Introduction
The business Fresh Food is a national company operating in many areas across the United Kingdom. It operates in the tertiary sector as it provides a service to customers and does not create or harvest materials. It is a relatively large company and currently employs 460 people and has a turnover of 18 million per annum. Fresh Food sells a vast variety of products including groceries, drinks, baked food and electrical goods such as phone top-ups, lottery tickets, gas and electric cards.
There are a large amount of competitors in the market located all across the country; food is a multi billion market and thus there are superstores, convenience shops and corner shops all selling the same product. Large competitors include Tesco, ASDA, Waitrose, the Co-operative and Iceland (Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p. 47). Small local businesses close to each individual outlet are also competitors and are viewed regularly for potential opportunities and threats.
Opportunities and threats
The business has directions it could take to boost profit and sales. Our company is popular and successful in its home market. This is by considering expanding abroad, possible locations include the United States, France or Spain. Building physical locations there would generate attention from the surrounding residents. Depending on how the first few shops perform, there will be either further expansion or a withdrawal from the company. The world is considered a global market, many companies sell products online and this reaches new demographics (Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p. 45). Fresh Food could start a delivery service to customers, more employees and vehicles and machinery would be needed for this.
Job title: chief financial manager
Duties and responsibilities
- Responsible for managing all of the financial factors and issues of the business and helping the business meet its goals and objectives
- Presenting financial information to the C.E.O and the board of directors
- Ensure cash is readily available and that the business has good liquidity
- Responsible for the staff below them in the chain of command, finding them appropriate work and ensuring they are trained. (Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p. 50).
- Carry out performance reviews on the heads of finance twice a year
- Receive and evaluate information on the performances reviews from the head of accounts and the head of finances
- Research the current financial environment and stay dated on information
- Produce yearly budgets for each sector of the business
- Produce the main accounts for the business including annual revenue and expenditure, profit and loss and the fiscal accounts
- Evaluate long term plans in respect to finance
Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree in business administration or commerce
- Computer literate
- A minimum three years progressively responsible job related experience
- Excellent communication skills-written, verbal with clear neutral accent, active listening and public relation
- Courtesy, tact and ability to work in a team environment
- Able to promote and initiate work processes and complete given assignment with minimum supervision and to possess high sense of confidentiality and initiative
- Excellent interpersonal skills; reliable, enthusiastic, upbeat personality
Job title: project manager
Duties and responsibilities
- Project manager would be also expected to perform the following specific responsibilities
- Act as a liaison between the school and architects, contractor, quantity surveyors, etc (Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p. 47).
- Attend pre-site and on-site meetings during the contract, liaise with a range of other professionals involved in the project
- Plan and schedule project timelines and milestones using appropriate tools.
- Efficiently communicate project expectations to stakeholders in ain time and in proper manner
- Draft and submit budget proposals, and recommend subsequent budget changes where necessary.
- Manage project expectations with the school and other stakeholders.
- Provide independent professional advice and guidance.
- Perform other duties as needed or assigned by the Director, related to Phase I or preparations for phase ii.
Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree In Engineering, Quantity Survey or other relevant qualification
- 5 years direct work experience in a building project management capacity
- Ability to read communication styles of members who come from a broad spectrum of disciplines
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Adept to conduct research into project-related issues and products Preferred Qualifications, Skills and Qualities
- Demonstrated experience and success in proposal-writing
- Fluent in both English and Kiswahili
Job title: IT administrator
Requirements
- Provide first level IT user support and technical support including change management for IT enabled business applications as per project or operational needs
- Assist in security risk analysis and risk management in line with availability and IT Service Continuity management
- Ensure that the confidentiality, integrity and availability of IT services and conform to all relevant statutory requirements
- Implement IT contingency and disaster recovery programmes
- Conduct systems analysis to identify user requirements, required system functions and recommend suitable approaches and implementation tools. (Luis, Balkin & Cardy 2008,p19)
- Develop application solutions in response to emerging user needs for new systems or changes to existing systems as required
- Perform technical evaluations to determine suitability of new systems in meeting AERC operational requirements.
- Set up new and maintain existing systems in accordance with established standards and project/operational requirements.
- Assist in the development and implementation of ICT projects Keep inventory of hardware and maintenance records. (Luis, Balkin & Cardy 2008, p 19.)
- Carry out relevant in-house IT training programmes.
Operation manager
Duties and responsibilities
- He is expected to oversee all day-to-day operations of the company
- Involve in hiring, supervising and evaluating employees’ and their job performance.
- Solve and handle issues like risk management, dissatisfaction of clients and employee issues
- Handles Company’s operating budget to determine how much the company has spent and what it can purchase in the near future.
- Expected to set rules and procedures for employees to follow.
- Provide a work environment that engenders positive energy, creativity and teamwork among employees.
- Involve in payroll management, including tabulation of accrued employee benefits.
- Expected to work with Executive Director in creating annual organizational budget and monitoring cash flow (Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p. 47).
- Ensure that Accounting Department requests are timely resolved and communicated to internal and external parties.
Requirements
- A demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards and a diverse workplace
- Ability to challenge and debate issues of importance to the organization.
- Ability to look at situations from several points of view
- Integrity, commitment to service and respect for diversity
- Knowledge in QuickBooks will be an added advantage
- Must be a self-starter who requires minimum supervision and ready to work under pressure.
- Persuasive with details and facts
- Delegate responsibilities effectively
- Excellent interpersonal skills and a collaborative management style.
- Budget development and oversight experience(Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p. 47).
- Experience and competence in Microsoft packages especially Advanced Excel and Word
- At least three years book keeping experience.
- Knowledge of tax and other compliance implications of non-profit status.
- At least 3 years experience in Financial Management
Accountant
Duties and responsibilities
- Assist in the daily financial accounting procedures of projects including recording all cash, cheque and bank transfer transactions, maintain cash and bank ledgers.
- Register all financial transactions in the accounting system and maintain accounting records according to agreed standards.
- Update and maintain the Fixed Assets Register.
- Process and make payments as provided in the approved budget and ensure that proper authorization is obtained for all disbursements and proper financial documentation is used
- Undertake some of the monthly closing procedures including bank reconciliations, creditors’ reconciliations, staff accounts and Petty cash audit.
- Liaise with procurement in ensuring all documentation complies with budgets and procurement policies and procedures.
Requirements
- A Bachelor’s degree in Commerce – Finance or accounting option.
- Must have relevant accounting qualifications – CPA finalist or ACCA Knowledge and experience.
- At least 4 years accounting experience in a busy office.
- Experience and competence in Microsoft packages especially Advanced Excel and Word.
- Experience in the use of one or more accounting software packages.
- Experience in accounting in different currencies.
- Knowledge and experience with the International Accounting Standards skills(Kotter & Cohen, 2002, p. 47).
- Should have the ability to work independently, under pressure and meet strict deadlines.
- Fluent in both English and Kiswahili
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Respect in dealing with others.
- Courtesy, tact and ability to work in a team environment
How to apply
Interested persons with the required background and experience are invited to submit their application to the operation manager on the below address, on or before 5th April 2011. Detailed curriculum vitae will be required. Also, include your current and expected remuneration and contact details of three referees. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews. Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification. Sent your application to this email:
Choosing and selection methods
The selection methods would be based majorly on the ability of the candidate to meet all the requirements for the post and his or her ability to pass the interviews that would be provided. However, if two or more candidates would have similar qualification, then the selection board would have to consider the high school certificates and other abilities outside the requirements of the job e.g., whether the applicant was an active participant of the extra curriculum activities. Therefore the applicants are requested to include other certificates besides the one listed in the requirement section
Interview programme
Interview programme would be part of the selection process. Some of the questions that would be included during the interview and their rationale are given below.
Where do you see yourself five years from now?
This question would be used to find out people who know what they want to do and who are focused on specific professional goals
Now that you have had a chance to learn more about us, what would you change about our company?
This question would be used to seek a middle ground employer who may not come in and shake up the place nor who have nothing to add to the company.
We all have weaknesses. What are some of your major weaknesses?
This question will be used to determine whether the applicant’s weakness might affect the company’s future performance.
What are the major reasons for your success?
This will be used to distinguish between the self-centred and the team player applicants
Induction programme
The successful applicants will be taken through the induction programme. This programme has the following components
Administration component
Whereby the employee will be provided with:
Details of any company pension scheme
A copy of any procedures and handbooks
Uniforms and standard equipment they will use
Terms and conditions of employment section
Whereby the following will be provided with:
- Hours of work - including breaks
- Sickness and holiday procedures
- Disciplinary and grievance procedures
- Tour of the premises section
Whereby the new workers will be shown where they will be working. They would also be shown the location of any facilities.
Introduction to the job
Whereby workers are taken through what their job entails and how this fits in with the rest of the business.
Personal reflections
Management is an important factor of production in any organization. It comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal.(Luis, Balkin & Cardy 2008, p 19.). As an operation manager, I experienced five important aspects of management that are related to the management.
Coordination
I experienced that coordination is an important aspect of management. Various sectors of the organizations like production sector, marketing sector finance sector and any other sector must be work dependently in order to ensure that the goal of the organization is achieved(Luis, Balkin & Cardy 2008, p 19.).
Qualification of the employees
From my own experience, I realized that an employer with average qualification in almost all spheres of life is better than a first class employer who is just conversant on one area, academic sector.
Management system
I felt that computer and online system is currently an important component of management in that it facilitates several aspects such as coordination, advertisement, record keeping and assists in time management (Luis, Balkin & Cardy 2008, p 19.).
Emerging issues
I found out that issues like employer-employee relationship or employee-employee relationship are inevitable in such a social environment and hence the issue of HIV/AIDS should be part of the induction programme so to reduce HIV/AIDS cases in the organization.
Corruption
Corruption has been a common phenomenon in most of the management. It has been a difficult thing to control. However, from my experience, the reason for it being a persistent threat is that it is mainly initiated by the top executive and is well planned among the other employers hence finding the root cause is difficult. Nonetheless, it is possible to control if only the top executives can be accountable and transparent.
Conclusion
Fresh food is the fast growing organization in UK. We are looking for applicants who are confident, a great voice, enthusiastic manner to fill up the above positions of who will work together with other functional employees in achieving the company goals. The company is dedicated to ensure that its services are to the international standards to compete favourably with other companies like ASDA companies. It is also dedicated in ensuring that their service reaches a wider coverage and that is why this company intent to recruit IT specialized. It is also important to note that applicants with ability to use more than four languages have an added advantage.
References
Kotter, J. P. & Cohen, D. S. 2002. The Heart of Change. Boston: Harvard Business School
Publishing. Pp. 45-51
Luis .R., Balkin D.B. & Cardy R.L. 2008. Management: People, Performance, Change, 3rd
edition. New York, New York USA: McGraw-Hill. pp. 19
Paauwe, J. 2009. 'HRM and Performance: Achievement, Methodological Issues and
Prospects' Journal of Management Studies, 46 (1)
Becker, B. & Gerhart, B. 1996. 'The impact of human resource management on
organisational performance' Academy of Management Journal 39 (4) pp.779-801
