Supply Chain Associate Mobius Motors - Kenya

We are seeking a minimum two year commitment from an exceptional early career supply chain professional to lead and coordinate the development and operations of a robust international, largely outsourced supply chain to deliver our initial production vehicles – a truly unique opportunity to create impact on a global scale. The role will require a close working relationship with the venture’s CEO, Automotive Designer, Automotive Engineer, Cost Engineer and future production and logistics teams as well as various international vendors. Specific duties include, but are not limited to:

Supply Chain Management

1. Work closely with engineering and future quality teams to identify, evaluate and select suppliers and contract manufacturers to support the R&D and production of cost-effective vehicle parts and subassemblies.
2. Negotiate all commercial terms and conditions with suppliers for the procurement and delivery of parts, materials, tools, equipment and services.
3. Support engineering projects as well as production to establish a smooth and cost effective supply chain transition from R&D to initial production to scaled production operations.
4. Define sourcing and schedule requirements and material ramp strategy for progressively sourced domestic production components.
5. Deliver comprehensive cost analysis as basis for price negotiations with suppliers.
6. Perform make-or-buy analysis supported by appropriately detailed cost projections.
7. Work with future Planning and Materials Managers to ensure accurate Material Requirements Planning (MRP) results.
8. Develop strategy and action plan for transitioning future contract manufacturers to be fully self-sufficient and capable of sourcing, purchasing, and managing sub-tier suppliers.
9. Manage key supplier relationships and activities, both strategic and tactical, for components and subsystems.
10. Constantly work to improve the efficiency of the supply chain, reducing costs and increasing responsiveness to customers.
11. Work with all involved parties to ensure continuous operation of the production line, by managing material procurement and delivery to achieve maximum inventory turns.
12. Work with future engineering team to process Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), and manage its impact on production materials availability and resulting obsolescence.
13. Work flexibly in a highly cross-functional team environment involving Automotive Designer, Automotive Engineer, Cost Engineer as well as future manufacturing and product development teams, Buyers, Manufacturing Engineers, Quality Engineers and Logistics Coordinators and Finance personnel
14. Ensure procured product meets drawings, specifications, processes and requirements.
15. Assist suppliers in quality assurance processes and procedures to facilitate continuous improvement of supplier and product performance.
16. Track performance of suppliers; monitor supplier performance on delivery, quality and cost.
17. Manage and reduce Bill of Materials (BOM) cost by establishing alternative vendors, and negotiating price and delivery schedules.
18. Identify logistics requirements and other operational needs that may significantly impact both the successful delivery of production and total cost of the product.
19. Perform network location analysis to determine optimal logistics footprint based on transportation cost, warehousing cost, business characteristics, service requirements, and other inputs/constraints specific to the project.
20. Assess delivery transportation modes, routing, consolidation opportunities, and other methodologies to create an optimal transportation solution within an integrated logistics network.
21. Develop supply chain administration tools, process and documentation.
22. Provide support as needed with critical supply chain issues, on-site implementations, and cross-functional process improvements.

Project Management

1. Take ownership of projects; plan milestones, timelines, budgets, resources and identify potential risks to deliver supply chain aspects within agreed completion dates.
2. Be proactive regarding task completion and periodically advise wider team on project status, timing, resources, issues, and ability to deliver on-time with excellence.
3. Ensure adherence and compliance to general automotive industry supply chain standards and best practices; maintain structured and versioned data outputs daily and backup data weekly.
4. Work as an active member of the team, ensure effective communication between colleagues and positively contribute regularly to meetings and briefings.

Qualifications

An ideal candidate should combine outstanding technical skills in supply chain management with excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work effectively with a multidisciplinary team. They should possess a strong skill set in managing global suppliers and high-profile materials programs involving contract manufacturers and progressive internal manufacturing operations along with experience in managing suppliers and materials for engineering projects, new product introduction, and production operations - preferably within the automotive industry.

Required

* Bachelor degree (minimum) in Supply Chain Management, Operations Research, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business or similar
* 3.4 GPA or higher from a top university worldwide
* 2+ years related experience in supply chain management, purchasing management, or international logistics
* Ability to manage difficult suppliers and resolve disputes while preserving relationships with suppliers and internal staff
* Strong negotiation and persuasion skills
* Excellent problem solving ability in cross-functional and multi-cultural environment; able to define problems, collect relevant data, extract meaning from data, and draw valid conclusions
* Exceptional analytical skills with regards to logistics analysis, data manipulation, and the ability to create information from data; including analysis of product costs, lead-time, project and production scheduling
* Ability to interpret both abstract and concrete concepts to develop a real-world understanding of logistics operations and requirements
* Ability to apply mathematical and statistical concepts to project tasks
* Ability to effectively communicate timelines and project progress with both internal and external management teams
* Ability to take ownership and accountability of project timeline and results
* Effective supplier and materials management in time and mission-critical environments, including contingency planning and crisis management
* Global business perspective, with experience in manufacturing organisations
* Excellent business acumen, organisational and strategic agility
* Strong technical writing ability; able to read and interpret mechanical drawings
* Proficiency in Excel, Project, Power Point, Word, Access, Visio
* High sense of drive and urgency in achieving our vision
* Ability to adapt to a dynamic working environment and work within a diverse team
* Extreme patience and a good sense of humour
* Excellent oral and written communication skills
* Excellent interpersonal skills to work effectively with others
* A start-up personality; entrepreneurial, ambitious, independent, systematic attention to detail, structured thinker, goal-oriented, flexible and able to deal well with setbacks
* Comfort with spending 30-40% of time travelling internationally, possibly on short notice

Desired

* Masters degree (or higher) in Supply Chain Management, Operations Research, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business or similar
* 4+ years related experience in supply chain management, purchasing management, or international logistics
* Prior experience with simulation and/or optimisation tools
* Proficiency in Visual Basic
* Proficiency in Product Data Management (PDM), purchasing systems (e.g. SAP or equivalent), material costs and status tracking systems, etc.
* Knowledge of manufacturing, equipment and processes within final assembly, body shop, paint shop and powertrain
* Fluency in Kiswahili (the national language of Kenya)



We are always looking for exceptional individuals who share our vision and possess the skills and attitude necessary to make a valuable contribution to our work in Africa. If you are qualified and interested in joining our team, please apply online at www.mobiusmotors.com/join-us.