Technical Project Manager (Energy Storage Systems Supply Chain)
📆 Full Time
🚀 Senior
🇨🇳 Shenzhen, China
N/A
🔁 Hybrid
💴 Competitive market salaries
Role Overview
Okra is looking for a Technical Project Manager with rich experience in the Residential Energy Storage Systems (RESS) (家庭储能系统), Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) (电池储能系统) and/or Distributed Energy Resources (DER) (分布式能源) industry, to join our Supply Chain and Operations team in Shenzhen, China.
The primary focus of this role is to coordinate and execute on a range of supply chain optimisation projects, with a general objective of ensuring that Okra’s hardware products can be sourced, procured, and manufactured reliably at cost, from 20+ OEM and OEM vendors based in China.
The successful candidate must be capable of interpreting technical requirements from Okra’s internal product and engineering stakeholders and communicating onwards to various vendors and suppliers and managing project schedules accordingly. This requires an operational a comprehensive understanding of the various components commonly used within renewable energy storage systems (solar PV, batteries, inverters, charge controllers, etc), and the evolving market trends of these products.
Okra’s permanent Shenzhen-based team is currently three people working across QA/QC test engineering, and supply chain management. A tertiary focus of this role will therefore be assisting with team growth efforts in the future, especially with regards to hiring engineers and supply chain operations staff in the Shenzhen office.
Responsibilities
- Coordinating and executing various technical supply chain optimisation projects, including:
- Interpreting and relaying technical communications from our non-Chinese speaking product, engineering and operations teams, to our China-based suppliers, and vice versa.
- Quality assurance; Ensuring product documentation, technical drawings, inspection methods, test protocols, end-of-line test data requirements, are properly defined, organised, and implemented by our suppliers.
- Quality control; Verifying project deliverables and manufactured products meet technical specifications, design standards, and industry best practises, and organising 3rd party QC inspections and audits of our suppliers facilities.
- Contract & subcontractor management: Administering prime contracts and managing subcontractor relationships (contractor selection, negotiation, onboarding, scope definition, performance monitoring, change orders, etc).
- Keeping track of market trends: Attending relevant exhibitions, speaking with industry experts, regular online research - all with the objective of supporting our:
- Product and engineering teams; in helping select suitable technical specifications for future product development.
- Procurement teams; in pricing negotiation strategies and standard commercial terms with suppliers.
- Assisting team growth efforts in China:
- Candidate selection and prospecting; leveraging personal professional networks to attract further talent with a rich experience in the Residential Energy Storage Systems (RESS) (家庭储能系统), Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) (电池储能系统) and/or Distributed Energy Resources (DER) (分布式能源) industries.
- Facilitating recruitment; working with our China-based team to evaluate and assess new job applicants.
Requirements
Core Requirements
Work Style, Collaboration & Leadership
- Willing and capable to work as an individual contributor (IC), and as a lead of a small team (3-4 people).
- Extensive personal network of engineers / supply chain operations colleagues in the Residential Energy Storage Systems (RESS) (家庭储能系统), Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) (电池储能系统) and/or Distributed Energy Resources (DER) (分布式能源) industries.
- Self led, self motivated, self organised.
- Highly collaborative and communicative.
- Results orientated.
- Fluent in Chinese.
- Business/working level English.
Technical Ability
- Comprehensive understanding of the Chinese supply chain ecosystem, especially in how it relates to the Residential Energy Storage Systems (RESS) (家庭储能系统), Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) (电池储能系统) and/or Distributed Energy Resources (DER) (分布式能源) industries.
- Well versed in project management methodologies including: PMP, Agile Scrum/Kanban, Waterfall, etc, applied to hardware supply chain operations.
- Ability to plan out long-term schedules and key milestones; representing it via Gantt charts. critical path analysis.
Modern Collaboration & Work Tools
- Strong grasp of modern AI tool stack (DeepSeek, OpenAI, etc.).
- Extremely comfortable using spreadsheets for detailed data analysis and manipulation.
- Familiarity with modern collaboration tools (instant messaging platforms, documentation, digital whiteboards).
Nice to Have
- Experience in independently implementing a diverse set of various supply chain management initiatives, including supplier sourcing, QC inspection methods, vendor relationship management, vendor negotiations, procurement, inventory data management, logistics management, etc.
- Operational knowledge/experience of semi-conductors and electronics.
- Operational knowledge/experience of electronics contract manufacturing.
- Certification in PMP, Agile, or other relevant project management methodologies.
Required Experience
- 5+ years working in any of the Residential Energy Storage Systems (RESS) (家庭储能系统), Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) (电池储能系统) and/or Distributed Energy Resources (DER) (分布式能源) industries.
- A relevant university degree.
Growth Opportunities
- Opportunity to own a pivotal role in scaling our China “start-up” team.
- Opportunity to travel abroad for annual team building events and company missions (Portugal, sub-Saharan Africa).
- Mentorship from a team of experienced engineers, entrepreneurs and mentors, coming from Okra’s extensive investor network.
- Gain familiarity with various cutting edge technologies which are used in the setup and operation of off-grid rural electrification projects.
DEI Statement
At Okra we are dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, respected, supported and empowered. Our workplace is an interconnected network, where each individual contributes to the energy that drives innovation, fosters collaboration, and illuminates new possibilities. We are committed to recruiting, retaining, and developing a diverse team of talented professionals, and we welcome candidates of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to join us in our mission. Diversity brings power to our teams so we can bring #PowerToThePeople.
Benefits At Okra
🕒 Flexible Location & Hours
We’re an output-focused organisation, which means that for the most part, you can choose where and when you work as long as your team has been communicated to and is on board with it. Most commonly, we ask everyone to be in the office at least 2 to 3 days a week to foster connections.
📈 Professional Growth
With mentorship from our investors (At One Ventures, Schneider Electric) and a range of experienced leaders and change-makers in our network, you get the opportunity to take on leadership responsibilities.
🛡️ We’ve Got You Covered
Cover for work travel, health insurance, sick leave, and equipment.
🌴 Unlimited Paid Time Off
We burn bright, not out – we offer unlimited paid time off so you can rest, recharge, support your loved ones, and bring your best self to work.
🌈 Dynamic & Diverse Workplace
You’ll work in a fast-paced startup environment with multinational staff – expect to learn a lot while finding creative solutions to complex problems, all while enjoying a great office vibe.
🍼 Flexible Parental Leave
At Okra, we support parents with fully paid, flexible leave: +60 days in Portugal, 120 in Nigeria, up to 178 in China. Take it your way - before or after birth, in blocks or part-time. Your career won’t stall; we make sure family and growth go hand in hand.
Process Timeline
More About Okra
At Okra Solar, we’re on a mission to bring Power to the People by unlocking opportunities through energy access for everyone in the world.
Over 650 million people still live without electricity. At a time where technology such as mobile devices, productive agritech and AI are becoming more accessible than ever, we believe that access to energy is the first step toward opportunity and growth.
That’s why we built Mesh-Grid technology that energizes off-grid households at a fraction of the cost of traditional off-grid energy solutions. We supply the tech we specialize in to local energy companies, who go out and deliver affordable, reliable energy to last mile communities.
Okra is currently in its high-growth phase, after raising over $11M for our Series A in 2023 from our investors At One Ventures, FMO, Autodesk, King Philanthropies and Susquehanna. We have rolled out multiple Mesh Grid projects across Africa, Southeast Asia and Central America, but in order for us to achieve our mission of 100% electrification, we need to continue engineering and deploying disruptive energy access technology at scale, so this is an exciting time for everyone!
Over 650 million people still live without electricity. At a time where technology such as mobile devices, productive agritech and AI are becoming more accessible than ever, we believe that access to energy is the first step toward opportunity and growth.
That’s why we built Mesh-Grid technology that energizes off-grid households at a fraction of the cost of traditional off-grid energy solutions. We supply the tech we specialize in to local energy companies, who go out and deliver affordable, reliable energy to last mile communities.
Okra is currently in its high-growth phase, after raising over $11M for our Series A in 2023 from our investors At One Ventures, FMO, Autodesk, King Philanthropies and Susquehanna. We have rolled out multiple Mesh Grid projects across Africa, Southeast Asia and Central America, but in order for us to achieve our mission of 100% electrification, we need to continue engineering and deploying disruptive energy access technology at scale, so this is an exciting time for everyone!
