
• Work with QA teams to conduct audits and ensure compliance with Zambian food safety regulations and global retail standards.

Procurement & Supplier Management

• Collaborate with central procurement to source reliable suppliers for meat, packaging, equipment, and consumables.
• Evaluate supplier performance, negotiate pricing, manage contracts, and ensure consistent supply and quality.
• Monitor market prices, cost fluctuations, and implement pricing strategies to maintain competitive positioning.

Financial Performance

• Develop annual budgets and financial forecasts for the butchery division.
• Control COGS, labour costs, production yields, and waste to achieve targeted margins.
• Analyse P&L statements and drive profitability initiatives across all regions.

People Leadership & Training

• Lead recruitment, onboarding, skills development, and succession planning for butchery teams nationwide.
• Implement regular training programs on cutting techniques, hygiene, customer service, and product knowledge.
• Promote a culture of excellence, accountability, safety, and teamwork.

Customer Experience

• Ensure all stores deliver a high‑quality customer experience through product availability, freshness, service skills, and store presentation.
• Address customer complaints and implement long-term service improvement initiatives.

Key Competencies

• Strong leadership and team management abilities
• Deep knowledge of meat processing, cutting techniques, and production yields
• Strong understanding of retail operations and merchandising
• Excellent negotiation and supplier management skills
• Financial literacy and P&L management
• HACCP, food safety, and cold‑chain expertise
• Problem-solving and decision-making competency
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, multi‑store environment

Qualifications & Experience

• Diploma or Degree in Food Science, Agriculture, Retail Management, or related field (advantageous).
• Minimum 7–10 years’ experience in butchery management within retail supermarkets.
• Experience managing multiple stores or operating at regional/country level.
• Strong background in production planning, quality control, and food safety systems (HACCP certification preferred).
• Proven track record of achieving sales, margin, and waste‑control targets.

Working Conditions

• National travel across all store locations.
• Combination of office environment, production areas, and store floors.
• Must adhere to safety, PPE, and hygiene standards at all times.

• Develop and execute the national butchery strategy aligned with the retailer’s overall business objectives.
• Lead product range planning, category performance reviews, and competitive benchmarking.
• Identify growth opportunities, new product lines, and value‑added services to improve customer satisfaction and revenue.
• Oversee butchery operations in all stores, ensuring correct implementation of processes, SOPs, merchandising standards, and HACCP requirements.
• Conduct regular store visits to monitor quality, hygiene, production, staffing, yields, and adherence to safety standards.
• Drive operational KPIs across sales, margins, waste reduction, shrinkage control, customer service, and inventory accuracy.
• Monitor daily, weekly, and monthly performance reports and implement corrective action plans.
• Ensure all stores follow stringent hygiene, sanitation, and cold‑chain protocols.
• Oversee product freshness, cutting standards, portioning accuracy, trimmings control, and packaging quality.
• Work with QA teams to conduct audits and ensure compliance with Zambian food safety regulations and global retail standards.
• Collaborate with central procurement to source reliable suppliers for meat, packaging, equipment, and consumables.
• Evaluate supplier performance, negotiate pricing, manage contracts, and ensure consistent supply and quality.
• Monitor market prices, cost fluctuations, and implement pricing strategies to maintain competitive positioning.
• Develop annual budgets and financial forecasts for the butchery division.
• Control COGS, labour costs, production yields, and waste to achieve targeted margins.
• Analyse P&L statements and drive profitability initiatives across all regions.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, skills development, and succession planning for butchery teams nationwide.
• Implement regular training programs on cutting techniques, hygiene, customer service, and product knowledge.
• Promote a culture of excellence, accountability, safety, and teamwork.
• Ensure all stores deliver a high‑quality customer experience through product availability, freshness, service skills, and store presentation.
• Address customer complaints and implement long-term service improvement initiatives.

• Strong leadership and team management abilities
• Deep knowledge of meat processing, cutting techniques, and production yields
• Strong understanding of retail operations and merchandising
• Excellent negotiation and supplier management skills
• Financial literacy and P&L management
• HACCP, food safety, and cold‑chain expertise
• Problem-solving and decision-making competency
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, multi‑store environment

• Diploma or Degree in Food Science, Agriculture, Retail Management, or related field (advantageous).
• Minimum 7–10 years’ experience in butchery management within retail supermarkets.
• Experience managing multiple stores or operating at regional/country level.
• Strong background in production planning, quality control, and food safety systems (HACCP certification preferred).
• Proven track record of achieving sales, margin, and waste‑control targets.