Meet the Team: Sophie Yates, Operations & Supply Chain Specialist

Our Meet the Team blog series highlights the amazing people behind Moixa. A huge thank you to Sophie, our Operations and Supply Chain Specialist, who sat down with us to talk about Moixa, her role and the energy industry.

Sophie Yates, Operations and Supply Chain Specialist

Sophie has been with Moixa for over a year and works in our Operations Team in Manchester. She is responsible for working closely with our factories and ensuring our Moixa Smart Batteries arrive in our customers’ homes in time for their installation. 

Sophie holds a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Manchester and has previously worked in Budapest as an R&D Process Engineer.

So, what does an Operations & Supply Chain Specialist do? Walk us through your day to day..

I’m part of the Operations Team. We are the team working behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running of manufacturing, supply, installation and troubleshooting of Moixa Smart Batteries. We install all over the UK (we even have batteries on the Isles of Scilly), so we need to make sure we have installers and products available in the right place, at the right time, to give our customers and clients the best possible experience.

In my role, I manage our factories, warehouses, stock and dispatching stock to our customers. I’m the person who makes sure everything goes where it needs to go. Another large part of my role is supporting installers, helping them with the installation process and making sure the Smart Batteries are working as anticipated.

What made you want to join the Moixa team?

I was very keen to work in renewables and very interested in learning about a new clean-tech product. When I was living in Budapest I worked at a Bio-ethanol plant which got me interested in sustainability and alternative technologies. The environment was also a big focus for several of my modules at university, so it’s always something I’ve been conscious of.

It’s amazing that you worked in Hungary, what was it like?

I loved it. Budapest is such a beautiful city. Working as a Process Engineer also set me up well for this role, as I developed a lot of skills in project management and process improvement.

What part of Moixa are you most passionate about?

The innovation and our technology. I love that we are trying to solve a lot of problems here. We are fast growing and quick developing, and it is great to be part of a rapidly scaling business in an interesting industry.

The potential of our GridShare software and the ability to give homeowners the opportunity to support the grid and take part in flexibility services is pretty amazing.

You can learn more about supporting the future of energy through GridShare Membership here.

What have you learnt since working at Moixa?

The importance of strong relationships and consistent communication, especially in my role. There is so much that is out of my control and I rely heavily on other people, factories, couriers, our customers and the only way to deal with that is by having good relationships. I also have to be realistic in my expectations, I have to build in extra “just-in-case” time to allow for issues in the supply chain and you have to keep everyone you rely on up to date. Because of this though, I have learnt how to swiftly and confidently deal with issues and I like to think of myself as a champion problem solver now.

A key part of your role is making sure items are where they are meant to be – what are they key skills you need to accomplish this?

You need to have a good overview of where everything is and never assume anything. Try build robust processes and always double-check when you are in doubt. They key thing though, as I spoke about before, is to build good relationships and keep communicating with people. 

What defines a successful month at Moixa for you and your team?

In the supply chain and operations team, success is when everything runs smoothly and if there are issues, they are resolved quickly. Silence is golden in our world and when you see the processes you built, moving in the way you intended, it is so satisfying. Like a weird kind of ASMR!

If you had a magic wand, what would you change in the energy industry?

I would really like everyone to understand that there is a climate emergency and that we need to transition to become a renewable energy powered society. Everyone needs to make a change and take a stance on the topic of the environment.

Keeping on the topic of a climate emergency, what steps are you making towards a cleaner future?

I recycle, I’m vegetarian, I use public transport and I work at Moixa!

A huge thank you to Sophie for sitting down with me and talking about her life at Moixa.

You can connect with Sophie on LinkedIn here.

If you would like to hear more about Moixa, or available roles, visit our website or email enquiries@moixa.com