We are a Supply Chain and Sales & Merchandising partner adding value to your business through a fully integrated, temperature-controlled network in Southern Africa.

But we are also more than that. We are people serving people. While we boast the best in tech and infrastructure, our people are our greatest resource. With our skilled, curious, can-do people at the forefront, our assets become your assets, our service your solutions.

Vector’s vehicle fleet includes a food industry first in ‘multi-temperature’ vehicles enabling the company to service business across frozen, chilled and ambient temperature zones on a single delivery.

Job Purpose

The Senior Industrial Engineer is
responsible for designing, planning and implementing logistics solutions while
aligning internal and external stakeholders throughout solution design,
approval and implementation. The position supports strategic business
objectives by translating operational challenges and customer requirements into
robust, scalable and measurable solutions.

• Lead warehouse, transport and network optimisation initiatives from problem definition through implementation and benefits realisation.
• Develop engineered solutions and business cases for existing operations, prospective customers and strategic projects.
• Drive continuous improvement and Lean Six Sigma initiatives that improve cost, service, productivity, capacity, quality and sustainability.
• Define business requirements and translate them into clear process, system and implementation specifications.
• Manage complex projects and organisational change with disciplined governance, stakeholder engagement and performance tracking.
• Identify and lead practical automation, analytics and AI-enabled improvement opportunities that reduce manual effort, improve decision quality and accelerate operational performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Engineered solutions and solution design Identify, analyse and develop value-adding logistics solutions for current and prospective customers.
• Design and evaluate warehouse layouts, material flows, storage strategies, operating methods, resource models and capacity requirements.
• Assess transport planning, routing, utilisation and network opportunities using data-led optimisation methods.
• Ensure proposed solutions are practical, scalable, compliant and aligned with operational requirements.

Analysis, modelling and recommendations

• Collect, validate and analyse operational, financial and customer data; identify trends, constraints, root causes and improvement opportunities.
• Build fact-based scenarios, models and recommendations with clearly stated assumptions, risks and sensitivities.
• Evaluate processes for completeness, accuracy, control, exception handling and measurable performance.
• Present findings and recommendations clearly to operational leaders, senior management and executive stakeholders.

Business cases and feasibility studies

• Develop business cases and feasibility studies appropriate to the investment and risk profile.
• Quantify expected value, including cost, productivity, capacity, service, revenue and growth opportunities.
• Define implementation requirements, dependencies, risks, governance and benefits-tracking measures.

Automation, analytics and AI-enabled improvement

• Identify repetitive, manual or decision-heavy processes suitable for workflow automation, robotics, system integration, advanced analytics or AI-assisted improvement.
• Translate operational pain points into clear automation and AI use cases with defined business value, data requirements, controls, risks and measurable success criteria.
• Work with IT, Operations and external partners to evaluate, pilot and implement automation solutions such as Power Apps, Power Automate, reporting automation, route optimization, demand forecasting, exception management and predictive analytics.
• Assess data readiness, process stability and governance requirements before recommending AI or automation deployment.
• Promote responsible use of AI by ensuring solutions are explainable, auditable, secure, operationally practical and aligned with business rules.

Continuous improvement and Lean Six Sigma

• Identify and prioritise continuous improvement opportunities in partnership with Operations and relevant support functions.
• Lead structured problem-solving and Lean Six Sigma initiatives, including root-cause analysis, solution testing and control planning.
• Track, validate and report initiative benefits, sustainability and operational adoption.

Project and change management

• Manage complex or strategic projects from initiation through handover and close-out.
• Maintain fit-for-purpose project governance, including charters, scope, work breakdown structures, plans, RAID logs, stakeholder plans and status reporting.
• Lead change impact assessment, stakeholder engagement, communication, training readiness, adoption and sustainment activities.
• Escalate delivery risks and decision requirements promptly, with clear options and recommendations.

Business analysis and documentation

• Facilitate requirements gathering and translate business needs into clear business and system requirement specifications.
• Develop process maps, scopes of work, standard operating procedures, specifications and acceptance criteria.
• Collaborate with technology and operational teams to support solution configuration, testing, implementation and handover.

Facilitation and stakeholder leadership

• Lead cross-functional planning and problem-solving workshops, including Advanced Quality Planning sessions where required.
• Build constructive working relationships across Operations, Engineering, IT, Finance, commercial teams, customers and senior leadership.
• Influence decisions through evidence, structured thinking and clear communication.

Key Relationships

Internal

• Supply Chain Executive: Project Management and CIP.
• Operations Managers and Operational Teams.
• Engineering Department.
• Information Technology (IT).
• Finance.
• Commercial / Business Development Teams.
• Project Teams.
• Senior Management and Executive Leadership.

External

• Existing and Prospective Customers.
• Technology and Automation Vendors.
• External Implementation Partners.
• Logistics and Supply Chain Service Providers.
• Consultants and Specialist Service Providers.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience Required for the Job

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering (Beng)
• Minimum of 8 years relevant industrial engineering experience, preferably in logistics, supply chain, warehousing, distribution or a related operational environment.
• Minimum of 5 years experience leading or delivering complex projects from inception to completion.
• Demonstrated experience in supply chain optimisation, warehouse planning, process design and continuous improvement.
• Business analysis experience, including requirements definition and the development of business and/or system requirement specifications.
• Change management experience in a multi-stakeholder operational environment.
• Experience identifying and implementing practical process automation, reporting automation or digital improvement opportunities in an operational environment.
• Experience engaging senior management and cross-functional stakeholders.

Skills and Competencies

• Postgraduate qualification or professional certification in supply chain, project management, business analysis, Lean Six Sigma or change management.
• Five or more years of applied Lean Six Sigma experience.
• Leadership experience in a business or operational role, including team development or performance management.
• Experience in network modelling, route optimisation, distribution design or supply chain digital twins.
• Experience with SQL, Python, Microsoft Access, Power Apps, SharePoint or comparable analytical and automation tools.
• Experience using Microsoft Power Platform, Power BI, SQL, Python, low-code automation tools, robotic process automation or comparable technologies to improve operational processes.
• Experience with supply chain design or optimisation software, SAP or other WMS/ERP platforms, and transport management systems.
• Exposure to AI-enabled supply chain applications such as demand forecasting, predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, route optimisation, warehouse slotting, automated exception handling or digital twin modelling.
• Professional accreditation such as CSCP, SCOR-P or an equivalent recognised supply chain credential.
• Knowledge of Theory of Constraints and advanced facilitation methods.
• Analytical Thinking.
• Solution Orientation.
• Commercial Acumen.
• Project Leadership.
• Stakeholder Influence.
• Change Leadership.
• Quality and Attention to Detail.
• Digital and Automation Mindset.
• Resilience and Prioritisation.
• Collaboration and Inclusion.

We look forward to hearing from you!