Business Head – Scholastic, Trading and Printing

Posted: posted 5 days ago

Job Description

Role Purpose

We are seeking an experienced and commercially driven Business Head to take full ownership of Picfare’s top line and bottom line across its three core business verticals: Scholastic (exercise books, school supplies, stationery manufacturing), Trading (paper products, office supplies, distribution and retail), and Printing (commercial offset, security, flexographic/label printing).

This is a P&L leadership role. The successful candidate will operate as an autonomous profit centre head, directly accountable for revenue growth, cost management, margin improvement, and overall profitability. While a technical background in a similar industry is preferred, the critical requirement is a leader who deeply understands the commercial side – someone who can drive sales, manage distribution, grow market share, and build customer relationships while ensuring manufacturing operations run efficiently.

Picfare has strong operational systems and SOPs already in place with SAP integration. The priority for this role is to leverage these foundations to accelerate growth, expand the retail and distribution footprint, develop export markets, and maximise profitability across all three verticals.

Key Responsibilities

Top Line & Bottom Line Ownership

• Full accountability for Picfare’s revenue (top line) and profitability (bottom line) across all three business verticals
• Set and deliver annual and quarterly targets for sales, margins, costs, and net profit
• Drive pricing strategy, product mix optimisation, and cost control to maximise profitability
• Manage working capital efficiently – paper inventory levels, receivables, and cash flow
• Deliver monthly and quarterly business performance reviews to the Board and Group CEO with clear variance analysis and corrective actions

Scholastic Division

• Lead the manufacturing and sales of exercise books, school supplies, and stationery products – Picfare’s core volume driver serving millions of students across Uganda and the region
• Drive market share growth in the education sector through competitive pricing, quality consistency, and institutional partnerships with schools and education bodies
• Expand product range and develop new scholastic categories to deepen market penetration
• Strengthen the import substitution positioning – capture demand currently met by imported scholastic products

Trading Division

• Manage and grow the paper products and office supplies trading business across Picfare’s retail outlet network
• Drive retail outlet expansion – identify new locations, manage outlet-level P&L performance, and build a strong direct-to-customer channel across Uganda
• Strengthen distribution networks for both institutional (B2B) and retail (B2C) channels
• Develop and grow export markets across East Africa and the broader African continent
• Optimise paper sourcing and inventory management to maintain competitive pricing while protecting margins

Printing Division

• Grow the commercial and security printing business across flexographic and offset printing capabilities – deepen relationships with corporates, financial institutions, and government agencies
• Leverage Picfare’s unique position as Uganda’s first government-approved security printer to expand this high-value segment
• Lead the strategic expansion into gravure printing – evaluate investment requirements, build technical capabilities, and develop the market for gravure-printed products
• Expand label printing capabilities and develop new printing service lines across all three technologies (flexo, offset, gravure)
• Ensure the in-house design studio delivers high-quality, client-ready creative output that differentiates Picfare from competitors
• Drive technology upgrades in printing capabilities to stay ahead of market requirements

Operations & Manufacturing

• Oversee production operations across the Njeru factory complex and the new Namanve Industrial Park facility
• Ensure production efficiency, quality consistency, and cost optimisation across all departments
• Leverage existing SAP integration and SOPs to drive continuous improvement and operational discipline
• Oversee the commissioning and ramp-up of the Namanve facility to serve the Kampala market and regional exports
• Manage a multi-shift workforce, driving productivity, safety compliance, and skills development

People & Organisation

• Build a strong second line of leadership across all functional areas (production, quality, commercial, retail, design, finance)
• Implement structured training and development programmes to build internal capabilities
• Foster a culture of accountability, customer focus, and continuous improvement
• Report to the Board of Directors and Group CEO with full autonomy on day-to-day operational and tactical decisions

Candidate Profile

Essential Qualifications & Experience

• Engineering degree (B.Tech / B.E.) in Printing Technology, Paper Technology, Packaging Technology, or a related discipline from a recognised institution – technical background in a similar industry is preferred
• MBA or equivalent business management qualification strongly preferred
• Minimum 15–20 years of progressive experience in paper products, stationery, printing, packaging, or FMCG manufacturing/distribution, with at least 5 years in a Business Head, General Manager, or P&L leadership role
• Demonstrated top line and bottom line ownership – proven track record of growing revenue and improving profitability in a manufacturing-cum-distribution business
• Strong understanding of commercial operations: sales management, distribution networks, retail channel management, and institutional/B2B selling
• Experience managing multi-location operations including manufacturing plants and retail/distribution outlets

Desired Skills & Competencies

• Strong commercial acumen is the most critical requirement – ability to drive sales, manage key accounts, build distribution channels, and grow market share
• Understanding of printing processes (offset, flexographic, and gravure) and paper conversion – sufficient to make informed technical decisions and manage production teams effectively. Experience with gravure printing expansion or setup is a distinct advantage
• Experience with government and institutional supply contracts (education sector, security printing, corporate supplies)
• ERP/SAP experience in a manufacturing and distribution context
• Familiarity with paper sourcing, inventory management, and input cost management strategies
• Experience working in Africa or other international markets outside India is a significant advantage
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to operate autonomously while maintaining alignment with group-level strategy
• Fluent English communication (spoken and written); knowledge of Hindi is useful for internal coordination