Procurement and Logistics Officer at Uzima Chicken Ltd

About Uzima chicken

Uzima Chicken Ltd is a poultry company dedicated to making farmers healthier and wealthier. Uzima is the leading distributor of high-quality, dual-purpose day-old chicks in East Africa. Uzima plans to transform the poultry industry in Rwanda, providing smallholder farmers with a robust, disease-resistant bird that can thrive in local, rural conditions and is more productive than local birds. Uzima believes its dual-purpose birds can help eliminate poverty and malnutrition across East Africa.

Summary of Position

Procurement and Logistics Officer position entails overseeing Procurement ,driver management, inventory control, delivery support, and reporting responsibilities. This role involves Conduct regular inspections of company vehicles, and facilities to identify maintenance needs and ensure compliance with safety regulations, Company vehicles maintenance,Import/Export responsibilities

Follow up of cold trucks and ensure that there is timely delivery of settable eggs to hatchery (both when imported and exported.), and facilitating smooth delivery processes to ensure customer satisfaction. Additionally, the Coordinator is tasked with providing support to drivers, monitoring deliveries, and submitting comprehensive reports to address any issues encountered. Develop and maintain a preventative maintenance schedule for all equipment and facilities.Coordinate and oversee maintenance and repair activities, including contracting with external vendors when necessary.Maintain accurate records of maintenance activities, including work orders, repairs, and inspection.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Procurement Management

• Ensures development, implementation, dissemination, monitoring, and adherence of Standard Operating procedures (SOPs) for procurement unit
• Provides direct supervision, training, monitoring and feedback to the Procurement Unit.
• Ensures the Procurement Unit SOPs are regularly updated
• Ensures Procurement Unit’s compliance
• Discovers profitable suppliers and initiates procurement partnerships that will benefit the organization.
• Discovers profitable suppliers and initiates procurement partnerships that will benefit the organization.
• Negotiates with external vendors to secure advantageous terms for the organization.
• Manages all procurement records ensuring their storage and update for audit purposes.
• Actively involved in vendor management ensuring regular evaluations of the vendors is carried out and updating on the vendor list.
• Evaluate procurement documents and prepare orders
• Negotiate and assist with contracts with suppliers
• Develop and monitor cost-reduction strategies, inventory control procedures as well as purchasing policies.
• Manage vendors, attend vendor meetings, develop and implement systems to monitor vendor performance
• Meet with suppliers when the need arises, review their proposals and invoices and also monitor their performance
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers
• Encourage continuous improvement in competitive bidding practices
• Track and schedule all materials, equipment, and personnel purchase orders
• Track and report budgets by month, budget variance, and actual budget
• Improve operations through process improvements
• Develop cost control plans as well as documenting policies and procedures
• To make sure that the company supplier database is updated on a regular basis
• Negotiations with suppliers on payment terms for the betterment of cash flow utilization and management.
• Follow company’s procurement policy on all purchases

Driver Management

• Ensure that drivers follow the approved route plan so as to reduce feed/DOC delivery costs..
• Assist drivers in solving any issues on deliveries and escalate challenges as needed to the sales Operations manager (accidents, change to route plan, etc).
• Set clear expectations and provide regular feedback to drivers.
• Use a driver management system to track drivers’ progress, alert you if they deviate from the plan, and provide drivers with regular feedback on their performance.
• Investigate and report any other misconduct of drivers.

Inventory Management

• Coordinate with Finance on accurate inventory reporting
• Write off of damages using Uzima approved write off process
• Responsible for all paperwork related to transfers and dispatches of feed

Delivery Support

• Support the dispatch team to follow up on deliveries to ensure customers receive their products at the right place and time; update delivery data following dispatch to track actual products delivered to customer and update order fulfillment records to the Senior Operations associate.
• Ensure customers receive invoice for the products they have purchased and sign and receive the proper delivery documentation; make sure drivers return Tax Invoices, signed by customers.
• Continuously assess ways to improve delivery service and customer satisfaction
• Assist drivers in solving any issues on deliveries and escalate challenges as needed to the Sales operations manager or Operations Director (accidents, change to route plan, etc)

After Delivery Reporting

• Submit after delivery reports to the Operations Director, including full account of materials delivered, summary of any issues encountered, and customer issues to be addressed
• Reporting any other issue incurred on both the transporter and the customer during the delivery process.
• Carry out any other task directed by the line manager

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Minimum Education and Qualification Required

• Having Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in,procurement , Logistics Management, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Transportation, Inventory Management and business, or related field.
• 3 years of previous experience; experience in industry procedures, costs, and terms
• Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite
• Good interpersonal skills and communication with all levels of management
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills;
• Ability to work under pressure and overtime;
• Exposure of working with a multi-currency set up;
• Between 25 and 35 years of age.

Skills and Experience

• A team player with leadership abilities and management skills.
• 3+ years of experience in procurement & logistics
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, including negotiation skills.
• Be a person of integrity.
• Have analytical and excellent organizational skills.
• Attention to detail and high level of accuracy
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity
• A team player with sound negotiation skills.

Language Proficiency

Fluency in written and spoken English and Kinyarwanda.

Functional competencies

Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.

Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to conduct data collection using various methods.

Excellent analytical skills for the review and assessments of sites situations

Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), database applications, spreadsheet and graphics presentations

Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Core Competencies

Transparency: Able to build trust and contribute to informed and responsible decision making by carrying out the work of Uzima in a transparent manner; provides clear guidance to ensure that objectives and desired measurable results are understood by members of the team.

Inclusiveness: Understands and accepts cultural diversity, and provides a tolerant, positive and supportive working environment that fosters respect for diversity, demonstrates ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.

Professionalism: Promote the organization’s interests, objectives and values in a diligent and professional manner.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should address their applications enclosed with a cover letter, Curriculum vitae, academic documents and other relevant certificates to the UZIMA CHICKEN management and delivered in a single PDF document to email: “careers@uzimachicken.com” not later than 30^th , August 2024 at 5:00 pm. UZIMA CHICKEN Ltd is an equal opportunity employer, and for the position female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Note: 

• The subject of the email should be mentioned “ procurement & Logistics Officer ”
• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview

 Done at Kigali on 30 ^th July 2024