Group Planning and Procurement Manager

At Lapaire, we transform people's lives. 

To preserve the sight of all, we have developed a simple concept: we offer free eye tests and quality corrective glasses at affordable prices.  

Joining the Lapaire teams means joining a pan-African and inspiring adventure in order to have an impact on the daily lives of the people around us. 

But it is also and above all : 

Serving our clients at best to improve their lives;Working and acting as an entrepreneur, contributing to the Lapaire project with ideas and initiatives;Participating in the expansion of a dynamic company by organizing and anticipating work efficiently;Learning every day to continue to grow and surpass yourself;Collaborating with young and multicultural teams while sharing your knowledge. 

The Lapaire Group was created in 2018 in Kenya and already has over 100 Optical Shops and over 500 employees in Uganda, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, Togo, Senegal and Tanzania. 

Lapaire, clear sight changes everything.

 GROUP PLANNING AND PROCUREMENT MANAGER 

Job description

Location: Abidjan, Ivory Coast – position to be filled on March 1st, 2026

The Group Planning and Procurement Manager is responsible for demand planning, inventory planning and procurement activities across all countries where Lapaire operates. He/she ensures product availability at the right time, in the right quantities and at optimal cost, while maintaining healthy inventory levels across the network.

The ultimate goal is to support sales growth, limit stock-outs and overstock, and contribute to margin optimisation through effective forecasting, purchasing and supplier management.

He/she will report to the Supply Chain Director and will work in close collaboration with the Group Fulfillment Manager, SC Regional Operations Managers and Country teams. He/she will manage a small team including a Logistics Specialist and a Procurement Specialist.

The missions of the Group Planning and Procurement Manager Demand and inventory planningBuild, maintain and continuously improve demand forecasts at SKU and country level, in coordination with Sales, Marketing and Operations.Define replenishment parameters (safety stock, reorder points, lead times) for all product categories.Monitor inventory health across all countries (stock coverage, ageing stock, slow movers, stockouts) and propose corrective actions.Ensure consistency between sales forecasts, inventory targets and procurement plans.Procurement strategy and supplier managementImplement procurement strategy for frames, lenses and optical components in line with demand and inventory plans.Supervise the Procurement Specialist in purchase order execution, supplier follow-up and delivery tracking.Own supplier performance management (price, quality, lead time, reliability) and lead negotiations to optimise commercial terms.Anticipate supply risks and define mitigation plans (alternative suppliers, buffers, prioritisation rules).Ensure procurement decisions support both service level and margin objectives.Logistics coordination and availability controlSupervise the Logistics Specialist responsible for international transport, imports, customs clearance and delivery to warehouses.Ensure logistics lead times, constraints and risks are fully integrated into planning and procurement decisions.Arbitrate trade-offs between transport cost, lead time and service level (e.g. expediting vs stockout).Monitor logistics performance (transit times, incidents, costs) and define improvement actions.Coordination with Fulfilment and OperationsIntegrate stock feedback from fulfilment teams (inventories, losses) into planning adjustmentsEnsure supplier feedback on quality issues raised by the fulfilment teams.Performance monitoring and continuous improvementDefine, monitor and analyse KPIs related to planning, procurement and logistics (forecast accuracy, stock turnover, stockouts, ageing stock, procurement and transport costs).Prepare regular reports highlighting performance, risks and recommended actions.Improve tools, data quality and processes supporting planning, procurement and logistics (Excel, Google Sheets, ERP, dashboards).Profile of the candidate3/5 years of higher education in Supply Chain, Logistics, Engineering, Business Administration or a related field, with at least 5 years of professional experience in planning and/or procurement.
 Strong experience in demand planning, inventory management and supplier management.
 Experience managing multi-country operations is a significant advantage.
 Proven analytical skills with the ability to work with large data sets and translate analysis into operational decisions.
 Good knowledge of IT tools (Excel, Google Suite, ERP etc.) and very comfortable with digital tools.
 Professional English and French, both written and spoken – candidates without a sufficient level of English will not be considered.
 Prior experience in the optical sector and knowledge of optical products is a strong advantage.
 Personal qualities to succeed in this positionAnalytical and structured: comfortable working with data, forecasts and scenarios.
 Rigorous and reliable: pays attention to detail and ensures data accuracy.
 Problem-solver: capable of analysing a situation, identifying root causes and proposing actionable solutions.
 Results and customer-service oriented: committed to delivering excellent customer experience.
 Excellent interpersonal skills: comfortable interacting and negotiating with various stakeholders.
 Team spirit: shares experience and supports colleagues across countries.
 Ability to manage stress: remains calm in demanding situations and uses pressure as a driver for performancePlease note that we intend to make contact with all of our applicants, but unfortunately high volumes of applications make this unrealistic. If you do not hear from us within two weeks, your application has not been successful on this occasion. This does not mean you will not be considered for future roles so please keep an eye on our job board and apply for positions that match your skills and experience.

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