THE ROLE

It’s Wednesday morning and the entire internet is glued to their screens. What’s the occasion? The largest smartphone manufacturer in the world is livestreaming the announcement of their latest devices. You’ve known about them for months now, but that hasn’t stopped you from tuning in - where else are you going to see a Senior VP of Software Engineering travel at warp speed around a CGI campus? With each passing announcement, the forecasts you’ve helped to sketch out are filled in with color. A staggered release schedule for the smartphones, re-engineered wireless earbuds… everything’s going according to plan.
At the eleventh hour, a wrench in the system: a new smartwatch. Will we make accessories for it? Should we develop them? What’s the addressable market? Is there any room in the production schedule? Can we get inbound freight in time? The answers to these questions hinge upon your work. Without missing a beat, you’ve buried your nose in years worth of data and market insights, with occasional breaks to see what the internet’s peanut gallery is saying about the surprise announcement.
By the end of the day, a new forecast has been drawn up: backed by data and immune to any last-minute curveballs. Now that all of the cards are on the table, you’re no longer relying on hardware keynotes to fill in any missing details. Not only are we proceeding with development, our first shipment is going to be in the right place at the right time… with the right quantity to boot. None of this would have been possible without the keen insights provided by our Supply Chain Analyst.
Does this sound like your Wednesday? Of course not. You don’t work here… yet. Want to change that? Keep reading.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

In order to make a positive impact as part of our team, your focus in this role will be to:

• Own demand planning and purchasing for all imported goods, to effectively balance inventory carrying costs and stock availability.
• Create, issue, and monitor purchase orders to ensure products and materials arrive in appropriate quantities and in a timely manner to meet current and forecasted demand.
• Work with Creative, Marketing, and Product Development teams to develop forecasts for new product releases, peak season pushes, and develop product retirement strategies to reduce dead stock.
• Define, implement, and manage key metrics for the Supply Chain function to identify risks and opportunities to align with company objectives and growth targets.
• Create and maintain reporting dashboards and intelligence tools to support Finance, Production, and Order Experience teams, with a focus on in-stock dates, discrepancies, on-time delivery, and purchase order reconciliation.
• Develop and maintain product information and pricing in both internal and external supplier systems to allow for seamless integration and accurate information.
• Identify and select optimal shipment and transportation routes, with a focus on timeliness, cost; with consideration of consolidation, warehousing, and distribution.
• Manage end-to-end freight movements, liaising with factories, forwarders, and 3PL storage locations to ensure timely product availability.
• Establish and maintain relationships with suppliers and vendors.
• Assess vendor operations and enforce compliance with quality standards.
• Measure supply chain performance using KPIs and report to management.
• Collect and analyze data to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
• Responsible for all stages of supply chain, including production planning, raw material sourcing, demand planning, and supply chain network design.
• Plan and implement supply chain optimization projects (e.g. route planning).
• Collaborate with IT professionals to implement effective systems.
• Monitor preorder / backorder statuses and proactively communicate updates to the Marketing team.
• Organize shipment related documents such as Purchase Orders, Commercial Invoices, pricing quotes, etc. on a shared drive and ensure communication with relevant parties.
• Actively participate in special projects and identify opportunities for process improvement.

If you find a box you can’t check, stop reading and look for a company who demands less from their analysts:

• A degree or diploma in Supply Chain Management, Business Management or a related program.
• Minimum two years of experience in a supply chain or logistics analytics role.
• An impeccable communication style - your grasp on the English language is flawless.
• Detail-oriented, self-sufficient, resourceful, organized, and proactive.
• The instinct to help teammates thrive and the openness to learn from past experiences.
• The ability to solve complex problems (or know where to find the answer).
• Commitment to long-term growth and learning opportunities.
• Insights and engagement with the current state of smartphone and mobile technology.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, with proficiency in data analysis tools such as Excel and Google Sheets.