Warehouse Supervisor / Materials Engineer

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:
Role Description: This hybrid role combines people management, IOS standards alignment & warehouse logistics management. Job Summary: Manage daily warehouse operations while ensuring technical compliance of inbound and outbound automotive components. This role bridges the gap between physical inventory management, Health Safety & Environment, and engineering quality standards within automotive Assembly plant for Tier 1 supplier. Key Responsibilities Warehouse & Logistics Management • Supervise Team: Lead, train, and schedule warehouse staff, forklifts operators, and material handlers. • Inventory Accuracy: Support Inventory controller with physical audits, and SAP\/WMS inventory tracking. • Shipping\/Receiving: Coordinate timely inbound receipts and outbound Just-In-Time (JIT) deliveries to OEM customers. • Safety Compliance: Enforce OSHA regulations, 5S workplace organization standards, and safe material handling. • Team Leadership: Supervise, schedule, and lead in coordinating training for material handlers, sewing line feeders, and forklift operators. • WMS Data Integrity and Transactions: Oversee all warehouse transactions in WMS (goods receipts, stock transfers, and production staging). • Inventory Control: Support via Physical Logistics in Leading cycle counts and physical audits through resource planning and coordination • Line Feeding: Ensure Just-In-Time (JIT) and Just-In-Sequence (JIS) material delivery to seat assembly and sewing lines.   Expanded Key Responsibilities Material Handling Equipment (MHE) Fleet Management • Fleet Oversight: Manage utilization, maintenance logs, and charging schedules for forklifts, Flexi equipment’s, and AGV’s. • Vendor Coordination: Partner with external maintenance vendors to ensure rapid repair of MHE and minimize warehouse downtime. • Pre-shift Audits: Enforce daily operator checklists for MHE to catch mechanical or hydraulic issues early. • Fleet Oversight: Manage utilization, maintenance logs, and charging schedules for forklifts, reach trucks, and electric tugs. • Vendor Coordination: Partner with external maintenance vendors to ensure rapid repair of MHE and minimize warehouse downtime. • Pre-shift Audits: Enforce daily operator checklists for MHE to catch mechanical or hydraulic issues early.   Materials Engineering & Quality Control • Material Validation : Inspect incoming raw materials, metals, plastics, or electronic components against specified standards. • Defect Containment: Identify, quarantine, and document non-conforming or defective materials to prevent production line stops. • Root Cause Analysis: Partner with Quality\/Material Engineers to analyze material failures or transit-related degradation • Storage Optimization: Support in developing specialized storage or packaging solutions based on material type where needed. • Specialized Storage: Implement strict storage solutions to protect sensitive textiles from moisture, dust, and stretching.   Team Leader Development & Multi-Skilling • Skills Matrix: Update, maintain, and ensure the skills matrix tracking competency levels across all material shopfloor team and team leaders. • Cross-Training Programs: Train and mentor Team Leaders to handle multiple warehouse zones, ensuring seamless coverage during absences. • Leadership Coaching: Empower Team Leaders to manage conflict, track hourly line throughput, and conduct shift handovers.   Health, Safety, & Environment (HSE) Activities • Risk Assessments: Lead safety hazard assessments specifically for heavy steel frame storage, textile roll handling, and ergonomic lifting. • Incident Investigation: Conduct root-cause analysis for any near-misses or accidents, implementing corrective actions immediately. • 5S & Housekeeping: Drive a culture of cleanliness to prevent slip-and-trip hazards on the sewing floor and in high-traffic MHE zones.    Required Qualifications • Education: Minimum Matric (Grade 12, Graduate OR Diploma with at least Operations Management\/Logistics\/Supply Chain, Industrial engineer or any other related educational qualification) • Experience: ➢ Graduate Requirements (Minimum 6 months to 1 Year in an automotive manufacturing (If Graduate) tier-1 supplier warehouse environment). ➢ Experienced\/Min Diploma qualification individuals (Advantageous will be at least 3 years in supervisory role in Seating assembly experience in Tier 1 supplier • System Skills: High proficiency in ERP\/WMS systems (SAP, WMS), Basic MS Office Power-point and Basic MS Excel. • Standards: Strong working knowledge of automotive standards (IMS\/ IATF 16949, ISO 9001\/14000).   Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) • Safety: Zero Lost Time Injuries (LTIs) and 100% completion of scheduled safety and LPA audits. • Multi-Skilling: Achieving >80% cross-training target across all team leaders and critical material handling roles. • MHE Operations: Maintaining >95% equipment uptime and 100% compliance on daily pre-shift inspection logs. • Inventory Accuracy: Maintaining >99% inventory accuracy within SAP\/WMS for seat components.