Operations & People Manager – Artefact Côte d’Ivoire

We are looking for our future Operations & People Manager to join the Abidjan team and contribute to concrete, high-value data projects for local and international clients.

Artefact is a next-generation consulting firm, entirely dedicated to data and AI transformation. With over 2,000 talents across 24 countries, we help organizations fully activate the power of their data to accelerate their performance.

Our Côte d'Ivoire office, based in Abidjan, is one of the fastest-growing hubs of our Francophone Africa expansion. We are a team of around 25 people organised across four technical chapters — Consulting, Data Engineering, Data Analytics and Data Science — serving C-level leaders of leading pan-African and international companies. We plan to double the team in the coming year, and we are building the operational backbone to support that growth.

Our business? Transforming data into measurable business impact.

We intervene across the entire data value chain, including:

• Automation of critical processes through AI
• Optimization and personalization of customer experiences
• Data strategy & digital marketing
• Media steering, measurement & advanced analytics
• Construction and deployment of robust and scalable data solutions

Our expertise is based on over 1,000 clients supported worldwide, including AccorHotels, Orange, Carrefour, Engie, Emirates, Deutsche Telekom, Monoprix, and more.

To support this growth, our Abidjan office is looking for its future Operations & People Manager to bring their energy, analytical eye, and curiosity to our projects in West Africa.

At ARTEFACT-CI, our mission is to transform organizations in the sub-region into AI champions by leveraging the full value of their data. We believe in the power of a unique approach that combines business expertise, cutting-edge technology and ethics in the use of AI. We strive to create an environment where continuous learning, initiative and knowledge sharing are the drivers of collective success.

We are looking for an Operations & People Manager to internalise and lead the finance, people and operations functions that are today largely handled externally. This is a pivotal hire: you will become the Partner's right hand on everything that keeps the office running, freeing leadership to focus on clients and growth. This is a high-potential role designed to grow. You will start by owning the fundamentals and, as the office scales, build and lead a small support team beneath you. The role is scoped to evolve toward a COO mandate for the candidate who demonstrates the judgement and reliability the position demands.

1. Finance (primary) — financial management, cash flow, reporting, compliance.

2. People & Operations — recruitment, talent development, culture, internal processes, social compliance.

3. Marketing & Sales Operations (supporting) — pipeline support, mission profitability.

• Internalise the finance function currently managed by an external provider: bookkeeping, treasury, payroll and management reporting.
• Own cash-flow monitoring, budgeting and the monthly financial reporting cycle to the Partner and Group.
• Ensure full compliance with Ivorian tax and social obligations (DGI, CNPS) and with Artefact Group financial standards.
• Track mission profitability and flag risks to margin early.

• Run the recruitment cycle end to end — sourcing, selection and onboarding — for a fast-growing, junior-heavy team.
• Own the annual evaluation process, staffing and capacity planning, and the day-to-day people operations of the office.
• Build and protect the office culture, and drive talent development and retention in a highly competitive market.
• Ensure employment contracts and HR practices comply with Ivorian labour law.

• Support the commercial pipeline: connect staffing capacity to sales forecasts and help arbitrate resource allocation.
• Contribute to the operational discipline behind proposals, client onboarding and mission set-up.

We are hiring for potential and judgement, not just for a checklist of past titles. The ideal candidate has a solid finance foundation, a genuine appetite for hands-on operational work, and the ambition to grow into a leadership role as the office scales.

• 4 to 7 years of relevant experience, typically from a top audit or consulting firm and/or a finance role in a company.
• Strong finance foundation — management control, reporting, cash flow; comfort with numbers and with owning them.
• A real appetite for operational, hands-on work — you want to build and run things, not only advise on them.
• Genuine interest in the people dimension: recruitment, team development and culture, not treated as an afterthought.
• Sound judgement under pressure and the ability to make and defend decisions autonomously.
• Fluency in French; professional working English.
• Deep familiarity with the Ivorian business, legal and talent environment.

• Prior operational experience in a company (financial control, operations or country management).
• Entrepreneurial experience — having built, run or scaled something of your own.
• Exposure to a scale-up or fast-growth environment.

• Scope — a rare breadth for a single role: finance, people and operations, at the heart of a growing office.
• Growth — a clear path to build a team beneath you and to evolve the mandate toward COO.
• Proximity — you work directly alongside the Partner, with real ownership and real decisions from day one.
• Mission — you help build Artefact's presence in Francophone Africa and contribute to developing the continent's data and AI talent.

No fuss, we just want to get to know you:

1. First contact by phone/video: We discuss your background, your projects, and what motivates you (30 min, relaxed)
2. First online technical test: Tests your logic, skills, and speed
3. Technical challenge: A practical data analysis case study to see how you approach problems
4. Team meeting: You meet your future manager and team members to see if it's a good fit (30-45 min)
5. Offer: Sending the offer.

📩 Want to join the adventure? Click to apply!

At Artefact, we recruit talent. Be yourself and show us what makes you unique!