BeadforLife Inventory Consultant

in Jobs
June 1st, 2015

BeadforLife, a Ugandan NGO, is looking for a 3 month, full time consultant to help us set up and run our logistics and inventory systems, manage our inventory team, and help with the quality control and production schedule of our products.

BeadforLife creates sustainable opportunities for women to lift their families out of extreme poverty by connecting people worldwide in a circle of exchange that enriches everyone. We work with impoverished people in Uganda to generate income and provide training to help people create long-term income streams leading to sustainability. The women we work with are trained to make hand rolled beads out of recycled paper and beautiful jewelry items combining these beads with other local materials. We also work with tailors to sew designs created by BeadforLife. The women in northern Uganda collect shea nuts and we provide training in organic farming a proper drying and storing techniques. The women we work usually have not made items like these previously.

Reports to: Operations Director

Directly Supervises: Product Coordinator, Inventory Supervisor

The Inventory and Sales Coordinator will impact the BeadforLife program in the following areas:

  • Staff Management
  • Inventory Management
  • Member Training
  • Buying and Quality Control
  • Product Development

Our Inventory Coordinator has had to take an unexpected 6 week leave. This person’s primary role will be to work with the Operations Director to put in place inventory management systems and then train the Inventory Coordinator in these systems when she returns from leave.

We are looking for someone who is a strategic systems thinker who is patient and an excellent communicator. We need someone who has extensive experience with Excel and likes working in a fast paced environment.  This person needs to have an eye for quality and be able to identify products that will sell internationally.

Responsibilities include:

Staff Leadership and Management

  • manage the BeadforLife product team
  • Provide regular trainings to assist with communication and training on product specs

Inventory Management

  • Set up systems for proper inventory management
  • Work with the Operations Director and inventory team to put in place systems for physical counts, stock taking, reconciling numbers, and tracking sales.
  • Set up systems for ordering and tracking supplies

Member Training

  • Coordinate training of new members and continued training of enrolled beneficiaries
  • Identify gaps in our product training programs and suggest innovative solutions
  • Prepare training budget and justify variances

 

Buying and Quality Control

  • Identify quality product and ensure staff and beneficiaries are trained to provide quality needed
  • Participate in weekly sales and ensure that all products meet quality standards
  • Liaze with all BeadforLife offices to understand market and present design ideas

 

Product Development

  • Work with team to produce samples of product designs and to assess feasibility of production and sales
  • Work with Operations Director to cost out production of new products
  • Work with vendors to source products not made by our members
  • Research locally available materials for product production

Qualifications:

We are looking for a strategic and detail oriented person to provide principled leadership on our team in a time of transition. This person should be a fast learner and good communicator. The right candidate will love working with women and will thrive in a fast-paced work environment. They will have a kind and participative management style, and will be dedicated to poverty eradication in Uganda. We are looking for someone who wants to do work that really makes a difference.

Specific qualifications include:

  • Excellent Excel Skills
  • Available to start immediately
  • Proven leadership, management, and inter-personal skills and ability to build and motivate diverse and talented teams.
  • Demonstrated personal accountability, honesty, respect for others, and a drive to serve
  • Experience working with people from diverse cultures using varied modes of communication.
  • University Degree

If interested please email Erin Fischer, Operations Director, at erin@beadforlife.ug or call 0778-719262

Compensation and benefits will be based on experience. This position runs from 1 June 2015 – 31 August 2015