Chief Operating Officer - International

Location: Dubai, UAE | Coverage: GCC & Africa

About the Role:

We are seeking an accomplished Chief Operating Officer - International to lead and scale a growing energy distribution business across the UAE and African markets.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for a commercially driven, entrepreneurial leader with deep experience in downstream oil and gas, fuel distribution or energy logistics. The individual will own regional growth, profitability, operational excellence and market expansion, while building a scalable, high-performing international business.

Reporting directly to the Group CEO and Founders, the COO will oversee multiple country operations, drive new business development and take end-to-end ownership of the consolidated regional P&L.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Regional Strategy & Business Growth:

- Develop and execute the regional business strategy, annual operating plans and growth priorities across the UAE and Africa.

- Lead new-country expansion, including market assessment, licensing, entity setup, partnerships and operational launch.

- Identify opportunities across fuel distribution, bulk supply, fuel management solutions, retail fuel infrastructure and alternative energy.

- Evaluate strategic partnerships, joint ventures and acquisitions to accelerate regional growth.

2. P&L and Financial Management:

- Own regional revenue, volumes, gross margins, EBITDA, cash flow and overall profitability.

- Drive pricing discipline, working capital optimisation, credit management and receivables collection.

- Establish robust business reviews, forecasting mechanisms and performance metrics across countries.

- Allocate capital effectively across fleet, storage, infrastructure and technology investments.

3. Operations, Supply Chain & Safety:

- Oversee end-to-end fuel distribution operations, including procurement, storage, depots, fleet management, dispatch and last-mile delivery.

- Build strategic relationships with national oil companies, refiners, importers and fuel distributors.

- Ensure high standards of health, safety, environment and operational compliance across all markets.

- Standardise operating processes and service quality while adapting to local market requirements.

4. Commercial & Customer Leadership:

- Build and manage relationships with large enterprise customers across mining, construction, logistics, agriculture, real estate and industrial sectors.

- Lead strategic negotiations, tenders, long-term supply agreements and key account development.

- Build recurring revenue streams, diversify the customer base and strengthen customer retention.

- Establish country-level sales strategies, pricing frameworks and performance-linked incentives.

5. Market Expansion & Regulatory Management:

- Lead market-entry execution, including operating licences, supply arrangements, infrastructure deployment and local team development.

- Build relationships with government authorities, energy regulators, industry bodies and strategic partners.

- Ensure compliance with local regulations, anti-bribery requirements, sanctions, taxation and corporate governance standards.

- Assess new business opportunities and develop commercially viable operating models.

6. Leadership & Organisation Building:

- Recruit, develop and lead country heads and regional functional leaders.

- Build a culture of accountability, profitable growth, operational discipline and customer focus.

- Develop local talent, succession plans and performance management frameworks.

- Work closely with the India headquarters across finance, technology, product and shared services.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

- 18+ years of overall professional experience, ideally within the 18 - 25 year range.

- At least 7 years in senior leadership positions such as COO, CEO, CBO, Managing Director, Regional Head or Business Unit Head, with full P&L responsibility.

- Strong experience in downstream oil and gas, fuel distribution, energy, bulk logistics or a comparable asset-intensive B2B business.

- Proven experience managing operations across multiple countries, with direct exposure to both the GCC and Sub-Saharan Africa.

- Demonstrated success in launching new markets, building operations from the ground up and scaling businesses profitably.

- Strong understanding of fuel supply chains, commercial contracts, pricing, working capital and regulatory frameworks.

- Experience managing large enterprise customers and negotiating complex, long-term commercial agreements.

- Exposure to technology-enabled business models and entrepreneurial or high-growth organisations.

Education:

- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business Administration or a related discipline.

- MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification preferred.

Leadership Attributes:

- Entrepreneurial mindset with strong ownership and execution orientation.

- Commercially astute, with a sharp focus on profitability, cash flow and sustainable growth.

- Strong operational discipline and an uncompromising commitment to safety and compliance.

- Credible senior stakeholder management and negotiation skills.

- Ability to lead distributed teams across diverse geographies and cultures.

- Comfortable operating in dynamic environments with frequent regional travel.

Location & Travel:

- Base: Dubai, UAE.

- Geographic responsibility: UAE and existing and prospective African markets.

- Travel: Approximately 40 - 50% across operating and expansion markets.

- Language: Fluent English required; Arabic, French or Portuguese would be an advantage.

Interested professionals with strong international P&L leadership experience in fuel distribution, downstream energy or related industries are invited to apply or connect confidentially.