Uzima Chicken Limited are seeking a detail-oriented Procurement Assistant to manage end-to-end procurement and supply chain operations. The Procurement Assistant partners with production, operations, finance and Admin to plan demand, run fair competition and keep auditable records.
Reports to: Operations Manager
Company Background
Uzima Chicken Kenya is a fast-growing, early-stage enterprise in Kenya focused on serving the needs of smallholder farmers in the last-mile. Uzima is part of the Hatch Africa (hatchafrica.co) group of Companies. Hatch is one the leading poultry companies in Sub-Saharan Africa 2024 Hatch distributed over 47m chickens to over 4m smallholder farmers and employed more than 2,500 people full-time. The Company’s purpose is to make smallholder farmers healthier and wealthier by supplying them with healthy and resilient chickens to rear for their own consumption and as a business.
Responsibilities:
Sourcing
- Owns the entire procurement process for raw materials, vaccines, machinery and spare parts from requisition to delivery.
- Oversee quality control processes to ensure product and service compliance with specifications and standards.
- Support RFQ/RFP processes, supplier pre-qualification and market analysis.
- Evaluate suppliers based on reliability, quality & price.
Supplier relationship management
- Establish & maintain relationships with key suppliers.
- Negotiate contracts, terms & conditions with suppliers.
- Monitor supplier performance on delivery, quality & cost.
- Maintain an updated list of prequalified and approved vendors.
- Ensure adherence to legal, ethical, corporate and regulatory procurement standards.
Cost Control & Risk Management
- Monitor market prices dynamics and advise accordingly to identify cost saving opportunities.
- Manage and reduce bill of materials cost by establishing alternative vendors and negotiating price & delivery schedules.
- Develop contingency plans for supply chain disruptions.
- Implement cost control measures without compromise on quality.
- Keep records of cost savings or reductions achieved through sourcing.
Compliance & Documentation
- Ensure all purchases are made in accordance with our internal policies and procedures.
- Ensure supplier documentation meets due diligence standards.
- Prepare monthly reports on supplier spend and compliance levels.
- Follow conflict of interest and anti-fraud policies in all procurement activities.
Stakeholder Coordination
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure accurate and effective material requirements planning.
- Drive robust demand forecasting to drive efficiencies in the planning process
Qualifications & Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management
- Member of KISM.
- 2+ years in purchasing experience, exposure in agricultural sector or agribusiness is an advantage.
Desired Candidate Profile
- Familiarity with quality control and assurance in agricultural supply chains.
- Proficiency in procurement analytics and data driven decision making.
- High problem-solving capability for unforeseen circumstances.
What We Offer:
- A dynamic, purpose-driven work environment.
- Opportunities for professional growth in a fast-growing agri-business.
- The chance to make a real impact in rural livelihoods.
