Supply Chain Director at Bridge International Academies

The Bridge Approach

Education is in crisis in many countries around the world. It is estimated that 264 million children and young people are out of school, and 330 million children are in school but not learning. In addition, an extra 69 million teachers are needed to achieve the 2030 UN education goals.

Many education systems are plagued with inadequate materials and poor management systems, all leading to chronic teacher absenteeism and a lack of learning. Education reform is challenging but it is urgently required if we are to prevent another generation of children missing out. So, we work in partnership with governments, NGOs and non-state actors to address the huge education imbalance between what is available and what is needed right now — we work to bridge the gap.

We believe parents have the right to choose a school for their children and we enable families to enjoy seeing their children learn, improve and flourish at Bridge schools. We locate our schools in some of the most disadvantaged communities in the world. Families in our communities can be earning just $1.90 per person a day; a level the World Bank notes is at extreme poverty. By putting learning at the centre of all we do, Bridge has become an extremely popular choice for underserved families and low-income communities.
With plans to enroll ten million students ten years from now, Bridge offers a tremendous opportunity to grow with one of the world’s most exciting and ambitious social enterprises, with leadership roles available across a number of competencies and geographies.

[Supply Chain/Supply Chain]

What You Will Do:

We are looking for an absolute rockstar to join our senior leadership team and take our Supply Chain group to the next level. It is an extraordinary, but highly challenging role. Supply Chain is responsible for inventory management, procurement, logistics, and warehousing to service the activities of each and every academy.

Supply Chain is at the forefront of building an incredibly lean organisation. You will lead the charge to ensure we are getting the best pricing, that our goods are transported efficiently and cleanly, and that our warehousing activities are highly organised and architected for growth and rapid change.

You will be building a world-class Supply Chain platform – and that requires you to be a hands-on leader who effectively manages a large, multi-functional team and proactively dives into the nitty gritty to improve processes and systems. You will need to be tough but fair to ensure that we build a zero-tolerance environment for any fraud and leakage. You will train, develop, and mentor your team, and provide clear, constructive feedback where necessary.

You must be a team player – Supply Chain is deeply integrated with our Development and Operations groups, and you will interact with other teams frequently. You are singularly focused on building a better Bridge, regardless your title or department designation.

What You Should Have

• Bachelor’s degree from a top university with top marks; MS/MBA a plus
• Strong background in Supply Chain management; deep knowledge of procurement, warehousing, logistics best practices
• Significant and meaningful leadership experience leading Supply Chain teams in fast-growth, multi-unit environments
• High integrity with zero tolerance for any unethical business practices

You Are Also:

• Proactive – You don’t always need supervision and you are a self-starter. Your personal drive to succeed and deliver keeps you working when you may not have a supervisor with you.
• A detailed doer - You have a track record of getting things done.  You’re organized and responsive.  You take ownership of every idea you touch and execute it to a fine level of detail, setting targets, engaging others, and doing whatever it takes to get the job done.  You can multi-task dozens of such projects at once and never lose sight of the details.  Likely, you have some experience in a start-up or other rapid-growth company. 
• A networking mastermind- You excel at meeting new people and turning them into advocates.  You communicate in a clear, conscientious, and effective way in both written and oral speech.  You can influence strangers in the course of a single conversation.  Allies and colleagues will go to bat for your ideas. 
• A creative problem-solver- Growing any business from scratch comes with massive and constant challenges.  On top of that, Bridge works in volatile, low-resource communities and runs on fees averaging around $7 a month per pupil.  You need to be flexible and ready to get everything done effectively, quickly, and affordably with the materials at hand.  
• A customer advocate- Our customers – these families living on less than $2 a day per person – never leave your mind.  You know them, get them, have shared a meal with them (or would be happy to in the future).  You would never shrink back from shaking a parent’s hand or picking up a crying child, no matter what the person was wearing or looked like.  Every decision you make considers their customer benefit, experience, and value.
• A malleable learner -You believe you can always do better.  You welcome constructive criticism and provide it freely to others.  You know you only get better tomorrow when others point out where you’ve missed things or failed today.