Founding International Operations Lead

Company Description: ZuluChain builds financial tools for underserved communities across Africa, enabling marginalized groups to access global markets and receive instant payments, even without smartphones or bank accounts. The company addresses barriers such as geographic isolation, limited documentation, and costly intermediaries that exclude millions of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa from formal financial services. ZuluChain's platform combines digital identity, instant payments, and trade coordination into a single system accessible via basic USSD on feature phones. Users can create verified identities, join cooperative networks, and receive automatic payment for their contributions. The organization is focused on removing intermediaries, delays, and exclusion to enable fair and direct economic participation.

Role Description

The Founding International Operations Lead is a part-time remote role responsible for building and managing ZuluChain's operational footprint across multiple African markets and internationally. This role will oversee day-to-day coordination with local partners, community organizations, and cross-functional internal teams to ensure smooth onboarding, compliance, and service delivery for users on feature phones and other devices. The Operations Lead will design and refine processes for digital identity verification, payment flows, and cooperative network participation, while monitoring performance metrics and resolving operational issues. This position will also contribute to market expansion strategies, pilot program execution, and documentation of operational best practices. As a founding team member, the role involves setting up scalable processes, supporting fundraising and partnerships with data-driven insights, and collaborating closely with product and engineering to adapt the platform to on-the-ground realities.

What Success Looks Like

• Clean and reliable export and trade operations across active corridors
• Strong communication and trust with buyers, cooperatives, and trade partners
• Reduced friction across logistics, documentation, and onboarding
• A repeatable cross-border execution process that can scale into new markets
• Operational data and insights that directly shape product and commercial decisions

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, International Development, or a related field; advanced degree or equivalent practical experience is a plus
• Operational and strategic capabilities, including experience in international operations, process design, and cross-border coordination
• Background in financial services, fintech, or inclusive finance, with familiarity in digital payments, mobile money, or banking alternatives
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including partnership development with local organizations, cooperatives, and NGOs
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data, identify bottlenecks, and propose practical solutions
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, plus the ability to work effectively across cultures and time zones
• Demonstrated ability to work independently in a remote, early-stage environment, prioritizing multiple initiatives with limited resources
• Experience working in or with African markets, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, and understanding of local regulatory and cultural contexts
• Passion for financial inclusion, social impact, and building systems that serve marginalized communities

Compensation

This is a pre-seed role with no salary compensation at this stage. We're offering equity / stock subject to a vesting schedule, aligned with early-stage contribution and long-term value creation. We're looking for someone who understands that this is a founder-like opportunity with high responsibility and long-term upside.

If this sounds like you, reach out to [email protected] or apply through LinkedIn.