Senior Manager, Sourcing & Farmer Engagement at TUME Middle Africa Consulting Limited

GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION

The positions key responsibilities are:

• Create and implement innovative, cost-effective international sourcing strategies incorporating the growing complexities and challenges within the industry.
• Achieve quality and volume sourcing targets for organic and convention / conversion coconuts.
• Engage with, build and establish sustained, loyal relationships with farmers, Village Buying Agents and brokers in the counties of operation on behalf of the business.
• Manage the sourcing process and supply chain effectively and efficiently – within budget and policies of the company.
• Support the Internal Control Systems (ICS) department to achieve and maintain all certifications, particularly Organic certification. Ensuring zero non-compliance to the certification standards.

SPECIFIC JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Sourcing & Farmer Engagement Manager will be responsible and accountable for the following Core job elements:

• Develop a strong understanding of the market and monitor competitive factors and risks. Understand the potential supply base and track the market and price trends.
• Refine the company’s dynamic pricing model for farmers, Village Buying Agents and brokers, including validation of parameters, assumptions and relationships between these and the recommended price.
• Design optimal logistics structure to support sourcing initiatives. Develop total landed coconut cost models to monitor spend and derive relevant insights to support sourcing strategies and decisions.
• Develop a comprehensive sourcing plan for organic and conversion farmers to meet volume and quality targets.
• Negotiate prices and terms and conditions with farmers, farmer groups and suppliers and ensure that such negotiations are properly contracted, documented, and filed.
• Develop a performance review system to measure volume capture from organic and conversion farmers YoY and sustained engagement from existing and new farmer groups.
• Meet with farmers to discuss performance metrics, provide performance feedback and forecasts to identify any deviations at an early stage. Ensure timely and effective implementation of remedial actions.
• Actively engage into networking activities to leverage coconut sourcing knowledge and opportunities for the company: peers, professional associations, NGO’s, Government and local authorities, suppliers, etc.
• Execute all certification programs, consistent with the organizational strategic plan and compliant with Ecocert, USDA organic standards and or the standards of other applicable accreditation bodies.
• Develop and implement a loyalty program for specific farmer segments, starting with the currently established farmer groups.
• Provide input to the seedling program to target distribution efforts for farmer groups that have potential for increased volume share capture.
• Oversee internal control systems established and liaise with the ICS Manager to make improvements needed, specifically on ensuring zero non-compliance to the certification standards.

EDUCATIONAL & COLLATERAL REQUREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, agronomy or a relevant business field with ten (10) or more years’ experience sourcing and specifically managing performance & productivity of farmer organizations. Knowledge or and experience in coconut purchasing is an added advantage.
• Excellent understanding of farmer organizations, sourcing and procurement techniques as well as dexterity in ‘reading’ the market. Understands international certifications and how to practically manage them.
• Ability to effectively communicate with farmers and management clearly, accurately and articulate the company’s vision and get farmer buy-in.
• Self-starter. Result-oriented with strong analytical, and outstanding strategic, supervisory, leadership, interpersonal, mentoring, negotiation, decision making, communication and organization skills.
• IT Skills: MS Office particularly Word, excel and PowerPoint.