Director of Strategy & Innovation
About the job
- A bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, Engineering, Strategy, Management, or a related field is required.
- A minimum of 12–15 years of progressive experience in corporate strategy, management consulting, corporate development, business transformation, investment analysis, or executive leadership is required.
- Proven experience developing and executing enterprise-level growth strategies in high-growth, multinational, or emerging-market organizations is required.
- Experience working directly with executive leadership teams, boards, investors, and external stakeholders is required.
- Demonstrated success leading complex cross-functional strategic initiatives and organizational transformation programs is required.
- Ability to define and communicate a compelling long-term vision is required.
- Strong enterprise thinking and the ability to align multiple business units around shared objectives are required.
- Deep understanding of business drivers, growth strategies, market economics, and competitive positioning is required.
- Ability to translate strategic opportunities into measurable business outcomes is required.
- Advanced financial modelling, scenario planning, business case development, and investment analysis skills are required.
- Strong quantitative and qualitative problem-solving capabilities are required.
- Stakeholder management and the ability to influence decisions at executive and board levels are required.
- Communication, presentation, and negotiation skills are required.
- Ability to lead organizational change and strategic transformation initiatives is required.
- Project governance and execution capabilities are required.
- An entrepreneurial mindset with ownership and accountability is required.
- Integrity, resilience, and adaptability are required.
- Ability to operate in dynamic, fast-paced, and evolving environments is required.
- Ability to work independently, take initiative, and manage ambiguity is required.
- Ability to challenge conventional thinking and drive innovative solutions is required.
- Lead the development, refinement, and execution of the corporate strategy, aligning it with the company’s mission, growth ambitions, and financial objectives.
- Partner with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team to define long-term strategic priorities and enterprise-wide goals.
- Develop and oversee the annual strategic planning process and translate strategic priorities into actionable business plans.
- Establish and monitor company-wide strategic objectives, key results, and performance metrics.
- Identify and evaluate growth opportunities, including geographic expansion, new product categories, customer segments, and business models.
- Lead market assessments, feasibility studies, and strategic business cases to support investment decisions.
- Drive strategic initiatives that accelerate revenue growth, market penetration, and operational scalability.
- Evaluate market trends, regulatory developments, competitive dynamics, and technology innovations that could impact the business.
- Develop and manage strategic partnerships that enhance market access, distribution capabilities, innovation, financing, and customer reach.
- Lead strategic negotiations and relationship management with corporate partners, development agencies, investors, and government institutions.
- Assess potential acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, and other corporate development opportunities.
- Lead enterprise-wide business modelling and financial analysis to support major strategic decisions.
- Evaluate investment opportunities, capital allocation decisions, and growth initiatives through financial and commercial assessments.
- Partner with Finance leadership to develop long-range financial plans and scenario analyses.
- Support fundraising through the development of investment cases, strategic narratives, and investor presentations.
- Drive cross-functional strategic initiatives and transformation programs from concept through implementation.
- Monitor execution of strategic priorities and intervene when performance gaps or execution risks emerge.
- Establish governance structures to ensure accountability and delivery against strategic objectives.
- Lead post-implementation reviews and continuous improvement efforts to maximize strategic outcomes.
- Oversee strategic market intelligence efforts to identify industry trends, customer insights, and competitive threats.
- Develop differentiated value propositions and strategic positioning for the company’s products and services.
- Provide actionable insights and recommendations to support executive decision-making.
- Advise the CEO and Executive Leadership Team on critical business decisions.
- Prepare board presentations, strategic updates, business performance reviews, and investment recommendations.
- Support board-level discussions regarding growth strategy, organizational priorities, and long-term value creation.
- Facilitate executive alignment on strategic priorities and resource allocation decisions.
- Build and lead a high-performing strategy function to support enterprise-wide strategic initiatives.
- Develop internal strategic planning capabilities across the organization.
- Foster a culture of data-driven decision-making, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Mentor and coach team members to strengthen analytical, strategic, and leadership capabilities.
- An MBA or other relevant postgraduate qualification is strongly preferred.
- Experience in clean energy, climate technology, consumer products, financial services, development finance, or emerging markets is highly desirable.
About the company
BURN Manufacturing designs and manufactures clean-burning cookstoves in Kenya for the mass market across sub-Saharan Africa, with products sold in 13 countries. The stoves use biomass or electricity and burn fuel more efficiently and with lower emissions than traditional methods. The company earns money by selling carbon credits generated from reduced emissions, which helps subsidize stove costs for low-income households. Its goal is to expand distribution and reduce carbon emissions by delivering affordable, high-quality cooking solutions through a carbon-financed, last-mile distribution model.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Late Stage VC
Total Funding
$48.5M
Headquarters
Vashon, Washington
Founded
2010
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- TDB Group's $80 million 2025 package funds 430,000 households across Mozambique, DRC, and Zambia.
- BURN's 2026 Newcastle? No, Malawi launch and Nigeria factory output show expanding capacity quickly.
- Calyx Global rated BURN's Kenyan project AA on March 2, 2026, boosting credibility.
What critics are saying
- BURN depends on host-country authorizations; Nigeria and DRC approvals took months in 2026.
- Carbon-credit demand is policy-sensitive; CORSIA rules and buyer scrutiny can delay revenue.
- If Article 6 or CORSIA access stalls, BURN loses subsidy funding for stove sales.
What makes BURN MANUFACTURING unique
- BURN secured Article 6 authorizations in Nigeria, DRC, Tanzania, and Ghana during 2026.
- BURN combines local manufacturing with IoT monitoring, enabling traceable carbon-credit generation and sales.
- BURN's Malawi factory and Kano plant anchor continent-scale production near end users.
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1%Ending 2025 on a high: Verra joins Gold Standard in approving Oka as CORSIA policy provider. Dec 19, 2025 As 2025 draws to a close, Oka is making meaningful momentum across sales, partnerships, and underwriting capacity. Read the highlights and find out what's in store for early 2026. Registry approvals: Oka is now embedded in CORSIA I'm thrilled to close out 2025 with news that translates into material tailwinds for Oka as Carbon Insurance Company step into 2026. Today, global carbon registry Verra approved Oka's Corresponding Adjustment Protect (CAP) as an official policy for credits traded under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). The Verra announcement comes two months after fellow registry Gold Standard approved CAP, making it one of the few policies available to developers seeking access to the (world's first) global and mandatory private-sector offsetting scheme. This latest update formalises insurance (and CAP, specifically) as part of the regulatory infrastructure. The policy - now procurement requirement - provides developers with a clearer and faster route to market, while also supporting airlines planning forward purchases before mandatory offsetting enters effect in 2027. Since inception, Oka has designed risk solutions to help the carbon market scale with integrity. This latest milestone supports that ambition directly: * Backed by an approved policy, developers can access the market without delay, injecting much-needed credit supply and returning material commercial benefits. * International airline buyers gain assurance on credit validity and regulatory compliance: a baseline risk-management standard in other mature markets. * By unlocking supply and facilitating early contracting, insurance boosts confidence in the world-first global private sector offsetting scheme - setting an important precedent for climate action. With nearly 50m credits in the CORSIA pipeline, this milestone is just the beginning. With registry approvals in place, Oka has gained fast traction with early movers. Since October, Carbon Insurance Company has been working with a number of leading developers applying for CORSIA tags - just this week, BURN Cookstoves unveiled the first CORSIA credits tagged through CAP. CORSIA stole the headlines this quarter, but CAP is not the only policy making market inroads - and firsts. This quarter, Carbon Insurance Company announced two further partnerships: with Argentinian exchange BACX on insured exchange-traded carbon credits; and with trading platform 1089 on insurance-backed Advanced Fuels Credits. Each is an industry 'first' and brings Carbon Insurance Company closer to establishing embedded insurance as an industry standard, validating Oka's starting thesis that every carbon credit must ultimately carry cover. Together, these partnerships demonstrate how insurance can unlock high-quality supply and lower-friction routes to capital for developers. Building on recent foundations, its 2026 focus will be to scale distribution reach and underwriting capacity. Carbon markets are finally converging: compliance dovetailing with voluntary; local initiatives feeding into national policy and international interoperability. Thanks to the commitment of its team and partners, Oka is concurrently cementing its position as a leading player in the fast-moving global ecosystem. To that end, my focus for next quarter will be boots-on-ground engagement, as I visit and meet with policymakers and developers across its key markets in Asia (January), the Middle East (February), and Africa (March). Expect further partner announcements as pipelines continue to convert to signed placement; additional registry approvals as assessment processes come to a close; and new product and policy innovations as Carbon Insurance Company accelerate progress towards Oka's founding mission.
Kenya's BURN has secured $80 million from TDB Group to expand its clean cookstove operations in Mozambique, DRC, and Zambia, targeting 430,000 households. The investment will subsidize customers in exchange for future carbon credits. BURN's IoT-enabled stoves aim to reduce emissions and indoor air pollution, impacting over 2.1 million people and preventing 3 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions. The funding supports BURN's growth across Africa, enhancing energy access.
Kenya-based BURN has secured a Sh10.4 billion financing package from the Trade and Development Bank (TDB) Group to expand clean cooking solutions in Mozambique, DRC, and Zambia. The funds will help supply clean cookstoves to 430,000 households, benefiting over 2.1 million people and reducing 3 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions. The project uses future carbon credits to subsidize stove costs, aligning with TDB's ASCENT Platform and Mission 300 goal.
Burn Manufacturing, a Nairobi-based climate tech firm, has secured $80 million in funding to expand its clean cooking operations in Zambia, DRC, and Mozambique. The investment, comprising debt and performance-based grants, was facilitated by the Trade and Development Bank Group and supported by the World Bank's ASCENT program. This funding will help distribute Burn's IoT-enabled cookstoves to over 429,000 households, contributing to the Mission 300 initiative to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and the Trade Development Fund (TDFD) have joined forces with the Oil Sustainability Program (OSP) and BURN Manufacturing to roll out a clean cooking initiative aimed at transforming household energy use in Nigeria.