Materials Engineer

Introduction

Manages 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.

Duties & 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.

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.

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.

Desired Experience & Qualification

• Minimum Matric (Grade 12, Graduate OR Diploma with at least Operations Management/Logistics/Supply Chain, Industrial engineer or any other related educational qualification)

• A 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).