Warehouse Manager, Inventory Control and Customs Compliance

M-KOPA, the pan-African fintech behind pay-as-you-go financing for smartphones and other everyday assets, is hiring a Warehouse Manager for its Nairobi operation. You will be the on-site guardian of stock integrity, storage discipline and import compliance. The role sits in the Smartphones, Warehouse and Logistics department and reports to the Head of Manufacturing.

Every device that reaches a customer passes through this facility first, so accuracy here shapes the whole customer experience. You will oversee how goods are received, stored, counted, dispatched and, when necessary, retired from the books. You will keep paid storage space for items that carry real value, accept promotional materials only under agreed terms, and work with Finance to expose slow-moving stock before it turns into a loss.

A large part of the job happens at the border. You will guide clearing agents, deal with customs officials and manage duty remission arrangements so that shipments move quickly without exposing the company to retrospective charges or penalties. Paperwork must always be complete and ready for scrutiny.

You will also lead people. Your team includes Warehouse Officers, Reverse Logistics Officers, Imports and Logistics Officers, and casual and contract workers. Expect to set targets, coach, review performance and build a team that values honesty and ownership. You will also manage courier and other external partners, check their invoices and lodge claims when service falls short.

This is a full-time managerial position based in Nairobi, Kenya. It suits someone who is comfortable saying no when a shortcut would weaken a control, and who enjoys making routine processes faster, cheaper and cleaner. Working alongside Finance, Legal and manufacturing colleagues, you will help the business pass finance, safety and customs audits without material findings.

• 5 years

Storage and space discipline

Keep rented racking and paid floor space for saleable stock and items with recognized book value.
Run scheduled utilization checks and clear or reassign space occupied by ineligible goods.
Maintain a bin-location map that always matches the warehouse system records.

Promotional materials

Confirm a signed agreement exists for each category of marketing merchandise, covering receiving steps, documents and maximum holding period.
Monitor holding times, escalate items nearing their limit and refuse deliveries that lack an agreement until management approves an exception.

Ageing stock and disposals

Prepare a monthly ageing report with Finance, review it with stakeholders and follow agreed actions through to closure.
Apply the company disposal policy to damaged, obsolete and written-off items, with full approvals and documentation.
Keep a disposal register and report volumes, values and trends monthly.

Imports and outbound logistics

Coordinate with clearing agents, customs authorities and government bodies for timely clearance.
Keep bills of lading, declarations, permits and remission documents accurate and audit-ready.
Monitor remission conditions continuously and raise any regulatory exposure with Finance and Legal immediately.
Set and enforce standards for dispatch accuracy, timeliness and documentation.

Daily operations

Oversee goods-in, put-away, picking, cycle counts and reconciliations.
Investigate shrinkage and unexplained variances to their root cause and apply corrective measures.
Pursue process improvements that lower cost and errors while preserving controls.

External partners

Hold couriers and order-processing vendors to their service terms.
Renew warehouse-related contracts on time, file claims promptly and verify partner invoices.

Team and compliance

Coach staff, set objectives, review performance and address underperformance fairly.
Plan shifts so supervision and segregation of duties are always covered.
Uphold health and safety rules and close audit actions within agreed deadlines.

Bachelor’s degree (B.Com or BSc) in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration or a closely related discipline.
Five to eight years of progressive experience in warehousing, logistics or supply chain operations.
A minimum of two years supervising or managing a team.
Documented exposure to inventory control, customs clearance, duty remission schemes and cross-border freight.
Working knowledge of how Finance handles stock valuation, ageing analysis and disposal approvals.

Considered an advantage:

Familiarity with bonded warehousing and remission schemes in East Africa.
Professional certification such as CIPS, CILT or APICS/CSCP.
Background in manufacturing, distribution or fast-moving consumer goods across African markets.
Practical grounding in Lean, 5S or similar improvement methods.

Thorough understanding of customs rules, clearing procedures and remission requirements, with confidence dealing with agents and officials.
Proven ability to enforce racking discipline, agreement tracking, ageing review and disposal procedures.
Strong analytical and numerical judgement, with close attention to detail.
Advanced Excel and data-handling ability, plus hands-on experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 or a comparable ERP or warehouse management system.
Planning and organizational strength to juggle competing deadlines in a fast-moving setting.
Leadership that develops people, builds accountability and handles performance issues with fairness.
Integrity that holds firm when a control is inconvenient.
Clear written and verbal communication with Finance, Legal, vendors and government offices.
Self-direction and the initiative to solve problems without waiting for instruction.