Kivu Choice is Rwanda’s largest protein producer and one of the fastest-growing aquaculture companies in Africa. Founded in 2022, Kivu Choice is the sister company to Victory Farms, East Africa’s leading aquaculture platform based in Kenya. The company operates a fully vertically integrated aquaculture model, encompassing hatchery operations, cage-based grow-out, processing, distribution, and sales. Kivu Choice is also one of the country’s largest employers with over 700 employees and plans to grow to 1,200 employees within the next three years, reflecting its strong commitment to job creation and inclusive economic development. Over the next five years, Kivu Choice aims to scale into Africa’s largest and most sustainable protein producer, producing and distributing 30,000 tons of fish annually for the Rwandan market and for export across the region.

Description:

As a Quality, Health and Safety Manager, your primary responsibilities revolve around ensuring the safety and well-being of employees by conducting risk assessments, implementing safety training, and maintaining compliance with health and safety regulations. Your role includes investigating incidents, developing emergency response plans, and performing safety audits to foster a culture of safety while supporting sustainable practices.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Risk Assessment:
  Identify potential health, safety, environmental, and compliance risks across all operations (farms, hatcheries, fleet, and processing units), and develop practical mitigation strategies to minimize exposure and ensure safe working conditions.

• Regulatory Compliance:
  Ensure full compliance with all applicable environmental, occupational health and safety, and aquaculture-specific regulations. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legal requirements and oversee adherence through policies, procedures, and audits.
• Training and Education:
  Design and deliver training programs to equip staff with knowledge on safety protocols, compliance requirements, emergency procedures, and ethical practices. Promote continuous learning to strengthen a proactive safety culture.
• Incident Investigation:
  Lead the investigation of accidents, incidents, and near misses to determine root causes. Develop and implement corrective and preventive actions and ensure proper documentation and follow-through.
• Emergency Preparedness:
  Develop, implement, and regularly test emergency response plans (e.g., water-related incidents, fire, equipment failure, environmental hazards) to ensure operational readiness and minimize impact.
• Health Monitoring:
  Oversee employee health and wellbeing programs, including occupational health checks, exposure monitoring, and initiatives to prevent work-related illnesses and injuries.
• Reporting:
  Prepare and present regular HSE reports, including key metrics, incident data, compliance status, and risk trends, to support informed decision-making by leadership.
• Collaboration:
  Work closely with cross-functional teams (operations, HR, maintenance, and leadership) to integrate health and safety practices into daily operations and ensure alignment across departments.
• Environmental Management:
  Oversee environmental protection initiatives, including waste management, water quality control, pollution prevention, and sustainable aquaculture practices, ensuring minimal environmental impact.

Skills:

• Risk Assessment Skills
• Analytical & problem-solving Skills
• Attention to Detail
• Interpersonal Skills
• Emergency Response Knowledge
• Technical Proficiency

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in health and safety, Environmental Science, or related discipline.
• Relevant certifications such as first aid, CPR, and emergency response planning.
• Hands-on experience in Health and safety roles.
• Familiarity with Health and Safety standards as well as specific aquaculture regulations.

• Identify potential health, safety, environmental, and compliance risks across all operations (farms, hatcheries, fleet, and processing units), and develop practical mitigation strategies to minimize exposure and ensure safe working conditions.
• Ensure full compliance with all applicable environmental, occupational health and safety, and aquaculture-specific regulations. Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legal requirements and oversee adherence through policies, procedures, and audits.
• Design and deliver training programs to equip staff with knowledge on safety protocols, compliance requirements, emergency procedures, and ethical practices. Promote continuous learning to strengthen a proactive safety culture.
• Lead the investigation of accidents, incidents, and near misses to determine root causes. Develop and implement corrective and preventive actions and ensure proper documentation and follow-through.
• Develop, implement, and regularly test emergency response plans (e.g., water-related incidents, fire, equipment failure, environmental hazards) to ensure operational readiness and minimize impact.
• Oversee employee health and wellbeing programs, including occupational health checks, exposure monitoring, and initiatives to prevent work-related illnesses and injuries.
• Prepare and present regular HSE reports, including key metrics, incident data, compliance status, and risk trends, to support informed decision-making by leadership.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams (operations, HR, maintenance, and leadership) to integrate health and safety practices into daily operations and ensure alignment across departments.
• Oversee environmental protection initiatives, including waste management, water quality control, pollution prevention, and sustainable aquaculture practices, ensuring minimal environmental impact.

• Risk Assessment Skills
• Analytical & problem-solving Skills
• Attention to Detail
• Interpersonal Skills
• Emergency Response Knowledge
• Technical Proficiency

• Bachelor's degree in health and safety, Environmental Science, or related discipline.
• Relevant certifications such as first aid, CPR, and emergency response planning.
• Hands-on experience in Health and safety roles.
• Familiarity with Health and Safety standards as well as specific aquaculture regulations.