National Stock Controller

1. Strategy, Governance & Continuous Improvement

• Develop and implement the Warehousing, Inventory Management and Freight Strategy for GEA Africa.
• Define and implement regional standards, policies and procedures for stock control and logistics.
• Align local practices with global GEA standards and best practices.
• Develop KPI dashboards and performance reporting for inventory and logistics functions.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to improve service levels while reducing operating costs.
• Benchmark warehousing and logistics practices against industry leaders and global GEA entities.

2. Inventory & Working Capital Management

• Full accountability for inventory accuracy across all GEA Africa warehouses and stock holding locations.
• Drive inventory optimization initiatives to balance stock availability and working capital requirements.
• Develop and monitor inventory targets including:
  • Stock Value
  • Inventory Turns
  • Slow Moving Stock
  • Obsolete/Dead Stock
  • Service Level Performance
• Lead actions to reduce excess and obsolete inventory.
• Ensure inventory planning supports customer service and operational requirements.
• Conduct regular inventory reviews and implement corrective actions.
• Provide monthly executive reporting on stock value, risks and opportunities.

3. Warehousing Management

• Responsible for all warehouses within South Africa and oversight of warehouse operations in East and West Africa.
• Ensure all warehouse transactions are processed accurately and timeously.
• Ensure stock systems remain 100% live and accurate.
• Drive cycle count compliance and stock take accuracy.
• Lead annual and interim stock counts.
• Ensure warehouse security, housekeeping and compliance standards are maintained.
• Implement visual management and best practice warehouse processes.
• Ensure optimal warehouse layouts, storage utilisation and stock accessibility.

4. Freight & Logistics Management

• Full accountability for all domestic and international freight operations.
• Manage:
  • International Courier
  • Domestic Courier
  • Road Freight
  • Airfreight
  • Sea Freight
  • Cross Trade Shipments
• Ensure compliance with all import and export regulations.
• Manage freight forwarders, customs brokers and logistics service providers.
• Develop logistics solutions that balance service levels and cost optimization.
• Drive freight savings initiatives and transport efficiency projects.
• Monitor freight performance, transit times and supplier service levels.
• Act as escalation point for customs and shipment-related challenges.

5. ERP, Data Governance & T360 Program

This section is currently missing and should be added.

T360 / SAP Transformation Responsibilities

• Act as Business Process Owner and Key User for Warehousing, Inventory Management and Freight.
• Lead data cleansing and master data validation activities.
• Ensure readiness of inventory, warehouse and freight data for migration.
• Support process design workshops and fit-gap analysis.
• Participate in testing cycles including:
  • Unit Testing
  • Integration Testing
  • User Acceptance Testing
• Develop training material and support end-user training.
• Coordinate inventory cutover activities.
• Ensure successful transition from Microsoft AX/Axapta to SAP S/4HANA (T360).
• Support post go-live stabilization and continuous improvement activities.

6. Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with internal controls and audit requirements.
• Ensure compliance with customs, import and export legislation.
• Maintain accurate inventory and freight documentation.
• Investigate inventory variances and implement corrective actions.
• Conduct root cause analyses on stock losses and freight incidents.
• Support internal and external audits.

7. Leadership & People Management

• Lead and develop the Warehouse and Freight teams.
• Establish clear KPIs and performance objectives.
• Drive capability development and succession planning.
• Ensure effective collaboration between:
  • Procurement
  • Service
  • Projects
  • Finance
  • Sales
  • Branch Operations
• Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and customer focus.

Education:

• Degree or Diploma in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Warehousing or related field.
• SAP / ERP certification advantageous.
• Project Management qualification advantageous

Background / Work Experience:

• Minimum 6 years experience in Warehousing, Inventory Management and Logistics.
• Minimum 2 years experience in a leadership role.
• Strong freight forwarding and customs compliance experience.
• Experience managing inventory in a multi-site environment.
• Experience in ERP implementation or major system transformation projects.
• Experience working across multiple African countries would be advantageous.

Skills & Competencies:

• Inventory Optimization
• Working Capital Management
• Freight & Forwarding
• Customs & Trade Compliance
• Warehouse Operations
• SAP / ERP Systems
• Data Governance
• KPI Development & Reporting
• Project Management
• Stakeholder Management
• Financial Acumen
• Leadership & Team Development