Careers at M-KOPA Solar

What makes this different

• Most Senior Manager, Communications roles at this level sit above the work — reviewing, approving, delegating.
• This one doesn't.
• You'll draft the media pitch yourself. You'll sit with a Country MD and work through group positioning. You'll counsel senior stakeholders on how to navigate a sensitive issue. You'll work alongside marketing to make sure campaigns, brand and corporate reputation are telling the same story. You'll partner directly with People/HR on a sensitive change narrative.
• You'll also build relationships with the people who matter beyond the organisation — from media and partners to government stakeholders and regulators across the markets in which we operate.
• And when something goes wrong, you'll be one of the people in the room figuring out what happens next.
• Because reputation doesn't stop at the press release. It lives in the decisions a business makes, the way leaders communicate, the relationships it builds and how it responds when circumstances get complicated.
• And in the same week, you might chase a purchase order and reconcile a budget line, because there's no one else to hand that to.
• It's a rare mix of strategic counsel, integrated communications, reputation management and genuine hands-on ownership — and because M-KOPA doesn't have dedicated in-market communications teams, you'll be the connective tissue holding Group positioning and market execution together across the region.

What you'll need to bring

• A communications career, not just communications exposure. You've built your expertise in corporate communications, integrated communications or a similarly broad communications environment, and understand how media, reputation, brand, internal communications and stakeholder engagement connect.
• Strong strategic instincts. You can take a business objective, understand what matters to different audiences and turn it into a communications strategy that leaders can actually use. You're as comfortable giving counsel as you are executing the work yourself.
• Deep experience in reputation and issues management. You've operated in situations where the stakes are high and judgement matters. You understand that protecting reputation isn't simply about controlling a message — it's about understanding the business, anticipating risk and knowing how to communicate when there isn't an obvious answer.
• Crisis communications experience that goes beyond a playbook. You've had to think clearly under pressure, advise leaders, coordinate stakeholders and communicate externally when the circumstances weren't neatly packaged. You know that a crisis rarely arrives in the format you prepared for.
• Multi-market experience, ideally across Africa. You've managed reputation and communications across different geographies, cultures, regulatory environments and stakeholder landscapes. You understand that what works in one market may not work in another — and can balance local relevance with a consistent Group narrative.
• Stakeholder confidence. You'll work with Country MDs, senior executives, government stakeholders, regulators, media and other external partners. You need to be able to build trust quickly, navigate different agendas and provide clear counsel — particularly when the answer isn't straightforward.
• Strength across external and internal communications. External communications will be a significant part of the role, but you'll also need to understand employee communications, leadership messaging, organisational change and culture — and how the two worlds influence each other.
• Excellent writing. You can turn complexity into clarity. You know when a message needs precision, when it needs personality and when it needs both. Whether you're writing a press statement, executive briefing, leadership speech, crisis response or employee communication, the quality of your thinking should come through in the quality of your writing.
• Experience in complex, fast-moving environments. You may have worked in a fintech, technology business, high-growth company, agency or another matrixed organisation. What matters is that you've learned to operate across functions, influence without always having direct authority and get up to speed quickly when the context changes.
• Comfort operating lean. You don't need a large team around you to get things done. You know when to bring in an agency or specialist, when to solve the problem yourself and how to keep momentum without unnecessary layers.
• Operational ownership. Agencies, suppliers and budgets aren't someone else's problem. You're comfortable taking work from strategy through to execution — including procurement, POs, spend tracking and the finance administration that keeps the function moving.

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In this role, you would be responsible for:

Team Leadership

• Supervising, mentoring, and guiding Care Centre and Refurb Team Leads and repair technicians
• Ensuring teams have the resources, tools, and support needed to perform their duties efficiently and effectively
• Conducting training sessions to improve technical skills and keep teams updated on new repair techniques, tools, and best practices
• Building a high-performance culture where quality standards are non-negotiable and continuous improvement is the default

Production & Backlog Management

• Ensuring sustained production of second-life devices at refurb, proactively managing capacity, staffing, and workflow
• Ensuring there is no backlog of devices pending refurbishment through disciplined throughput management
• Monitoring production metrics and implementing corrective actions when throughput targets are at risk

External Brand Partnerships

• Acting as the primary point of contact for other brands bringing devices to the Care Centre for repair or refurbishment (e.g., Samsung)
• Coordinating service levels, turnaround times, and day-to-day relationship management with external partners
• Ensuring partner expectations are consistently met and relationships are proactively managed

CRM Custodianship

• Serving as custodian of the care partner CRM system, ensuring the team captures data correctly and consistently
• Ensuring analysis is completed on time to support accurate and timely reporting
• Maintaining data integrity standards that enable reliable operational insights

Process Coordination & Quality Assurance

• Coordinating repair and rework processes for customer-returned phones, ensuring timely and effective resolution of all returns
• Monitoring the quality of repairs and reworks, ensuring all returned products meet stringent quality standards before being sent back to customers
• Implementing quality control checkpoints that catch issues before they reach customers

Collaboration with Process Engineer

• Working closely with the Process Engineer to identify and address systemic issues that may lead to customer returns
• Implementing corrective actions and providing feedback to the assembly line team to prevent future issues
• Translating repair trend data into actionable insights that improve product quality upstream

Reporting & Customer Feedback

• Compiling and analyzing data related to repair, rework, and refurb activities including common faults, turnaround times, backlog levels, and resource usage
• Reporting findings to the Head of Manufacturing and suggesting process improvements
• Providing insights and feedback to the customer service team based on repair trends and issues encountered

Safety & Compliance

• Ensuring all repair and refurb activities adhere to company safety protocols and regulatory standards
• Maintaining a safe, compliant working environment for all Care Centre and Refurb team members

Your application should demonstrate:

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Electronics, or a related field (equivalent experience may be considered)
• 5+ years of experience in electronics repair or refurbishment operations
• At least 3 years in a supervisory or managerial role, preferably in mobile phone repair, refurbishment, or a related industry
• Hands-on experience performing repairs alongside the team, especially on complex customer-returned cases

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of mobile phone repair processes, diagnostic tools, and quality control methods specifically in the context of customer returns
• Proficiency with CRM systems, with a track record of ensuring accurate data capture and producing timely analysis and reporting
• Familiarity with refurbishment production workflows and throughput management

Leadership & Management Skills

• Proven ability to lead and motivate a team, manage workflow, and resolve conflicts
• Experience developing repair technicians and Team Leads through structured training and coaching
• Track record of managing teams in high-volume, quality-critical environments

Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills

• Strong problem-solving abilities with a focus on identifying root causes and implementing effective solutions to reduce customer returns
• Ability to analyze repair trend data and translate findings into process improvement recommendations
• Data-driven approach to backlog management and production optimization

Stakeholder & Partner Management

• Experience managing external partner or OEM/brand relationships, including agreeing service levels and coordinating cross-organizational workflows
• Strong verbal and written communication skills for coordinating with stakeholders, reporting to management, and training staff
• Ability to manage multiple partner relationships simultaneously without compromising service standards

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Job Purpose

• The jobholder is responsible for ensuring swap stock availability by conducting technical repair and testing of M-KOPA faulty products returned to the warehouse, including smartphones and other assorted accessories.

Key Job Functions

• Carrying out component analysis of smartphones to identify defects or failure modes.
• Carry out the initial screening and quality checks of all M-KOPA faulty devices to identify product failure reasons.
• Carry out technical repairs of all M-KOPA devices using hand tools and power tools.
• Consistently advancing technical knowledge, especially with new product entry and discovery of new fault codes.
• Testing and inspecting products after repair to identify possible problems that could lead to future product failures.
• Product refurbishment and “making new” of all repaired products before dispatch to retail outlets.
• Maintaining equipment by performing regular maintenance checks, replacing parts, or performing repairs to repair equipment such as hand tools and power tools.
• Diagnosing problems with repair equipment and making recommendations for repair or replacement.
• Ensuring accurate data capture and tracking of all repaired units, fault codes, and resolutions on time.
• Conducting periodic cycle counts and monthly stock counts.
• Adhering to set Kaizen 6S principles.
• Meeting the daily set targets of repaired products per day to ensure the required swap stock is available.

Qualifications & Experience

• A Diploma in electronics engineering.
• 1 year of professional experience in electronics engineering with relevant repair experience.
• Ability to communicate technical information regularly, both verbally and in writing.
• Well-versed in the various systems, tools, and procedures used in testing & failure analysis.
• Experience in using, or a desire to learn, the required software.
• Good attitude towards acquiring new knowledge.
• Able to work under pressure and tight deadlines.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently
• Good Interpersonal skills.
• Hands-On experience working with embedded systems