Category Management Buyer
Wasoko
- Nairobi
- Permanent
- Full-time
Wasoko (“people of the market” in Swahili) is transforming communities across Africa by revolutionizing access to essential goods and services. We are East Africa's biggest digitized retail distribution platform powered by our own in-house logistics network. Tens of thousands of informal retailers across East Africa use Wasoko to order everyday essential goods and receive working capital financing.The informal retailers of Africa today are the primary if not the only channel used by consumers to purchase essential goods worth over $600 billion per year. The fragmented infrastructure across large land mass, distributed but diverse population and rather a smaller basket size spend does not yet lend themselves to big basket retail or mass consumer ecommerce. Instead, the informal retail ecosystem is THE channel for building the plumbing for digital and consumer
commerce across Africa.This is Wasoko's opportunity. Wasoko with its brand, scale and logistics network is best positioned to build the technology-leveraged rails to serve the 1+ billion African consumers through informal retailers. We are building a digital-first operating system for informal retailers, focusing initially on B2B distribution but quickly incorporating a host of other tools and services to help communities across Africa get more for less.Role: Category Management BuyerCurrently, the indirect procurement is characterized by a high spend but decentralized departmental based sourcing, across multiple categories. As the business grows and spending increases, there is a need for us to break down the function into sub categories, in order to deliver value for the business.Objective:
- To develop a robust function that will put a strong focus and leverage synergy across all business units and thus enable Sokowatch maximize its purchasing power across while being compliant
- Review spend that is not currently managed via a defined category management strategy.
- Manage sourcing process spend categories which have previously been un-managed and fragmented
- Partner with stakeholders to understand business needs and specifications for assigned for logistics, fleet and warehouse
- Develop a supplier pipeline that aligns with business strategy; ensure lowest cost, best quality, and on-time delivery.
- Develop and implement category plan in collaboration with user team members, including strategic business relationship approach, supplier sourcing strategy/ plan, potential negotiation methods and long-term business needs.
- Conduct the procurement life cycle from request submission through contract filing, including, but not limited to, cost analysis, negotiating contracts renewals, and overseeing contract review, approval, exception processes, and exit process.
- Develop and implement Service Level Agreement (SLA's) based on evolving business needs. Monitor supplier performance/ compliance; troubleshoots problems to mitigate risk and improve performance.
- Regularly evaluate supplier offerings, usage and category spend; identify opportunities to reduce cost and improve performance; provide recommendations that support the business' strategic goals and plans.
- Manage supplier communications, including, but not limited to, RFx process: Request for Information (RFI), Request for Proposal (RFP) and Request for Quote (RFQ);
- Stay current on industry technologies, trends, and strategies in Fleet and warehouse sourcing
- Conduct supplier research and analysis, including supplier diligence (compliance/ risk assessment, performance and product offerings),
- Assist suppliers and other customers (internal and external) by answering questions related to sourcing and procurement processes, procedures and services.
- Other duties as assigned.
- The successful candidate will possess:
- Minimum 5 years of experience in procurement or logistics, involved in the development and execution of Warehouse, Logistics and Fleet buying strategies
- Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Logistics, Supply Chain, or Business Administration.
- Ability to work both independently and in a team environment.
- Understanding of how to manage contract terms and how to negotiate the best contracts within the logistics industry
- Proficient in MS Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint,