Job Title: Senior Sales Operations Manager – Solar PV Logistics (m/w/d)
Industry: Utility-Scale Solar / Renewable Energy
Location: Germany (Munich, Berlin, or Flexible / Hybrid within DE)
Languages: Professional working proficiency in German (B2+) and Mandarin Chinese (Required)
About the Role:
Are you the missing link between Chinese solar manufacturing and European utility projects?
We are seeking a Sales Operations Manager to build the European logistics and fulfillment backbone for a leading Chinese solar PV manufacturer. This is a greenfield project focused on the utility-scale segment (solar modules, inverters, and tracking systems).
You will be the bridge between the Chinese headquarters and project sites across the DACH region. Your mission: Ensure that containers of modules leave the port and arrive at the project site on time, every time, avoiding grid connection penalties for our EPC clients.
Your Responsibilities:
1. Project Logistics & Inventory Management
- Oversee inventory at central European hubs and project-specific yards. Manage safety stock levels for high-value components (modules, inverters) to buffer against supply chain volatility.
- Monitor inventory health and issue backlog warnings to prevent project delays.
- Optimize last-mile delivery processes to remote solar farm sites, ensuring crane gangs and installation crews are never waiting on materials.
- Drive digitalization of the after-sales process for warranty claims and component replacements.
2. Order Management & Client Liaison
- Manage the end-to-end order lifecycle for utility-scale projects, from initial allocation to final delivery.
- Act as the primary logistics liaison for major EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) clients and independent power producers (IPPs).
- Coordinate delivery planning to align with civil works schedules at project sites.
- Leverage experience with ERP (SAP/Oracle) and WMS/TMS systems to visualize the supply chain from factory gate to project site.
3. Strategic Coordination
- Facilitate communication between European project managers and Chinese production planners to ensure manufacturing aligns with site readiness.
- Coordinate with freight forwarders, customs brokers, and trucking companies to ensure smooth cross-border transport within the EU.
- Implement forecasting best practices to predict logistics bottlenecks based on project pipelines.
- Build and mentor a local operations team.
Your Profile:
- Language & Cultural Fit: Professional fluency in Mandarin Chinese and German (B2+) is mandatory. You can negotiate with Chinese headquarters on production slots while briefing German EPCs on delivery schedules.
- Industry Experience: 5+ years in logistics, supply chain, or sales operations, ideally within solar PV, renewables, or heavy electrical equipment.
- The "Build" Mentality: You have experience setting up logistics processes for Chinese manufacturers entering Europe.
- Technical Knowledge: Familiarity with the Incoterms, port logistics (e.g., Hamburg, Rotterdam), and customs clearance processes specific to solar components.
- Soft Skills: Structured, process-oriented, and reliable. You thrive on creating order out of chaos and ensuring that field teams have what they need to hit grid connection dates.
Why Join Us?
- Greenfield Project: Design the European logistics strategy from scratch.
- Solar Boom: Join the renewable energy transition at a moment of massive growth in Europe.
- Impact: Your work directly prevents project delays and saves millions in potential penalties.
Interested?
- Please apply via LinkedIn or send your CV to [Jermaine@owendaniels.co.uk].
