Buyer Planner Analyst at SparkMeter

Description

Remote work can be considered for highly qualified candidates

Come join the SparkMeter team and help increase electricity access in developing countries.

The Buyer Planner Analyst is an all purpose Purchasing support role. Our organization contracts out all our manufacturing and BOM management so our actual purchase order volume is low. However our sales are high volume low mix in the heavily regulated energy utilities industry with suppliers in China, USA, South Africa and Taiwan serving customers primarily in Africa and central Asia. As a result our transactions have substantial regulatory and international documentation requirements.

The Buyer Planner Analyst will report to and support the Supply Chain manager by performing multiple tactical tasks including but not limited to: creating Purchase Orders, Planning production Schedules/ Line-of-balance, One off data Analysis, ensuring orders are produced on time, international shipment support, and other tasks as needed.

You'll focus on:

• Purchasing program facilitation
  • Create Purchase Orders
  • Maintain Purchase order related data in Salesforce
  • Follow up with Suppliers on orders to ensure on time delivery
  • React to and escalate to late orders as needed
  • Share monthly product forecasts with suppliers
  • Follow up with Suppliers and Logistics providers on quotes
  • Monitor shipments in transit to ensure delays are quickly addressed
  • Data Analysis either recurring or one off as requested by the Supply Chain Manager
  • Documentation Generation as needed
  • Monitor and Insure target Raw Material and Finished Goods stock levels are being maintained
  • Escalate Supply Chain risks to the Supply Chain Manager as detected
  • Other tasks as needed

• Cross functional role
  • Be a team player and problem solver. Help other departments in their efforts to solve problems as needed
  • Serve all internal process stakeholders by responding to request for information or other cross functional needs within the committed response time
  • Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement

Where You'll Work

Nairobi, Kenya. From home while COVID is still a problem, in our office when it re-opens.

Type of Role & Compensation Structure

This is a full-time role with benefits. Compensation is made of salary and performance bonus.

SparkMeter was founded to promote opportunity in underrepresented communities initially but has since grown into serving urban & peri urban communities as well.

SparkMeter’s core value is opportunity: the opportunity for underserved communities to achieve great things. That's why our mission is to increase access to electricity in underserved communities - it is electricity and the services derived from it that unlock and create those opportunities. This value is reflected in our hiring ethos: we believe that the strongest teams have diverse backgrounds. Our approach to hiring has been validated by academic and industry studies that show that workforce diversity improves team and business performance. (It has also been validated by the quality of the team we’ve assembled so far!) We encourage applications from members of groups currently underrepresented in energy, logistics and supply chain management.

Requirements

You'll be a good fit for this role if you have:

• 2 years experience as a buyer
• Advanced knowledge of data analytics and data software analysis tools (excel, Minitab, MS Access, etc.)
• Basic knowledge of established Inventory management practices (EOQ, Safety Stock, Contractual tools & mechanisms, etc.)
• 2 years experience monitoring and problem solving international shipments
• Experience thriving in a complex, high growth environments
• Experience using Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Material Requirements Planning (MRP) and/or Shop Floor Control (SFC) Systems
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Organization skills and attention to details
• Uncommonly organized problem-solving skills
• Ability to think and communicate at the systems level
• Proficiency in data analytics and KPI reporting for day to day activities and to drive improvement actions
• Disciplined self-startedness
• Drive to learn and innovate
• Comfort with imperfection
• Bias for action of practical solutions