Dark Store Picker at HCS Affiliates Group

Role Purpose

• The Picker is responsible for accurately and efficiently selecting, quality-checking, and preparing customer order items within the darkstore, directly driving the store's order accuracy, picking speed, and overall customer experience. This role is central to meeting our promise of fast, reliable delivery and directly impacts store SLA performance, waste/shrinkage control, and customer satisfaction scores.

Key Responsibilities

• Pick items accurately against digital order tickets (via handheld device/PDA or picking app) within target time-per-order.
• Verify product freshness, expiry dates, and quality standards before packing, rejecting damaged or expired stock.
• Pack orders correctly by category (fragile, frozen, chilled, ambient) to prevent damage and maintain cold-chain integrity.
• Report stock discrepancies, near-expiry items, and out-of-stock (OOS) SKUs to the inventory/replenishment team in real time.
• Maintain FIFO/FEFO (first-in-first-out / first-expired-first-out) stock rotation across all assigned aisles.
• Keep the picking area, shelves, and packing stations clean, organized, and compliant with food safety and hygiene standards.
• Support stock receiving, put-away, and cycle counts during off-peak periods as directed by the supervisor.
• Adhere to all health, safety, and PPE requirements, including cold-room protocols where applicable.
• Escalate equipment faults (PDAs, printers, cold storage) promptly to avoid picking downtime.
• Meet individual and team KPIs for picking speed, accuracy, and order-perfect rate during every shift.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Picking speed (units or orders picked per hour) against store target.
• Order accuracy rate / mis-pick rate.
• Stock accuracy contribution (variance flagged vs. found in cycle counts).
• Shrinkage and wastage rate for assigned zones.
• Adherence to shift schedule and attendance.
• Compliance audit score (hygiene, safety, uniform, SOP adherence).

Requirements

Education & Experience

• KCSE certificate or equivalent (minimum requirement).
• Prior experience in retail, warehousing, FMCG, or quick-commerce picking/fulfilment is an added advantage but not mandatory.
• Basic literacy and numeracy sufficient to operate a handheld scanning device and read order tickets.

Skills & Attributes

• Strong attention to detail and product knowledge (especially fresh produce, dairy, and packaged goods).
• Physically fit — comfortable with standing, walking, and lifting for extended periods, including in chilled/frozen environments.
• Basic comfort using a smartphone, PDA, or tablet-based picking app.
• Team player who can work efficiently under time pressure, especially during peak demand windows.
• Honesty and reliability — this role handles inventory directly tied to store shrinkage and P&L.
• Willingness to work rotating shifts, including weekends and public holidays.

Working Conditions

• This role is based entirely within the darkstore and involves regular exposure to chilled and frozen storage areas, repetitive lifting (up to ~15kg), and fast-paced peak periods (lunch and evening rush). Shifts are rostered and may include early mornings, evenings, weekends, and public holidays in line with customer demand patterns.

Why Join us

• Be part of a fast-growing quick-commerce operation with clear performance-based growth paths (Picker → Shift Lead → Supervisor).
• Structured onboarding and on-the-job training on picking systems, food safety, and store SOPs.
• Performance-linked incentives tied to store KPIs.