M-Pesa Africa: Senior Supply Chain Manager

Safaricom is the leading provider of converged communication solutions in Kenya. In addition to providing a broad range of first-class products and services for Telephony, Broadband Internet and Financial services, Safaricom seeks to uplift the welfare of Kenyans through value-added services and support for community projects.

Responsibilities

Procurement Strategy & Governance

• Maintain transparent sourcing processes that enable early risk identification, objective evaluation of supplier proposals, and selection of best-value solutions;
• Develop and maintain procurement policies, standards, and procedures that support business objectives, promote competitiveness and fairness, and uphold strong corporate governance;
• Define and execute category strategies that optimize value, improve supply efficiency, reduce process cost, and manage supply risk across all spend categories.

Supplier Strategy & Performance Management

• Establish and maintain a supplier relationship management framework that enables performance measurement, continuous improvement, and joint cost and quality initiatives;
• Build long-term, win-win supplier partnerships that encourage innovation, resilience, and ethical business practices;
• Manage supplier performance for both local and imported orders to ensure quality, delivery, and service standards are consistently met.

Contract Management & Commercial Excellence

• Develop and maintain systems, policies, and processes for the efficient development, negotiation, administration, and closure of contracts;
• Ensure contracts deliver quality outcomes, protect commercial interests, and effectively manage risk.

Supply Chain Operations & Logistics

• Develop and maintain systems and processes covering order fulfillment and third-party logistics operations;
• Establish freight mode guidelines aligned to service and cost objectives;
• Manage third-party logistics providers to meet service levels and continuously improve delivery performance.

Cost Optimization & Value Creation

• Lead ongoing identification and implementation of cost-saving and value-creation initiatives across the supply base;
• Drive spend optimization to improve overall business competitiveness.

Risk Management & Business Continuity

• Develop and maintain formal contingency sourcing plans as part of the business continuity framework;
• Embed proactive supply risk management within sourcing and supplier management processes.

People Leadership & Capability Building

• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing, engaged supply chain team.
• Coach and guide team members to achieve strong performance and progress toward their career goals.

Group & Market Alignment

• Align with market SCM heads on M-Pesa in-market spend to maximize group purchasing power and leverage scale benefits.

Qualifications

Core competencies, knowledge and experience:

• Excellent strategic Sourcing & Category Leadership: Ability to develop and execute category strategies that align to business objectives, optimize total cost of ownership, manage supply risk, and drive long-term value creation.
• Astute commercial & Financial Acumen: Strong capability to structure, negotiate, and manage complex commercial agreements, evaluate cost drivers, and deliver measurable cost optimization while balancing quality and service.
• Excellent supplier Relationship & Ecosystem Management: Expertise in building strategic supplier partnerships, establishing performance management frameworks, and driving continuous innovation, and mutual value creation.
• Supply Chain Operations & Execution Excellence: Ability to design and run efficient, scalable procurement, logistics, and order fulfillment processes that ensure reliability, transparency, and service excellence.
• Exceptional Risk, Governance & Compliance Leadership: Proven capability to embed governance, ethical sourcing, contract controls, and business continuity planning into all procurement and supply chain activities.
• Strategic People Leadership & Talent Development: Proven ability to build high-performing teams, coach and develop talent, create engagement, and establish clear performance expectations and career pathways.
• Excellent Communication & Presentation Skills: Articulate, confident, and able to convey complex ideas clearly to diverse audiences.
• Leadership & Mentorship: Natural ability to coach, guide, and empower others.
• High Level of Integrity and Professionalism: Operates with the highest ethical standards.
• Agile & Adaptable: Thrives in a fast-paced, evolving environment

Education & Professional Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Commerce, Marketing, Finance, or a related field. An MBA is highly desirable;
• Graduate Diploma in Supply chain management or similar qualification;
• At least 10 years of relevant direct experience in procurement and vendor management
• Experience leveraging ERP capabilities for procurement-related functions and processes.

• Maintain transparent sourcing processes that enable early risk identification, objective evaluation of supplier proposals, and selection of best-value solutions;
• Develop and maintain procurement policies, standards, and procedures that support business objectives, promote competitiveness and fairness, and uphold strong corporate governance;
• Define and execute category strategies that optimize value, improve supply efficiency, reduce process cost, and manage supply risk across all spend categories.
• Establish and maintain a supplier relationship management framework that enables performance measurement, continuous improvement, and joint cost and quality initiatives;
• Build long-term, win-win supplier partnerships that encourage innovation, resilience, and ethical business practices;
• Manage supplier performance for both local and imported orders to ensure quality, delivery, and service standards are consistently met.
• Develop and maintain systems, policies, and processes for the efficient development, negotiation, administration, and closure of contracts;
• Ensure contracts deliver quality outcomes, protect commercial interests, and effectively manage risk.
• Develop and maintain systems and processes covering order fulfillment and third-party logistics operations;
• Establish freight mode guidelines aligned to service and cost objectives;
• Manage third-party logistics providers to meet service levels and continuously improve delivery performance.
• Lead ongoing identification and implementation of cost-saving and value-creation initiatives across the supply base;
• Drive spend optimization to improve overall business competitiveness.
• Develop and maintain formal contingency sourcing plans as part of the business continuity framework;
• Embed proactive supply risk management within sourcing and supplier management processes.
• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing, engaged supply chain team.
• Coach and guide team members to achieve strong performance and progress toward their career goals.
• Align with market SCM heads on M-Pesa in-market spend to maximize group purchasing power and leverage scale benefits.

• Excellent strategic Sourcing & Category Leadership
• Astute commercial & Financial Acumen
• Excellent supplier Relationship & Ecosystem Management
• Supply Chain Operations & Execution Excellence
• Exceptional Risk, Governance & Compliance Leadership
• Strategic People Leadership & Talent Development
• Excellent Communication & Presentation Skills
• Leadership & Mentorship
• High Level of Integrity and Professionalism
• Agile & Adaptable

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Commerce, Marketing, Finance, or a related field. An MBA is highly desirable;
• Graduate Diploma in Supply chain management or similar qualification;
• At least 10 years of relevant direct experience in procurement and vendor management
• Experience leveraging ERP capabilities for procurement-related functions and processes.