Director, Supply Chain Operations & Logistics at 54gene Nigeria

54gene was founded in 2019 by Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong to address the significant gap in the global genomics market; Nearly 90% of genetic material used in pharmaceutical research is Caucasian. Only 2% is African, despite the fact that Africans and people of African ancestry are more genetically diverse than all other world populations combined.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Director, Supply Chain Operations & Logistics

Location: Lagos
Job Type: Full Time
Industry: Biotechnology
Department: Logistics
Reports to: Country Manager, Nigeria
Directly supervises: Logistics Manager(s) / Associate(s)

Job Description

The Director of Supply Chain Operations and Logistics (SCO) serves a key leadership role in coordinating the Nigeria-based operations of 54gene.
The SCO Director leads all Supply Chain Management and Logistics duties including the materials, equipment and supply forecasting per established production goals and targets, the establishment and monitoring of best practices, vendor management, supply planning and procurement, quality assurance of inbound supplies, materials and equipment and inventory management.
The SCO Director will also lead the 54gene team in the application of supply chain best practices, processes and tools to maximize business performance, capacity and efficiency, including spearheading the research, selection, set-up and optimization an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software platform to integrate critical business planning and process/project management functions. In addition, the SCO will provide supply chain management support to other 54gene global locations as needed.
The SCO Director also assists the Country Manager (CM) with planning and oversight of daily operations and workflows in Nigeria. S/he will support the CM to monitor service level agreements, ensure regulatory requirements are met, and develop in continuous improvement programs for maximized efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and quality of 54gene’s services.

Essential Functions

Supply Chain Management (General & Inbound):

Assist the Country Manager in Operations Management of Nigeria-based, operations, including:
- Planning and budgeting activities;
- Monitoring service-level agreements;
- Development of onsite continuous improvement programs to meet safety, quality, productivity, delivery, and cost expectations;
- Ensure all regulatory requirements are met
Implement industry best practices for all 54gene supply chain activities
Drive financial performance of business units by identifying risks and opportunities in the supply chain, troubleshooting issues and recommending solutions
Create supply plans; forecast appropriately to ensure adequate supplies at all times to meet operations plans and goals, minimize shortages, and maximize cost efficiencies
Source raw materials, equipment, products and services to support operations in Nigeria and other global sites, as needed; identify multiple suppliers/back-up suppliers for contingency planning or to meet peak demand times, as needed
Initiate and monitor purchase orders; manage receipt of materials, consumables, supplies and equipment, ensuring match to purchase orders
Coordinate and oversee delivery and logistics of materials supplies and equipment to all Nigerian operations, as well as other global 54gene sites as needed
Oversee all vendor relationships:
- Evaluate and engage suppliers and vendors per approved vendor policies;
- Complete external partner capacity assessments;
- Oversee inbound supply orders for accuracy of product, quality, on-time delivery; manage any issue resolution with vendors/suppliers
Keep abreast of any changes in regulatory requirements that may impact supply chain availability, and/or distribution
Analyze supply chain expenditures and other financial information in conjunction with Financial Controller in order to develop plans, policies, and budgets for increasing profits and improving services
Oversee inventory management and warehousing:
- Find ways to reduce waste, maximize inventory controls;
- Oversee quality control of incoming products, equipment, materials and services;
- Ensure that reporting of all physical/cycle inventory results are timely, accurate and consistent with corporate policies and generally accepted accounting principles
Co-create, update and maintain standard business operation procedures (SOPs) and work instructions (process flow diagrams and instructional guides) for critical production planning and supply chain management activities
Prepare and communicate regular operations and project-based reports and updates to key partners including senior management
Coordinate supply chain functions with other functional areas as needed, including sales, marketing, finance, IT, laboratory/clinical operations for planning, procurement, quality assurance, warehousing and inventory management as needed.

Supply Chain Management (Outbound):

In partnership with warehouse staff, coordinate distribution activities to clients and resolution of issues as required
Responsible for all transportation and logistics as required to support the shipment of licensed product (e.g. consumer testing kits) as well as other materials
Facilitate sales and operations planning (S&OP) based on 54gene’s product demand
Ensure maximum compliance with current supply chain practices and related regulations
Oversee 3rd party Freight/Logistics partners to ensure service and spend is appropriately delivered per supply chain plans and goals
Manage the transportation operations to meet or exceed our customers’ requirements
Establish and oversee trade compliance for commercial product distribution with all local and international requirements and regulations.

Supply Chain ERP Set-up & Optimization:

Participate in the development of a strategic roadmap for integrated business planning capabilities, including managing the supply chain processes electronically (i.e. inventory planning, capacity planning, dashboard and analytics)
Lead the process to research and potentially select a project management / planning platform (i.e. ERP system)
Set up the ERP system aligned to 54gene’s business operations and process management, in collaboration with Finance, IT/IS and Engineering staff, and senior leadership
Ensure ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software tools are optimized, including detailed scheduling, purchase orders, process orders, recipes and bill of materials, change orders; automate and coordinate processes to minimize or eliminate manual processes
Lead in the development and ongoing improvement of the platform to meet 54gene’s planning and project/process management needs as the company grows and evolves.

Education & Certifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Operations or Supply Chain Management, Life Sciences or Engineering
Master’s Degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration (MBA), or related Degree is a plus
Supply Chain management related certification a plus, e.g. IBF (Institute for Business Forecasting and Planning) or ASCM/ APICS (Association for Supply Chain Management), CPM (Certified Purchasing Manager), CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management), CPIM (Certification in Production and Inventory Management), or CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional).

Experience:

8+ years of operations leadership experience in biotechnology or pharmaceutical field
7+ years minimum experience in logistics, supply chain, and/or distribution management in a biotechnology, pharmaceutical or related healthcare industry; experience in contract manufacturing setting preferred
Prior experience working within a regulated environment
Demonstrated experience in a continuous improvement role utilizing tools, methodologies and change management (i.e. Lean, Six Sigma)
Demonstrated experience in forming, leading, managing and facilitating highly collaborative teams
Experience with global import and export controls is a strong plus
Prior Cold Chain distribution experience is a plus
Government regulatory agency inspections experience preferred
Demonstrated success working in a fast-paced, swiftly changing entrepreneurial environment; experience in rapidly growing companies, preferred; biotech start-up experience a plus
Experience working in a company based in multiple locations, preferred; global experience a plus.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Good understanding of intersection of operations, finance, sales and supply chain
Exceptional skills in project management, including planning, budgeting and meeting deadlines; any familiarity with Lean / Agile / Six Sigma concepts is a strong plus
Excellent supply chain management skills including forecasting, cost accounting, logistics, and e-business/e-procurement
Excellent working knowledge of material handling processes, procedures, and systems/tools/software
Knowledge of import/export processes
Strong financial aptitude and math skills, including command of algebra
Ability to interpret data (data analysis) and draw conclusions for strategic action
Strong creative and resourceful problem-solving skills; sound judgment
Ability to successfully collaborate cross-functionally with others of different skill sets, backgrounds and levels within and external to the organization, including researchers, clinicians, technical personnel, vendors, and customers/clients
Superior interpersonal skills, with emphasis on relationship building and networking
High level of written and oral communication skills, including presentation skills
Working knowledge of KPIs, business performance/operations metrics
Strong scientific aptitude/understanding; working knowledge of the life sciences, biotechnology and/or genomics, strongly preferred
Expert proficiency with MS Office systems and Google Suite applications
Proficiency in spreadsheets, presentation and project management software
Proficiency in an Enterprise Resource Planning software (e.g. SAP – Systems Applications and Products in Data Processing), including setting up and maximizing project management and supply chain features and tools, is a strong plus
Excellent project management skills and ability to effectively balance multiple ongoing projects to meet deadlines
Cross-cultural competency; ability to work with a diverse, global team
English fluency; fluency in French is a plus.