Refurbishment Line Manager

Job Location: Arusha, Tanzania

About the Role:

The Refurbishment Line Manager oversees end-to-end refurbishment operations in Tanzania facilities, ensuring that returned and recovered solar products are efficiently assessed, repaired, graded, and returned to a saleable condition. This role also encompasses full inventory accountability for spare parts, refurbished goods, and field return goods — maintaining accurate stock records, minimising losses, and ensuring materials are available to sustain uninterrupted refurbishment throughput. The role requires strong operational management skills, hands-on technical expertise, and a focus on continuous improvement.

What you would be expected to do:
Operations Management

• Plan, organise, and oversee daily refurbishment line and After Sales warehouse operations.

• Set and monitor production targets to ensure throughput, quality, and turnaround time (TAT) KPIs are consistently achieved.

• Manage the end-to-end flow of returned products — from intake and diagnostics through repair, grading, and dispatch.

• Coordinate closely with logistics, warehouse, and supply chain teams to ensure smooth material flow.

Inventory Management

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date inventory records for spare parts, refurbished goods, and field return goods across all locations.

• Oversee the intake, logging, and classification of all field return goods, ensuring proper condition assessment and traceability from receipt to final disposition.

• Manage spare parts inventory to ensure adequate stock levels for uninterrupted refurbishment operations while minimising excess or obsolete inventory.

• Implement and enforce stock control processes, including cycle counts, periodic stock audits, and reconciliation of physical versus system inventory.

• Work with procurement and supply chain teams to forecast spare parts requirements based on return volumes and repair trends.

• Ensure refurbished goods are properly graded, labelled, and stored, with clear visibility of available stock ready for redeployment or resale.

• Identify and escalate inventory discrepancies, shrinkage, or losses, and implement corrective actions.

Team Management & Development

• Manage, coach, and develop technical and non-technical teams within the Refurbishment Centre function.

• Conduct regular performance reviews, identify skill gaps, and facilitate development plans.

• Foster a culture of accountability, safety, cross-functional partnership, and continuous improvement on the shop floor.

Quality Assurance

• Implement and enforce quality control standards at every stage of the refurbishment process.

• Oversee product grading frameworks to ensure accurate classification of refurbished units.

• Investigate and resolve quality concerns or recurring defect trends through structured root cause evaluation.

• Process Improvement & Reporting

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and lower refurbishment costs.

• Maintain accurate operational records and produce regular reports on output, quality, inventory, and costs.

• Contribute to the implementation of new systems, tools, and processes as the refurbishment programme scales.

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Ensure the refurbishment facility operates in full compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations.

• Conduct regular safety audits and maintain a safe working environment for all team members.

• Manage the disposal of non-recoverable components in line with e-waste and local regulatory requirements.

You might be a strong candidate if you have:
• A degree in Engineering or a related discipline from a recognised regional or global university.

• An advanced degree is an added advantage.

• 5+ years of experience in a refurbishment, manufacturing, repair, or related operations environment.

• Experience managing production lines or technical teams in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong knowledge of solar PV systems, electrical wiring standards, and power electronics.

• Demonstrated experience in inventory management, including spare parts, returned goods, and finished goods stock control.

• Strong knowledge of quality control, grading processes, and defect management.

• Proficiency in ERP systems for inventory tracking, production planning, and spare parts management is an added advantage.

• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities across locations.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to simplify information and adapt communication to different audiences.

• A customer-focused approach and dedication to resolving issues effectively.

• The ability to remain calm and effective under pressure.

• Strong planning and organisational capabilities.

• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to structure complex issues and identify practical solutions in evolving situations.

• Resourceful and proactive, with the ability to navigate new situations, apply innovative thinking, and develop practical solutions.

• Demonstrates humility and a willingness to learn from others.

• Motivated by the social mission of expanding energy access and creating employment opportunities in rural communities, with strong alignment to Sun King's values.