Head of Supply Chain - Nairobi - M-KOPA

Description

Head of Supply Chain | M-KOPA Nairobi

You've optimized supply chains. You've negotiated with suppliers. You've probably even transformed operations for companies serving millions. But here's a question: when was the last time your inventory decisions directly enabled someone to start their first business? Or your supplier negotiations helped a farmer access their first smartphone?

You're accomplished. You're respected. You're probably even successful where you are. But are you building infrastructure that transforms economies?

M-KOPA has unlocked over $2 billion in credit for 7 million customers across Africa—people for whom 55% of our products represent their first-ever access to smartphones, solar power, or e-mobility. We've assembled 2 million smartphones in Kenya, financed 4,000+ e-motorbikes (saving riders $5.62 daily), and contributed $45 million in taxes while maintaining 86% customer satisfaction. Behind these numbers is a supply chain moving products from global OEMs through African customs, across multiple countries, into the hands of customers who are using these products to generate income (70% of our customers) and fundamentally improve their quality of life.

Your current role probably involves optimizing costs and managing suppliers. This role involves building the supply chain infrastructure that enables Africa's economic transformation—at scale, across borders, with real impact on millions of lives.

Why This Timing Matters

We've grown from 5 million to 7 million customers, and we're building toward 10 million. That growth requires more than incremental optimization—it requires someone who can architect supply chain operations across multiple African markets, negotiate with global OEMs while managing local logistics realities, and build systems that scale from thousands to millions.

We're not just hiring. We're deliberately expanding our senior leadership team during a critical scaling moment. The infrastructure you build now determines whether we can reach the next 3 million customers efficiently, profitably, and with the same quality that earned us 86% customer satisfaction.

What Makes This Different

Your current role: Probably managing supply chain for a single market or product line, optimizing existing processes, reporting on performance.

This role: Architecting end-to-end supply chain strategy across consumer electronics, solar products, and e-mobility—spanning product sourcing from global OEMs, multi-country logistics, local assembly operations (we've assembled 2 million smartphones), retail disbursement through 35,000 agents, repairs management, and warranty optimization. You're not just managing suppliers; you're negotiating contracts that determine product costs for millions of customers. You're not just tracking inventory; you're balancing working capital constraints against the need to serve customers across Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, and beyond.

This is building, not just managing. Strategic, not just operational. And every optimization you drive—whether reducing landed costs, improving supplier rebate realization, or enhancing repair SLAs—directly impacts our ability to make products more accessible to customers who are using them to transform their economic circumstances.

What You'll Actually Do

You'll lead Planning and Sourcing directly, partnering with country General Managers on Warehouse, Logistics, and Repair operations. On any given week, you might be negotiating with smartphone OEMs on volume pricing and rebate structures, optimizing inventory levels to balance product availability against working capital efficiency, driving down landed product costs while maintaining quality standards, establishing performance KPIs across regional supply chain operations, or partnering with Product and Sales teams to support market expansion with scalable infrastructure.

You'll own cost management for everything product-related—from locking software fees and import agency costs to logistics expenses and warranty management. You'll be the key stakeholder in large purchase contracts, the strategic advisor to senior leadership on supply chain risks and opportunities, and the architect of processes that need to work across diverse African markets with different customs regulations, infrastructure realities, and operational challenges.

You'll build and lead a high-performing team across Planning, Sourcing, Warehousing, Logistics, and Repairs—establishing clear structures, driving accountability through KPIs, and fostering a culture of operational excellence that enables our mission.

What You Bring

• Extensive progressive supply chain leadership experience in consumer electronics, technology, or high-volume manufacturing industries, with a Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or related field (Master's degree is an added advantage). You've built and scaled supply chain operations, led cross-functional teams through operational transformation, and have demonstrable success managing complex, multi-country supply chain operations in Africa or emerging markets where infrastructure challenges require creative solutions and strategic thinking.

• Proven track record in supplier negotiation, contract management, and relationship building with OEMs and distributors, with demonstrated success securing competitive terms, pricing, and delivery agreements that impact business profitability. You've served as a key stakeholder in large product purchase contracts, managed supplier performance accountability for quality and delivery targets, and optimized supplier rebate programs and warranty management processes that directly contribute to bottom-line results.

• Strong financial acumen with substantial experience in cost management, budget ownership, and P&L impact, including the ability to drive initiatives that reduce landed product costs while maintaining quality and service standards. You understand how to manage all product-specific service costs (whether internal or external), monitor and report on supply chain financial performance against targets, and balance working capital constraints with operational needs—skills that directly impact our ability to scale sustainably.

What Would Set You Apart

Professional certifications such as APICS CSCP, CPIM, or equivalent would strengthen your profile. Experience in fintech, mobile technology, or consumer durables industries means you understand the product categories we work with. Knowledge of import/export regulations, customs, and trade compliance in African markets will accelerate your impact. Familiarity with ERP systems and supply chain management software helps you leverage technology for operational excellence.

The Reality Check

This role is demanding. You'll be building systems across multiple African markets with different operational realities. You'll need to balance competing priorities—working capital constraints against product availability, cost optimization against quality standards, global supplier relationships against local operational needs. You'll travel up to 25% across Africa and internationally. You'll be accountable for metrics that directly impact business growth—inventory management against working capital limitations, landed product costs, supplier performance and rebate realization, warranty management, and repair SLA adherence.

But if you're reading this and thinking "That's exactly the kind of complexity I want to be solving," that's probably the signal you should explore this.

Ready to Build Supply Chain Infrastructure for Africa's Economic Transformation?

We're looking for someone who sees supply chain not as cost centers to manage, but as strategic infrastructure to build. Someone who gets energized by complexity, who can architect operations across borders and markets, and who wants their work to enable millions of people to access products that transform their economic circumstances.

If that sounds like you, let's talk.

Why M-KOPA?

At M-KOPA, we empower our people to own their careers through diverse development programs, coaching partnerships, and on-the-job training. We support individual journeys with family-friendly policies, prioritize well-being, and embrace flexibility.

Join us in shaping the future of M-KOPA as we grow together. Explore more at m-

Recognized four times by the Financial Times as one Africa's fastest growing companies (2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025) and by TIME100 Most influential companies in the world 2023 and 2024 , we've served over 6 million customers, unlocking $1.5 billion in cumulative credit for the unbanked across Africa.

Important Notice

M-KOPA is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained staff. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

M-KOPA explicitly prohibits the use of Forced or Child Labour and respects the rights of its employees to agree to terms and conditions of employment voluntarily, without coercion, and freely terminate their employment on appropriate notice. M-KOPA shall ensure that its Employees are of legal working age and shall comply with local laws for youth employment or student work, such as internships or apprenticeships.

M-KOPA does not collect/charge any money as a pre-employment or post-employment requirement. This means that we never ask for 'recruitment fees', 'processing fees', 'interview fees', or any other kind of money in exchange for offer letters or interviews at any time during the hiring process.

Applications for this position will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Shortlisting and interviews will take place at any stage during the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is selected before the advertised closing date.

If your application is successful M-KOPA undertakes pre-employment background checks as part of its recruitment process, these include; criminal records, identification verification, academic qualifications, employment dates and employer references.