Deployment Operations Manager

About the job

AiFi is rapidly expanding its autonomous store solution footprint and with it, our Deployment Team. The Deployment team is responsible for the planning, design, installation and activation of our propriety solutions into physical store spaces. The team consists of solution architects, sales engineers, hardware experts, software deployment engineers and technical program managers – working together to plan, design, develop, execute and deliver value for our clients.

We’re looking for a Deployment Operations Manager to manage the overall operational aspects of the Deployment function including, but not limited to, resource management, capacity planning, budgeting, forecasting, project status reporting, as well as performing the planning and administrative functions of our Hardware purchasing requirements.

This position is open to a remotely based, work from home, candidate , but with the ability to travel on occasion. Top candidates will have project management capability as well as experience with Hardware procurement and planning, ideally in a retail industry or other enterprise centric customer focused environment.

This Deployment Operations Manager must be highly motivated and driven to roll up their sleeves and immerse themselves into the details of our solution offerings and processes. Will work diligently to manage project resources, hardware requirements and timelines, and work closely with our internal team members, external vendors and clients.

Location: Fully Remote

Travel Requirements: 5-10%

Your Responsibilities

Working for a start-up organization will offer you unique opportunities to get hands on experience across a variety of activities . You will divide your time between Operations Manager and Hardware Purchasing Manager. Some of your core responsibilities will include:

Operations Manager (60% of role)

• Establish an understanding of our deployment operations with our customers
• Manage meetings with deployment leads team to identify project resource requirements, delivery timelines and costs
• Develop and proactively manage capacity plans for resources on all projects and work with Head of Deployment to deal with any challenges.
• Manage consolidated pipeline plans to deliver on time and on budget for clients and communicate any risks / issues effectively with Head of Deployment
• Monitor project performance to ensure timely delivery and risk of delay
• Compile and submit overall deployment function status reports to management and other stakeholders
• Work effectively with team leads to standardise activities and drive performance improvements across the team
• Manage forecasts and budgets and report to Finance teams regularly.
• Support better management reporting, information flow, business processes and planning
• Play a role in long-term planning for the deployment pipeline
• Track, measure and report on KPI metrics
• Identify and lead on execution of KPI improvements
• Bring momentum to resolution of operational issues and challenges, and proactively inform / feedback to internal teams with insights and improvements
• Collaborate with our Product and Technology teams to ensure customer feedback is incorporated into future product development.

Hardware Purchasing Manager (40% of role)

• Performs all administrative Hardware purchasing functions to support AiFi deployments including:
  • Asset Management System Administration
  • Collaborate with Product Development on relevant Hardware updates
  • Manage Monthly Inventory reports to Accounting
  • Support Monthly cycle counts and bi-annual physical inventory checks
• Sourcing
  • Assist with identification of global regional suppliers for all Hardware
  • Purchase ad hoc/custom items for projects during active deployments
• Manage Bills of Materials
  • Review BOMs created by Design Planners for accuracy
  • Update BOMs to maintain accurate Sales quotes and Accounting invoice records
• Purchasing
  • Maintain day to day supplier relationships and business activity coordination
  • Review price and HW model changes with Deployments/Product team
  • Manage HW On Order and Forecast Planning tracking
  • Produce Purchase orders, track deliveries, Invoice auditing etc
  • Report and help resolve out of stock, long lead time, and customs delay issues
  • Source alternative HW options to avoid project delays

Skills and Experience Required

We are looking for a candidate who is excited about transformation and disruption in the Retail space. A person who wants to be part of a journey to redefine how physical ‘bricks and mortar’ stores operate and how AI can empower retailers to offer frictionless shopping experiences to a global audience. We are looking for an experienced self-starter who can quickly take the reins and immerse themselves in the deployment operations role with little supervision. A proactive and enthusiastic person who will bring great personality, creativity and grit to grow our business with existing clients.

Qualifications:

• 3-5 years' experience in Technology Consulting / Project Management for IT or related experience
• Experience of Procurement / Purchasing - Inventory Control etc, preferably within retail/commercial business Hardware Systems Integration
• Project management experience in transformation programs
• Exceptional organizational skills.
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to engage clients and team members in an effective and supportive manner.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Ability to reason in “real time”.
• Technical aptitude and passionate about technology
• Proficient in all Microsoft Office applications, software tools like Confluence, Jira, Smartsheets and Asset Management
• Passion for Retail

Location:

Remote, Eastern and Central Time zone strongly preferred. We have a large team presence in the US and Europe, so scheduling can be easier to manage.

About AiFi:

AiFi enables reliable, cost-effective, and entirely frictionless shopping with AI-powered computer vision technology to provide an unrivalled experience for retailers and customers around the globe. AiFi has partnerships with leading retailers worldwide such as Carrefour, Zabka, Aldi and Compass Group to create customized autonomous shopping experiences with flexible integration and entry options.