Industrial Engineer

Core Group is the leading distributor of premium technology brands across Southern Africa and selected African markets. As the exclusive distributor for Apple and other world-renowned technology brands, we connect customers with innovative products and exceptional experiences through our retail, wholesale, e-commerce, and partner networks.

Reporting to the Supply Chain & Planning Executive, the Industrial Engineer plays a critical role in enabling the business to scale through data, systems, and process excellence.

This position combines industrial engineering principles, supply chain analytics, inventory management, planning support, and business process optimisation with hands-on ownership of automation tools, dashboards, reporting systems, and digital solutions. You will be responsible for translating strategic objectives into technology-enabled operational outcomes while ensuring data accuracy, process compliance, and supply chain efficiency across South Africa and our African operations.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys solving complex operational challenges through data, systems thinking, automation, and continuous improvement.

Process Engineering & Continuous Improvement

• Analyse end-to-end supply chain and planning processes to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for optimisation.
• Design, document, implement, and continuously improve business processes across planning, procurement, logistics, and inventory management.
• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and process documentation.
• Quantify and report on process improvement outcomes, including cost savings, productivity gains, and accuracy improvements.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement through data-driven decision-making.
• Monitor inventory performance across retail and wholesale operations throughout Africa.
• Analyse stock holding, ageing inventory, and inventory turns to improve working capital efficiency.
• Support planning teams in maintaining optimal stock levels and reducing inventory risk.
• Produce inventory performance reporting and recommendations for action.
• Assist with forecasting, planning, and inventory modelling activities.
• Monitor planning compliance and forecasting performance.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) planning and execution.
• Analyse demand trends and provide insights to support inventory and supply decisions.

Systems Innovation & Digital Transformation

• Support the implementation and optimisation of supply chain and planning systems.
• Develop dashboards and reporting tools that provide visibility into operational performance.
• Identify opportunities to automate manual processes and improve business productivity.
• Support strategic initiatives that enhance scalability across African operations.
• Design, develop, and maintain automation tools using Python, SQL, Excel VBA, Power BI, and related technologies.
• Build reporting solutions and business intelligence dashboards to improve decision-making.
• Manage documentation, version control, and maintenance of internally developed tools.
• Ensure business-critical automation and reporting systems remain operational and continuously improved.

Master Data & Systems Integrity

• Maintain the integrity and accuracy of supply chain and planning master data.
• Partner with IT and ERP teams to support data governance and system improvements.
• Support system integrations, migrations, and data cleansing initiatives.
• Conduct audits to ensure operational readiness and data quality.
• Lead and participate in operational excellence, automation, and digital transformation projects.
• Drive approved strategic initiatives from concept through implementation.
• Document lessons learned and share best practices across the organisation.

Requirements

• B Eng Degree in Industrial Engineering (Essential).
• Postgraduate qualification in Supply Chain Management, Data Analytics, Operations Research, or Business Analytics is advantageous.
• Professional registration or Engineer-in-Training (EIT) status will be beneficial.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Operations, Business Analytics, or Process Improvement within a retail, consumer electronics, distribution, manufacturing, or FMCG environment.
• Proven track record of delivering measurable process improvements and operational efficiencies.
• Experience working with ERP systems such as Syspro or similar platforms.
• Strong experience in automation, data analytics, and business intelligence development.

Technical Skills

• Advanced Python programming and automation (Advantageous)
• Strong SQL skills for data extraction, transformation, and analysis.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel, including VBA and modelling.
• Experience with Power BI or equivalent business intelligence tools.
• Process mapping, workflow design, and optimisation methodologies.
• Understanding of inventory management, logistics, forecasting, and supply chain principles.
• Systems thinking and structured problem-solving.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills.
• Ability to convert business challenges into scalable process and technology solutions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• High attention to detail and commitment to operational excellence.
• Strong project management and execution capability.
• Self-starter with a continuous improvement mindset.