Dispatch Officer at Uzima Chicken: (Deadline 9 April 2024)

Dispatch Officer at Uzima Chicken: (Deadline 9 April 2024)

About Uzima chicken

Uzima Chicken Ltd is a poultry company dedicated to making farmers healthier and wealthier. Uzima is the leading distributor of high-quality, dual-purpose day-old chicks in East Africa. Uzima plans to transform the poultry industry in Rwanda, providing smallholder farmers with a robust, disease-resistant bird that can thrive in local, rural conditions and is more productive than local birds. Uzima believes its dual-purpose birds can help eliminate poverty and malnutrition across East Africa.

Summary of Position

Dispatch Officer is responsible for organizing Uzima’s DOC and feed dispatch and distribution activities, managing transport vendors, preparing weekly and monthly delivery reports, and ensuring smooth delivery of chicks, and feed to Customers/Agents request or immediate needs.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Order Collection & Routing

• Collect orders from sales team using Uzima’s order booking tool on a weekly basis; liaise with Finance team to confirm payment for orders on chicks and feed
• Share order documentation with hatchery and feed team in a timely manner
• Based on orders, determine effective delivery routes from hatchery to customers. Calculate expected delivery fees and share route with transporters
• Ensure the availability of appropriate delivery vehicles; communicate route, drop-off location, sales team contacts, and customer contacts to drivers
• Ensure proper hand-off of delivery documents to drivers
• Communicate to sales team on which customers will receive products
• Prepare import paperwork required at Rwanda-DRC Burundi border; liaise with clearing agent and relevant stakeholders to manage a smooth, timely border crossing

Dispatch & Delivery

• Proactively communicate with sales team on every delivery and inform them of status of delivery, expected time of arrival, driver name and contact information
• Ensure drivers follow proper chicken, vaccine and feed handling procedures in the delivery process
• Ensure customers receive invoice for the products they have purchased and sign and receive the proper delivery documentation
• Make sure drivers return signed invoices, signed by customer, and ensure proper filing of these documents
• Communicate with relative stakeholders (Sales, Drivers, Finance, Hatchery/Feed) to ensure a smooth delivery and exceptional customer experience
• Continuously assess ways to improve delivery service and customer satisfaction
• Arranges transportation based on the field evaluation to minimize transport costs of DOCs and Feeds (30-35 Rwf per DOC/Kg).

Driver Management

• Identify qualified and professional transport companies
• Negotiate contracts with transport companies and maintain competitive prices to meet Uzima targets.
• Train drivers on chicks and feed handling and customer care, using Uzima’s driver training manual, to ensure the best customer experience in the delivery service.
• Ensure exceptional customer service in the delivery process by making sure drivers treat customers respectfully and by addressing any questions from customers immediately
• Assist drivers in solving problems on deliveries
• Evaluate driver’s performance using input from Sales team, Customer Insights team; appraise training needs of drivers or non-performing drivers
• Follow up with drivers as needed if deliveries result in high mortalities.

Reporting

• Record the company’s distribution costs and maintain records associated to these costs, share weekly report on delivery costs, and assess cost saving delivery options and suppliers to ensure a cost efficient delivery
• Update and share sales performance dashboard each week

Carries out any task as directed by the Supervisor/Manager

Requirements

• Bachelors in statistics, Economics, Agribusiness and related field
• Above 3 years of experience
• Advanced excel skills
• Communication skills & Negotiation skills
• Fluent in English and Kinyarwanda

Skills and Experience

• A team player with leadership abilities and management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, including negotiation skills.
• Be a person of integrity.
• Have analytical and excellent organizational skills.
• Attention to detail and high level of accuracy
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity
• A team player with sound negotiation skills.

Language Proficiency

Fluency in written and spoken English and Kinyarwanda.

Functional competencies

• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Ability to conduct data collection using various methods.
• Excellent analytical skills for the review and assessments of sites situations
• Computer proficiency in Advanced Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office (Word,and PowerPoint), database applications, spreadsheet and graphics presentations
• Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Core Competencies

• Transparency: Able to build trust and contribute to informed and responsible decision making by carrying out the work of Uzima in a transparent manner; provides clear guidance to ensure that objectives and desired measurable results are understood by members of the team.
• Inclusiveness: Understands and accepts cultural diversity, and provides a tolerant, positive and supportive working environment that fosters respect for diversity, demonstrates ability to work in a multicultural, multi ethnic environment and to maintain effective working relations with people of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
• Professionalism: Promote the organization’s interests, objectives and values in a diligent and professional manner.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should address their applications enclosed with a cover letter, Curriculum vitae, academic documents and other relevant certificates to the Managing Director of UZIMA CHICKEN LTD and delivered in a single PDF document to email: “careers@uzimachicken.com” not later than 09^th , April 2024 at 5:00 pm. UZIMA CHICKEN Ltd is an equal opportunity employer, and for the position female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Note:

• The subject of the email should be mentioned “Dispatch Officer”
• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview

Done at Kigali on 25^th  March 2024