Chief Product, Technology & Data Officer
| Appointment | Mandate |
|---|---|
| Reports to | Chief Executive & Platform Director; direct access to Board Digital & Innovation Committee on material technology/cyber issues |
| Core team | Product management, engineering/vendors, UX, data/analytics, DevOps, QA and technology support |
| Location | Cameroon-first; significant field and partner engagement; regional travel as approved |
| Engagement | Full-time executive appointment; performance-based and subject to formal contract |
| Build horizon | Immediate 0-100 days; short 4-18 months; medium 18-60 months; long 5-10 years |
| Selection standard | Evidence of building, monetising and controlling a real operating platform—not title prestige alone |
THE TEST At interview, the candidate must explain what will be sold in the first 30 days, what cash will settle by Day 100, what must not be built yet, and which numbers would cause the Board to stop expansion.
1. Institutional context
AGRO360 is a Cameroon-first, demand-first and asset-light digital agribusiness operating system. It is designed to connect verified farmers, cooperatives, buyers, suppliers, transporters, processors, and licensed finance, payment, and insurance partners through a single auditable transaction chain. The commercial asset is not an app screen. It is the trusted relationship, fulfilled order, settled payment, legitimate earned fee and reusable transaction history.
The platform will monetise marketplace commissions, product and procurement margins, aggregation, offtake, logistics coordination, processing, subscriptions, training, data/API services and successful partner referrals. Credit, payment, insurance and foreign-exchange activity must remain with appropriately licensed partners unless AGRO360 later obtains the required authority.
2. Purpose of the role
Design, build and operate the modular platform that converts verified agricultural events into orders, fulfilment, settlement, earned revenue and reusable intelligence. The role owns product-market execution, architecture, security delivery, data governance and vendor performance—not technology theatre.
3. Results by horizon
| Horizon | Required outcome |
|---|---|
| Immediate: Day 0-30 | Complete customer research and end-to-end workflows; approve architecture, backlog, data model, transaction ID, fee codes, partner ledger, access model and vendor plan; deliver clickable prototype and admin core; establish IP register, security baseline, release controls and costed XAF 200m MVP envelope. |
| Launch: Day 31-100 | Release a controlled MVP covering role onboarding, catalogue, RFQ/matching, order/invoice, payment status, proof of delivery, dispute, fee engine, reversals and dashboards; support first paid transaction by Day 50; achieve ≥99.0% MVP uptime, daily backups, zero material privacy/cyber incident and 100% reconciliation of system events to settlement evidence. |
| Short term: Month 4-18 | Deliver subscriptions, recurring orders, logistics exchange, production manager, Academy and licensed finance/insurance referral workflows; support 2,000 registered farmers, 200 active buyers and XAF 1bn GMV; reach ≥60% digital/self-service ordering, <0.5% unexplained take-rate leakage and API/enterprise pilot revenue. |
| Medium term: Month 18-60 | Scale secure multi-region/country configuration, traceability, institutional gateway, data products, enterprise APIs, forecasting and route optimisation; support XAF 15bn GMV by Year 3 and XAF 60bn by Year 5; achieve ≥99.9% mature uptime, <0.25% take-rate leakage and independently tested resilience. |
| Long term: Year 5-10 | Evolve AGRO360 into a federated, multilingual, multi-country platform with regional data zones, AI-assisted decisions with human safeguards, interoperable partner rails and reusable country pods; sustain high-margin SaaS/API/data revenue without surrendering AGRO360 IP or customer-data control. |
4. Core accountabilities
Own the product vision, outcome roadmap, prioritised backlog and release scorecard tied to paying customer problems.
Build the event chain: CREATE, MATCH, CONTRACT, FULFIL, SETTLE, EARN and REPEAT; only accepted delivery/settlement may trigger earned revenue.
Implement configurable price books, taxes, partner shares, payables/receivables, reversals and business-line P&L mappings.
Integrate authorised banks, PSPs/mobile money, insurers, logistics, processors and enterprise customers through secure APIs.
Create one transaction identity linking order, invoice, delivery, quality, settlement, revenue and referral events.
Enforce role-based access, MFA, encryption, protected audit logs, secure SDLC, code review, monitoring, incident response, backup and disaster recovery.
Own vendor selection evidence and service levels, while preventing vendor lock-in through source/data rights, portability, escrow/exit protections and documented architecture.
Establish metric definitions for GMV, net revenue, take rate, margin, active users, fulfilment and API MRR; stop incompatible spreadsheet truths.
5. AGRO360 enterprise milestones
| Milestone | Approved planning reference |
|---|---|
| Year 1 base planning case | 2,000 registered farmers; 200 active buyers; XAF 1bn settled GMV; XAF 235m earned revenue; XAF (60m) EBITDA. |
| Year 2 | 10,000 registered farmers; 1,000 active buyers; XAF 5bn GMV; XAF 850m revenue; XAF 150m EBITDA. |
| Year 3 | 30,000 registered farmers; 3,000 active buyers; XAF 15bn GMV; XAF 2.2bn revenue; XAF 550m EBITDA. |
| Year 5 | CEMAC scale; XAF 60bn GMV; XAF 7.5bn revenue; XAF 2.25bn EBITDA. |
| Year 10 | Pan-African platform; XAF 600bn GMV; XAF 60bn revenue; XAF 22bn EBITDA. |
FINANCIAL INTEGRITY The historical base case and the XAF 500m Year-1 net profit ambition are separate scenarios. Within 30 days, the executive team must rebuild a linked monthly downside/base/stretch model based on signed buyer demand, supplier terms, logistics costs, tax, working capital, and financing. No executive may bridge the gap by relabelling GMV or pass-through costs as revenue.
6. Performance scorecard
| Performance dimension | Weight | Board standard |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial product delivery | 25% | Paid MVP by Day 50; roadmap milestones linked to revenue/adoption |
| Platform availability and quality | 15% | ≥99.0% MVP, ≥99.9% mature; critical defect and incident SLAs met |
| Digital adoption and retention | 15% | Self-service, active users, repeat orders and funnel conversion improve |
| Revenue integrity | 15% | <0.5% launch leakage; refunds/reversals and partner shares accurate |
| Security/privacy/resilience | 15% | Zero material incident; access reviews, backup/DR and independent tests complete |
| Data and API monetisation | 10% | Enterprise MRR/ARR, usage and gross margin against plan |
| Cost and team effectiveness | 5% | Build within stage budget; internal capability and continuity |
The Board will approve annual targets and quarterly thresholds after validation of the 36-month model. Commercial upside is payable only on collected, reconciled, attributable results. A material fraud, safety, legal, data, cash-control, or related-party breach may reduce variable pay to zero and trigger a clawback or disciplinary action, regardless of revenue performance.
7. First 100-day execution contract
| Period | Non-negotiable deliverable | Board evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1-15 | Legal/permitting map; buyer and supply interviews; operating audit; role-specific baseline; critical risks. | Signed diagnostic, demand book, risk register and decisions required. |
| Days 16-30 | Core team/workplan; prototype/process design; vendors/partners; pricing and controls; linked cash plan. | Approved backlog, contracts/term sheets, budget, delegations and 30-day review. |
| Days 31-50 | Controlled MVP and first product routes; farmer/buyer onboarding; payment link and transaction ledger. | First settled revenue, acceptance/POD, system event and settlement match. |
| Days 51-70 | Repeat egg/produce/input orders; route consolidation; quality, refund and exception handling. | Unit economics by route/category and daily reconciliation pack. |
| Days 71-85 | Finance/insurance referral sandbox; Academy/data pilot; operational dashboard. | First eligible success-fee/sponsor/subscription evidence; no unlicensed activity. |
| Days 86-100 | Pilot evaluation; control remediation; scale decision and next capital gate. | Board pack recommending go, reshape or stop with verified numbers. |
8. Authority and reserved matters
The officeholder acts within a written delegation approved by the Board. The following remain reserved to the Board or designated committee: strategy and annual budget; risk appetite; borrowing/equity and material capital allocation; acquisitions and new countries; related-party transactions; material capex, contracts or changes above threshold; appointment/removal and remuneration of senior executives; audited accounts; and changes to legal or regulated perimeter.
The executive may recommend, negotiate and execute only within documented authority and approved counterparties.
The executive may stop an unsafe, loss-making or non-compliant activity and must escalate material matters promptly.
No one may select a vendor, confirm receipt, approve payment and reconcile the same transaction.
9. Governance, risk and control obligations
| Control | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| Revenue recognition | Only a contractually defined, fulfilled and settled/accepted event generates earned revenue; cancellations and refunds reverse it. |
| Cash and payments | Licensed rails; daily settlement reconciliation; no personal accounts or informal cash handling. |
| Working capital | Match facilities to visible cycles; inventory and receivables aged daily; no speculative stocking. |
| Related parties | Full disclosure, recusal, arm’s-length evidence and prior approval under policy. |
| Data/privacy | Informed consent, least privilege, purpose limitation, secure sharing and incident escalation. |
| Regulated services | Finance, payments, insurance and FX only through authorised entities/partners pending required licences. |
| Country expansion | No launch without legal, tax, payment, data, commercial, security and Board investment gates. |
| Impact claims | Farmer income, jobs, women/youth, local sourcing and climate claims supported by defined and auditable evidence. |
10. Executive reporting rhythm
| Frequency | Required reporting |
|---|---|
| Daily during launch | Settled orders, cash/settlement exceptions, inventory/quality incidents, uptime, fulfilment and urgent risks. |
| Weekly | Pipeline, active buyers/farmers, GMV, revenue, margin, contribution/order, cash runway, ageing, delivery, product and action log. |
| Monthly | P&L and cash flow by category, working capital, KPI scorecard, capital use, risk/control, technology, impact and Board decisions. |
| Quarterly | Strategy refresh, cohort/route economics, forecast, talent, partner performance, audit closure and stage-gate recommendation. |
| Annually | Audited results, budget, risk appetite, remuneration assessment and medium/long-term plan. |
11. Candidate specification
A hands-on product and technology leader with at least 10 years in marketplaces, fintech, supply-chain platforms, agritech or transaction systems, including at least one production platform built from zero. Must understand product discovery, APIs, cloud architecture, data, cybersecurity and revenue ledgers; coding literacy is necessary even where delivery uses vendors.
Master’s degree or equivalent professional achievement in a relevant field; exceptional builders may substitute demonstrated results for formal prestige.
Fluent professional English or French; working ability in both is strongly preferred. Regional language/country experience is advantageous.
High financial literacy, digital fluency, negotiation strength and the ability to work credibly with farmers, corporates, public institutions and investors.
Evidence of ethical judgement, transparent failure reporting, conflict discipline and respect for controls under pressure.
12. Selection methodology
| Stage | Assessment | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility and evidence screen | Career evidence, scale built, quantified outcomes, integrity and role fit | Pass/fail |
| Written build thesis | Candidate’s 100-day plan and critique of the base/stretch cases | 20% |
| Role-specific case | Live commercial/product/operations/CEO problem using AGRO360 facts | 30% |
| Structured panel interview | Leadership, judgement, culture, stakeholder and failure scenarios | 25% |
| Board presentation | Go/reshape/stop choices, funding, KPIs and execution commitments | 15% |
| References/background | Identity, qualifications, track record, conflicts, litigation and reputation | 10% / mandatory |
Candidates must provide verifiable examples. Confidential information may be anonymised, but invented scale, revenue, capital or partnerships will disqualify the application. Final appointment remains subject to due diligence, contract, budget, and governing body approval.
13. Remuneration and performance contract
AGRO360 should offer a competitive fixed package that attracts a builder, not merely a caretaker, together with meaningful performance-linked upside. The Board should set the final amount after market benchmarking and candidate diligence. Variable remuneration should be balanced across cash/revenue, margin, delivery, customer/network, governance and long-term value; it must never reward GMV alone.
Indicative design: 60-70% fixed cash compensation and 30-40% target variable opportunity, with upside capped under Board policy.
Long-term incentive or phantom/equity participation may be considered after valuation, vesting, good-leaver/bad-leaver, dilution and governance approval.
No variable award if material accounts remain unreconciled, high-risk findings are overdue, a serious compliance/safety/data breach occurred, or results were misstated.
14. Performance review and exit discipline
Formal reviews will occur on Day 30, Day 60, Day 100, at six months, and annually. Failure to establish a credible demand book, control cash, deliver first paid transactions, report truthfully or build an accountable team will trigger a corrective plan, role redesign or exit. AGRO360 needs humane leadership, but kindness is not vagueness: expectations, evidence and consequences must remain clear.
15. Source basis and planning caution
This TOR is tailored from the supplied AGRO360 digital agribusiness blueprint, monetised products/services deployment blueprint, capital mobilisation strategy, century masterplan and financial model, valuation/seed case, top-10 catalogue, operational organigram/governance-risk workbook and ROI model. All forward figures are planning targets, not guarantees. They require Board approval, signed demand, verified capacity, lawful contracts and a reconciled financial model before they become executive commitments.