Evidence Action Supply Chain Senior Associate Job in Nairobi, Kenya

Vacancy: Senior Associate, Supply Chain
Engineering - Nairobi, Kenya

Evidence Action is seeking a Senior Associate for Supply Chain for its Dispensers for Safe Water Program.

About Dispensers for Safe Water: Each year, over 1.8 million children under the age of five die from diarrhea, a leading cause of which is unsafe drinking water. DSW is an entrepreneurial team tasked with scaling the Chlorine Dispenser System, a proven innovation for dramatically expanding access to water treatment at extremely low cost.

Our work is growing rapidly – we currently serve over 2.6 million people in Kenya, Uganda, and Malawi.  We plan to reach 25 million in the next 5 years.  

Our work is based on strong proof of impact: a randomized controlled trial in Western Kenya demonstrated a six-fold increase in the number of households treating their water with chlorine.
Such a dramatic expansion in safe water usage will prevent over 1.4 million cases of diarrhea and 1,300 child deaths each year once we reach our Kenya target of 5 million people served.

About the position: The Senior Associate for Supply Chain will be a key member of the Engineering, Supply and Innovations team, providing strategic oversight and planning of the dispenser hardware supply chain. 

This position will be one of two key staff on the Manufacture, Maintenance and Supply Team. This team focuses on delivering and optimizing current hardware-related operations. The Senior Associate must ensure that all products are available to programs in a timely and highly cost-effective manner. The Senior Associate will be focused on ensuring that the lifetime cost of a product is minimized, and that the supply chains are well-designed and cost-effective.

The Senior Associate for Supply Chain will ensure hardware is imported, assembled, and shipped to our field programs. The Senior Associate’s time will be shared equally between imports, exports, and domestic logistics, with a particular focus on finding cost-savings in our supply chain. 

The initial focus will be on cutting costs in our international imports, as this has the biggest opportunity for cost savings. As our international programs grow, there will be an increasing need to coordinate export logistics, examine new supply chain structures, cost out different regional manufacturing options, and be a client-serving face to the overall order process.

Key Responsibilities:

Identify and negotiate with international suppliers to ensure transparent and cost-effective sourcing;Thorough understanding of shipping options, and the implications on tax, transit times, and overall risk;Developing order plans to ensure time and cost-effectiveness of orders;Develop supply chain options for regional and global manufacturing hubs;Develop optimal dispenser hardware and chlorine resupply model;Map out current supply chain and identify key areas for improvement;Be the point person for all programs to order and manage dispenser hardware orders;Lead on all exports to ensure goods are delivered cost and time-efficiently;Work with government offices to standardize necessary components, register our product with a Kenyan Certificate of Origin, and document our products as necessary.Must have at least 5 years experience managing complicated supply chains- particularly between China and East Africa.Bachelor’s degree in logistics, supply chain, or similar field. Significant experience is more important than the correct degree.Experience with KEBS/COMESA registration.Contacts with suppliers in China and Kenya.Demonstrable planning and strategic thinking skills.Independent, proactive and willing to take initiative.Strong attention to detail.Enthusiastic to take on a role with significant responsibility while developing personally and professionally.Fast learner with the ability to step into a position in a fast-paced, rapidly-growing program.Motivated by the program’s high potential for widespread impact on global health.Interested in a work environment that is flexible, creative, and constantly changing.Demonstrations of enthusiasm and commitment in the discharge supply and logistics duties.