Distribution Manager
Description
We
are seeking an exceptional professional to establish and manage the service and
spare parts and finished-vehicle distribution network for Mobius Motors.
The
role will require close working relationships with East African automotive
suppliers, the venture’s Supply Chain Senior Associate, Procurement &
Regulatory Manager, Technical Director and Mechanics; to coordinate purchases,
delivery, and quality assurance of inputs into Mobius vehicle service and spare
parts networks.
Distribution Setup
- Develop
ordering and logistics strategy to determine lowest cost and highest
service levels to ensure spare part availability to Mobius customers.
- Identify
and support selection of international and local suppliers for service and
spare parts.
- Analyse
and establish in-country service and spare part distribution network,
including evaluating potential partners, warehouse sites and hub-and-spoke
versus point-to-point distribution networks strategies.
- Establish
process for inventory management; including ordering, receiving, point of
sale transactions and stocking level rationalisation.
- Establish
low cost strategy for delivering finished vehicles from contract assembler
in Kenya to customers.
Distribution Management
- Monitor
and analyse performance of international and local suppliers for service
and spare parts against agreed metrics.
- Negotiate
and manage outsourced in-country transportation network of spare parts.
- Coordinate
with Procurement team to optimise sourcing for component parts between
production components and after sale.
- Coordinate
with Marketing team to identify potential aftermarket parts, not included
in the base vehicle, that can be developed locally and sold at profit
within after sales market.
- Track
warranty claims and perform analysis of spend between service parts,
warranty claims, and ancillary component sales and profitability.
- Develop
financial cash flow forecasts that align with inventory and ordering
requirements.
- Work
with Procurement & Regulatory Manager and freight forwarders to manage
customs documentation and clearance.
- Identify
service and spare parts for localised manufacture within Kenya.
- Work
with Supply Chain Senior Associate to develop service and spare parts
distribution strategy for product launches in Tanzania and Uganda for 2015
and beyond.
- Track
supplier performance and work with Engineering, Operations, and Supply
Chain colleagues to conduct supplier development.
- Support
Sales team to identify and evaluate future franchised sales partners in
key locations within East Africa (initially Kenya).
Qualifications
An
ideal candidate should combine outstanding skills in negotiation and process
management with excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work
effectively with a multidisciplinary team.
They
should possess a strong skill set in managing East African suppliers and
working with ambiguity – preferably within the automotive industry.
The
candidate should be able to develop analytically sound strategies and execute
those to achieve clear, objective results.
Required
- Bachelor
degree (minimum) in Supply Chain Management, Operations Research,
Procurement, Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Business, Economics or
similar
- 3.4
GPA or higher from a top university worldwide
- 4+
years related experience in distribution
- Excellent
problem solving ability in a cross-functional and multi-cultural
environment; able to define problems, collect relevant data, extract
meaning from data, and draw valid conclusions
- Strong
analytical skills with regards to data manipulation and the ability to
create information from data
- Ability
to take ownership and accountability of project timeline and results
- Ability
to effectively communicate timelines and project progress with both
internal and external management teams
- Ability
to manage difficult suppliers and resolve disputes while preserving
relationships with suppliers and internal staff
- Exceptional
attention to detail
- Proficiency
in Excel, Power Point, Word, and Access
- Ability
to adapt to a dynamic working environment and work within a diverse team
- Excellent
oral and written communication skills
- Extreme
patience and a good sense of humour
- 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 10-25% of time traveling within East Africa (initially
Kenya), possibly on short notice
Desired
- 6+
years related experience in automotive and distribution
- Fluency
in Kiswahili
- Proficiency
in Project, Access, Visio