Position Overview

LuminAID is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Logistics and Supply-Chain Manager to join our team.  Do you like getting things done, solving puzzles, and never, ever* being bored?  Our growing customer base spans the retail, corporate, and nonprofit sectors, with shipments going to destinations all over the world.  Whether it’s ensuring our ecommerce customers get their Christmas gifts on time, coordinating a relief aid shipment overseas, or negotiating a better rate with a supplier, this job is much more than getting things from Point A to Point B.  You will work with shipping and warehouse vendors to coordinate shipments, use our online software to manage shipments and inventory levels, strategize with the sales and production team to fulfill orders, and manage our warehouse staff to ensure efficient operations and inventory management.

This position requires excellent written and organization skills, and the ability to work well both independently and with others. The ideal candidate will have some experience either in logistics, ecommerce, or a start-up environment, and will be familiar with the rewards and challenges of an entrepreneurial venture.  This job may require occasional visits to our local warehouse (approx every 4-6 weeks), but will primarily take place in our office in the Chicago Loop.  We are open to interviewing candidates with both Full-Time and Part-Time availability, but will request a minimum of 20 hours per week committment to start.  Flexible hours that allow you to communicate with suppliers in Asia via phone, email, or WeChat are a plus.

*Complete lack of boredom not guaranteed, but we certainly never are!

Responsibilities

• Strategically plan and coordinate production schedule and the transportation/exchange of goods from warehouse to customer

• Create shipping documentation according to laws/regulations of export/import country and customer specifications or requests

• Communicate order details and information effectively to factory coordinator, freight forwarders, and other relevant parties

• Ensure quality control measures are carried out to meet minimum quality standards and reduce defect/return rates

• Negotiate best prices and rates with vendors

• Stay up to date on shipping rates and regulations and coordinate with sales team to adjust for changes in costs

• Communicate shipping challenges and delays with relevant team members

• Supervise, train, and manage warehouse personnel and oversee fulfillment

• Maintain and update inventory software, shipping and product references (internal and external)

• Maintain and analyze data to assess areas of cost-savings and implement improvements

Preferred Qualifications:

• Effective writing and communication (written and phone) skills

• Familiarity with Google Spreadsheets or Excel

• Interest in learning and optimizing different softwares and integrations

• Detail-oriented, ultra-organized, and able to manage shifting priorities in a fast-paced environment

• Excellent time management skills

• Passionate about joining a socially-minded start-up

• Ability to work independently and manage multiple ongoing projects and priorities

Bonus Qualifications:

• Prior experience in a related field is not a requirement, but a willingness to learn new things is!

• Knowledge of the shipping/logistics industry terminology, standards, and common practices

• Experience with ecommerce fulfillment or small parcel shipments (USPS, FedEx, UPS)

• Good math skills and ability to use spreadsheets to analyze data

• Good instincts in negotiating costs and cost accounting

• Experience with database management and/or any of the following softwares: TradeGecko, Airtable, Shipstation, Flow, Shopify, Adobe Suite, Zapier, R

• Spoken Mandarin or written Chinese skills are a plus

About LuminAID:

LuminAID develops innovative, solar-powered products for humanitarian relief aid and outdoor recreation. LuminAID lights have been sold to individuals in more than 100 different countries, and outreach projects with NGO partners have put more than 100,000 lights on-the-ground in more than 50 countries countries including Haiti, Nepal and the Philippines. LuminAID has supplied its lights to Shelterbox, Doctors Without Borders, and United Nations agencies for distribution on the ground after disasters and in refugee camps.  LuminAID was featured on ABC's Shark Tank and received offers from all 5 of Sharks. LuminAID is backed by investors Mark Cuban and Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS shoes. The company’s offices are in Chicago in the Loop.  Learn more at www.luminaid.com