James Kisala
@jameskisala
I run high-throughput production systems, teams, and AI-assisted operational tooling.
KenyaWhat I'm looking for
At Avala, I own the end-to-end production line for the company’s largest client, a leading autonomous-vehicle manufacturer. I lead a ~110-person operation billing ~$690K annually and was promoted from Lead to Manager in five months.
I turned a line margin from −23% to +48% by consolidating four workflows into one pipeline, scaled delivery 4×, and cut task time from roughly a week to a day. I’ve also redeployed teams six-plus times to recover at-risk deliveries without missing targets.
Alongside operations, I’ve shipped 65+ production PRs and fixed 130+ issues across dashboards, data pipelines, and CI/CD. I refactored a core pipeline, brought a reporting query down from timing out to about 10 seconds, and built the dashboards used by the data team.
Previously at CloudFactory, I managed client portfolios, built and scaled delivery teams, improved throughput, and designed reporting, incentive, and performance systems. I started on the production front line and grew through reviewer and team leadership roles, so I keep people—not systems alone—at the core of operations.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
Production Systems Manager
Avala
May 2025 - Present (1 year 5 months)
Owns end-to-end production for a leading autonomous-vehicle manufacturer, managing a ~110-person operation and AI-assisted tooling. Promoted from Lead to Manager in 5 months, swung margin from -23% to +48%, and scaled delivery 4x.
PM Consultant
Mister Analytics Group
Jun 2024 - Feb 2025 (8 months)
Ran marketing-campaign operations using Snovio, LinkedHelper, Zapier, and ClickUp. Used AI tooling for LinkedIn persona generation and lead engagement for the CEO.
Managed a $400K+ client portfolio and a 60+ person delivery team. Delivered a two-month contract in six weeks, achieved a 9/10 NPS, and turned around a failing account by cutting handling time by 33%.
Built and ran a $100K+ account with 20+ direct reports. Grew the account until handover, designed a tiered-bonus incentive that led to a 33% contract increase, and lifted throughput by 25%.
Started on the front line and progressed to Team Captain, leading a team of ~20. Built a delivery-prediction tracker adopted across the project and automated tracking to cut clerical work by 20%.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
University of Eldoret
Bachelor of Science, Analytical Chemistry with Computing
Grade: Second Class Honours, Upper Division
Pursued a Bachelor of Science in Analytical Chemistry with Computing, graduating with Second Class Honours, Upper Division.
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Location
KenyaAuthorized to work in
Job categories
Skills
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