MS Access Developer - FT Freelance - Worldwide

About Polaris Marine Group:

Polaris Marine Group is a established manufacturing organization specializing in marine vessel repairs and refits. Our core business revolves around managing the entire process from order generation to fulfillment for large ships. This includes project planning, purchasing parts, managing operations, and finally, invoicing for services rendered. Currently, these complex workflows are managed through a combination of spreadsheets, manual paperwork, and various disparate systems. We are seeking to streamline and centralize these critical processes through a bespoke database solution.

The Opportunity:

We are looking for a highly skilled and experienced Microsoft Access / VBA Developer to build a robust, custom internal system that will consolidate our core operational data. This is an exciting opportunity to create a foundational system that will significantly improve our efficiency and visibility across sales, project planning, purchasing, operations, and finance. While a full ERP implementation is a long-term goal, this Access-based solution will serve as an immediate, practical, and highly impactful step.

You will be replicating a proven concept from a previous successful implementation in a similar-sized company. We are seeking someone who can take detailed requirements and examples, translate them into a functional Access database, and enable critical operational tracking and reporting.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and develop a comprehensive Microsoft Access database solution to manage the order generation to fulfillment process.
• Implement data tables and relationships to track customer orders, project planning, purchasing, inventory, operational progress, and invoicing information.
• Develop robust VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) code to automate workflows, ensure data integrity, and create interactive forms, reports, and queries.
• Build user-friendly interfaces within Access to facilitate data entry, tracking, and reporting for various departments (Sales, Project Management, Purchasing, Operations, Finance).
• Integrate with MYOB finance software for data exchange, as required (e.g., pulling data from MYOB or uploading data to MYOB).
• Create dashboards and reporting functionalities to provide real-time insights into job status, inventory levels, purchasing orders, and project progress (e.g., "PMAX" - Polaris Marine Access system).
• Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders (especially Michael) to gather requirements, understand existing processes, and translate business needs into technical solutions.
• Test, debug, and optimize the Access database for performance and reliability.
• Potentially provide basic documentation and guidance for system users.

Required Skills & Experience:

• Proven expertise in Microsoft Access database development.
• Strong proficiency in VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) for building custom applications, macros, and automation within Access.
• Solid understanding and practical experience with SQL (Structured Query Language) for efficient data management and retrieval.
• Experience in designing and implementing data structures and relationships within Access.
• Ability to translate complex business processes into logical database and application designs.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and a strong attention to detail.
• Strong verbal communication skills to effectively gather requirements and provide updates.
• Prior experience in a manufacturing or similar operational environment is highly desirable.

##Desired (Nice-to-Have):

• Experience with MYOB integration or similar accounting software.
• Experience in developing internal operational tracking systems.