Trial Liaison Officer at One Acre Fund

Job Description

The Trial Liaison Officer is responsible for the overall execution of trial programs/projects for specific client departments. The Liaison will support the Trial Liaison Lead on executing trial programs, resolve issues, improve communications, and generally ensure an excellent relationship between logistics and trial stakeholders. The Trial Liaison will also manage trial execution by setting up execution timelines based on teams’ bandwidth, project goals and requirements. By coordinating with the relevant trial leads, he will create project strategy documents, policies and repeatable models that will enable the trial to run effectively and sustainably even at scale.

Responsibilities

Ensure performance, volume and quality goals for the specific trial project are met

• Coordinates with Inputs and Procurement teams to ensure material needs are delivered on time for trial execution
• Ensures execution team is meeting set KPI targets for each process
• Works with Trial Liaison Lead to build a collaborative environment where team members can generate ideas and make improvements to processes by themselves
• Regular reviews developed suggested improvements with the Trial Liaison Lead a for sign off and incorporation in budgets

Farmers First

• Works with relevant internal teams and warehousing teams to ensure that trial inventories are enough, reserved, transferred to the right warehouse in time for the activities and trial owners know on their stock levels before and after the activities
• Acts as the central coordinator between trial owners, trial support teams and the various logistics units engaged in supporting trials.

Lead the quality control for the trial products at execution phase

• Create tools to track quality of inputs specific for trials
• Monitors use and ensures that quality control tracking tools, procedures and equipment are used/followed as per compliance needs
• Ensures all quality checks are conducted and results tracked and shared to the trial owners for project planning
• Coordinates with warehouse and execution teams to enforce the needed regulatory compliance practices that would result to quality support to client departments
• Has an overall oversight on quality controls measures and how specific procedures for trial execution are enforced.

Collects and process data on the execution of trials

• Coordinates with other stakeholder teams to aggregate data relevant on trials e.g. locations designated trial districts, input adoption rates and drop points for the deliveries
• Collects, processes and stores relevant data for trial distribution e.g. Truck distribution schedule
• Based on data analysis of product weights and drop sites location, allocates trucks and delivery teams to the trials
• Initiates the transporter truck acquisition process and delivery timelines
• Uses teams’ resources to update trackers and KPI tools for clear project updates
• Support the design, implementation and data gathering for a CSAT process.

Support the implementation of mechanisms and tools to support trial scale up

• Supports the implementation of new tools and mechanisms to support any project scale up plans
• Provides regular feedback to trial gatekeepers on the success/ failures of the tools and mechanisms used.
• Provides regular feedback and project updates to liaison lead and logistics management on the trial progress, tools / mechanisms used to achieve project goals
• Suggests ways to improve current tools based on their current experience to support scale of specific trials
• Investigates through small scale logistics trials ways to improve processes and tools. Utilizes results to suggest improvements needed.

Plan for, develop and document new policies/processes in support of scalability

• Aggregates client feedback relating to processes, their own wide-scope assessments and points of failure among unit members to create recommendations to management for changes to existing processes or the creation of new processes for their unit
• Works with management to design, build and implement better, more efficient processes for their unit
• Creates process documentation for all existing and any newly developed processes
• Makes policy/process documentation centrally available to all unit and team members and holds them accountable to process adherence, leading by example
• Works with management and the Data Team to track the success of process changes
• Supports the development of – and where appropriate provides – trainings and ongoing guidance to unit members on new processes or changes to existing processes
• Works with management to creates specific, dedicated physical and digital space/s where team members can provide honest feedback on existing processes and ideas for improvements
• Works with management to build a collaborative environment where team members feel safe to vocalize concerns, generate big ideas and make improvements to processes by themselves.

Provide professional development opportunities and coaching to your reports

• Invests heavily in understanding each of their team members’ strengths and development areas and maintains an up-to-date understanding of their progress
• Works with their manager to identify unit members’ key development areas and plans appropriate skills-trainings or coaching sessions to improve these areas
• Supports their staff through the course of development, promotion or improvement plans by investing their own time in coaching and the creation of support mechanisms
• Creates regular opportunities for public praise of unit members’ work and holds private conversations to deliver constructive feedback on areas of weakness
• Uses strategic conversations with their reports to help staff tap into their existing knowledge and generate their own solutions to challenges.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree/Diploma in Business operations, Supply chain, Logistics or related field
• Experience in Transportation/warehouse operations management
• Experience in Inventory Management systems desired
• Broad knowledge and experience in supply chain and warehousing
• Superior skills in Project Management
• Demonstrated ability to withstand pressure, work for longer hours and be receptive to feedback
• Demonstrated ability to manage teams and show integrity
• Above average skills in Excel Analysis
• Teamwork: demonstrated commitment to teamwork and collaboration
• Respect: extends dignity and respect to all people
• Integrity: foster trust and a positive work environment
• Innovation: brings creativity to workplace
• Ambitious: thrives on new challenges and opportunities to contribute on a large and small scale. Eager to learn, teach, enhance current logistic practices and develop new standard operating procedures
• Task Oriented: driven by milestones and deadlines. Stays organized under pressure and enjoys fast paced environment
• Reliable: takes pride in meeting deadlines, exceeding expectations and being accountable for mission critical endeavours.