Operations Lead (Black Soldier Fly Project)

Job description:

Key Responsibilities

Development of Operational Standards & Protocols (Pre-production Phase)

● Lead the drafting of all operational standards, protocols, and SOPs based on Korean technical inputs and local conditions.

● Design and document step-by-step workflows for every production station: waste intake, grinding, feeding, rearing, harvesting, drying, separation, and frass processing.

● Draft quality standards and inspection criteria for incoming waste, larvae at each stage, dried final product, and frass.

● Develop biosecurity protocols, hygiene standards, and safety procedures tailored to the Montalban facility.

● Create monitoring systems and forms (daily logs, KPI trackers, checklists) to capture production data consistently.

● Design feeding schedules and feedstock management protocols optimized for locally available waste materials and tropical climate.

● Establish larval health indicators, mortality thresholds, and corrective action procedures.

● Develop draft training materials for production technicians.

● Run pilot trials of all proposed protocols before submitting for approval. Revise based on trial data.

● Submit all draft protocols to the BSF Enterprise Manager for review, feedback, and final approval.

● Organize all approved standards into clear, illustrated SOPs in Tagalog/English for operator use.

Production & Process Management (Production Phase)

● Oversee daily, weekly, and monthly production operations, including larval rearing, feeding schedules, organic waste feedstock management, and harvest cycles.

Jump into any production station (waste grinding, separation, drying) when short-staffed or troubleshooting.

● Track KPIs for yield, mortality rates, feed conversion ratios, and product quality via daily logs.

● Analyze production data to identify inefficiencies, troubleshoot biological or mechanical issues, and implement corrective actions.

● Recommend protocol improvements to the BSF Enterprise Manager based on operational data, new insights, or changing conditions. Implement changes only after approval.

Collaboration with Korean Technical Specialist and International Team – Local Adaptation

● Knowledge Transfer Learn advanced BSF techniques from the Korean Technical

Specialist. Actively assess which techniques are suitable for your local environment, waste characteristics, and resources. Document what works, what fails, and why.

● Local Adaptation & Modification Modify protocols as needed – adjusting feeding schedules for tropical humidity, substituting locally available feed materials, simplifying procedures for local skill levels.

● Pilot & Validate Run small-scale trials of adapted methods. Compare performance against both Korean benchmarks and local baselines. Use data (yield, quality, cost, labor hours) to decide whether to scale, reject, or modify further.

● Feedback Loop Provide structured, honest feedback to the Korean Technical Specialist, International team, and BSF Enterprise Manager about local challenges.

● SOP Localization Translate jointly developed and adapted practices into clear, illustrated, step-by-step SOPs and training materials that reflect local conditions, available tools, and operator language (Tagalog/English mix).

Quality Assurance & Compliance

● Ensure all products meet established quality standards for animal feed, agriculture, and/or industrial applications.

● Perform daily quality checks – inspect incoming waste (reject contaminated loads), monitor dried larvae moisture, check frass for maturity.

● Maintain compliance with hygiene, feed safety, environmental health & safety, and any relevant national certification standards.

● Enforce biosecurity protocols – foot baths, shoe changes, clean/dirty zone separation.

Lead root cause investigations for safety incidents, quality deviations, or production failures, involving the Korean specialist for technical input when needed.

● Collect samples (larvae, frass, water) for lab testing as required.

Facility & Resource Management

● Manage inventory of raw materials (organic waste), supplies, and finished goods.

● Note any malfunctioning equipment (dryers, sieves, fans) and request maintenance through the BSF Enterprise Manager.

● Record temperature, humidity, and run hours of climate control – flag unusual spikes.

● Provide input to the operations budget (labor, materials, utilities) to the BSF Enterprise Manager.

Team Leadership & Development

● Directly supervise 2 Production Technicians (and future hires) – assign daily tasks, check work quality.

● Recruit, train, mentor, and supervise the production team (recommend hiring; Site Manager makes final decision).

● Create weekly shift schedules covering 6-day operations (technicians rotate weekends); request overtime approval from the Enterprise Manager.

● Foster a "curious and honest" culture where operators are encouraged to report what is not working without fear of blame.

● Give daily verbal feedback; participate in formal performance evaluations led by the Enterprise Manager

● Enforce PPE (gloves, boots, masks) and stop any unsafe act immediately.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

● Maintain daily production logs – waste in, larvae out, frass out, mortality, issues – submitted to BSF Enterprise Manager.

● Submit bi-weekly (or agreed schedule) trial results (if any adaptation tests running) to Korean specialist and BSF Enterprise Manager.

● Maintain documentation of Korean production practices, local modifications, trial results, and final decisions.

Participate in monthly operations reviews with the Korean specialist, international team, BSF Enterprise Manager, and relevant departments.