The Associate Manager, Strategy & Operations will play a critical role in driving execution of the strategic priorities across the business. Sitting within the intersection of the CEO and Finance Office, this role combines strategy, operational execution, and financial analysis to ensure alignment between company goals and day-to-day delivery. The role will act as a force multiplier for the leadership team — translating strategy into execution, driving cross-functional initiatives, and ensuring high-impact projects are delivered on time and with rigor. This position is integral to scaling Pula’s operations, improving decision-making, and supporting key strategic initiatives including growth, operational efficiency, and new ventures. Key Responsibilities
Strategy Office
Partner closely with the senior leadership to define, refine, and track company strategy and priorities
Drive execution of key strategic initiatives across business units (Insurance, Data, Consulting, Pula Re, new ventures)
Prepare high-quality materials for board, investors, and leadership (strategy decks, performance reviews, decision memos)
Act as a central coordination point for cross-functional initiatives, ensuring alignment and accountability
Operations & Execution
Lead special projects from concept to execution, including operational improvements, new market entry, and internal transformation initiatives
Track and drive delivery against company OKRs and strategic milestones
Identify inefficiencies and implement scalable processes across teams
Strategic Finance & Decision Support
Build financial models, business cases, and scenario analyses to support strategic decisions (e.g., pricing, expansion, M&A, new products)
Support budgeting, forecasting, and performance tracking in partnership with Finance
Analyze business performance across units and geographies, identifying risks and opportunities
Support capital planning, investor reporting, and fundraising/IPO readiness initiatives
Governance & Performance Management
Support governance processes including board and committee coordination, reporting, and follow-ups
Drive accountability across teams by tracking key metrics and ensuring timely execution
Establish and monitor KPIs across business units and strategic initiatives
Ensure transparency and consistency in reporting across the organization
Who you are
Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science, Business, Finance, Economics, Engineering, or a related field; MBA preferred
8+ years of experience in strategy, consulting, investment banking, corporate strategy, or high-growth startups
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to structure complex problems and drive solutions
Experience in financial modeling, business case development, and strategic planning
Strong understanding of operations and ability to drive execution in a fast-paced environment
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with ability to engage senior leadership
High ownership mindset with a bias for action and results
Ability to work across multiple geographies and functions in a dynamic, multicultural environment
Experience in insurance, fintech, or emerging markets is an added advantage
What Pula will bring to the table:
Growth potential: At Pula, we are building systems that enable farmers worldwide to access insurance, using technology to insure these previously uninsured worldwide. We work in over 19 countries across Africa and Asia, and by 2023, have facilitated crop insurance coverage to over 5 million farmers, 40% of which are women. We are for-profit and have raised over $25 million from leading venture and institutional investors as well as developed philanthropic relationships with private foundations and bilateral donors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and German Insure Resilience Solutions Fund that have accelerated investments in our target markets. - Market Leader: Not only is the opportunity massive, but Pula is by far the market leader in its category with 11m farmers insured as of 2023. - Solid: Pula has been funded by leading venture capital investors (Omidyar Network, ACCION, MercyCorps) and global philanthropic institutions (MasterCard Foundation, CGAP/World Bank as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation). Pula closed an oversubscribed $20m series B funding despite the economic downturn. - Respected: Winner of the Singapore FinTech Festival 2019, Winner of The InsureTech of the Award, Africa. Featured on TED talks, The New York Times, and The Economist. - Impact and creation: This is a high-impact role that offers a unique opportunity to bring the company to the next level, whilst developing new strategies, approaches, and ideas. - Leadership: The founders & CEO foster a culture of transparency, respect, high performance, pragmatism, execution, and personal development. - Purpose: It is rare to find a professional opportunity that offers accelerated professional development and a life purpose. Pula is going through a second phase of accelerated growth that will naturally provide professional development, whilst contributing to the financial stability of small-scale farmers in the emerging markets. - Remuneration: Competitive base salary according to seniority and experience, commission on closed sales, and an employee share option plan that offers an attractive equity upside.
