Operations & Merchant Engagement Associate

Operations & Merchant Engagement Associate

Full-time (1-year renewable) | Nairobi

1. Role overview

The Operations & Merchant Engagement associate is responsible for the end-to-end execution, coordination, and continuous improvement of Mawu Africa’s operations and merchant ecosystem.

This role ensures efficient order fulfillment, accurate inventory management, and effective merchant engagement, while proactively identifying operational gaps and implementing solutions to improve performance and scalability.

The role requires a high level of ownership, technical proficiency, attention to detail, and independent execution.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Production management, Order Fulfillment & Operations

• Manage and track all retail and wholesale orders from placement to delivery
• Ensure timely fulfillment of orders in line with company KPls
• Coordinate with merchants on production timelines, order readiness, and dispatch
• Conduct final quality control (QC) checks and ensure adherence to packaging standards

• Monitor production progress and proactively resolve delays or operational issues
• Identify bottlenecks in fulfillment and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency

B. Inventory & Product Management

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date inventory records across all systems and physical locations
• Track stock levels and proactively identify discrepancies, risks, or stock gaps
• Upload and manage product listings in line with established product guidelines
• Review and approve product data (descriptions, images, variants) to ensure completeness and accuracy
• Maintain and update inventory and product trackers on a weekly basis
• Identify product and inventory gaps and recommend actions to improve availability and performance

C. Merchant Engagement, Onboarding & Support

• Conduct regular merchant check-ins and visits to monitor performance and strengthen relationships
• Lead merchant onboarding, ensuring alignment with Mawu Africa’s quality, production, and operational standards
• Collect and maintain structured merchant data, including production capacity, inventory levels, and product gaps
• Conduct inventory reviews and audits with selected merchants
• Provide feedback and guidance to merchants on product quality, production timelines, and compliance with requirements
• Generate actionable insights from merchant interactions to support production planning and product strategy

3. Qualifications & Experience

• Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Operations, or a related field
• 1-3 years of relevant experience in operations, logistics, e-commerce, or supply chain
• Experience working with inventory systems or ecommerce platforms is an added advantage
• Knowledge and experience working in the crafts industry is an added advantage.

4. Required Skills & Competencies

This is a hands-on, execution-focused role requiring a proactive and detail-oriented individual. The successful candidate must be comfortable working in the field and in the office managing data, systems, and structured processes while maintaining a high level of accountability and performance.

• Demonstrated ownership and accountability for outcomes, not just tasks
• Ability to execute work independently with consistency and strong tollow-through
• Strong problem-solving ability with capacity to identify and resolve operational gaps
• Ability to manage end-to-end operational workflows including orders, production, fulfillment, and delivery
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets for tracking, reporting, and data accuracy
• Ability to work with operational systems (e.g. Shopify, Multivendor Systems, PowerBi or similar platforms) and quickly learn new tools
• High attention to detail in managing operational and inventory data
• Strong communication skills for engaging with artisans and merchants
• Ability to manage relationships within a distributed artisan network while maintaining accountability
• Ability to produce clear, structured operational updates and reports
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, evolving environment with changing operational demands