About the position
A leading protective wear and safety equipment manufacturing company is looking for an experienced Supply Chain Manager with strong experience in procurement, supply chain management, international sourcing, supplier negotiations, and manufacturing operations to join their team in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal. This is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing the end-to-end procurement and supply chain function, ensuring the efficient sourcing of raw materials, inventory management, supplier performance, logistics, and continuous process improvement.
Responsibilities:
- Lead and manage the procurement and supply chain function.
- Oversee factory procurement, material planning, and inventory management.
- Source raw materials, fabrics, trims, and other production-related materials.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with local and international suppliers.
- Negotiate supplier contracts, pricing, and commercial agreements.
- Monitor supplier performance in line with quality and delivery standards.
- Manage freight costs, logistics, shipping, transportation, and storage activities.
- Ensure accurate stock levels and monitor inventory movements to prevent shortages or overstocking.
- Oversee purchasing processes, including quotations, purchase orders, and on-time deliveries.
- Collaborate with production, sales, and finance teams to align material availability with business requirements.
- Forecast material demand and implement effective supply planning strategies.
- Lead, mentor, and manage the supply chain team.
- Monitor supply chain KPIs and implement continuous improvement initiatives.
- Ensure accurate reporting and maintain supply chain documentation.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Commerce, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5–6 years' experience in a senior Supply Chain or Procurement role.
- Manufacturing experience is essential.
- Recent/current experience within the clothing, textile, or protective wear manufacturing industry is preferred
- Proven experience sourcing materials and negotiating with international suppliers.
- Strong knowledge of procurement, inventory management, logistics, and supply chain best practices.
- Experience using ERP systems such as Syspro or equivalent.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including Pivot Tables and VLOOKUPs.
- Sound understanding of foreign currencies and international logistics.
- Strong leadership, organisational, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
- Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
- Willingness to relocate to Ladysmith if not currently based in the area.
Benefits:
Contact Hire Resolve for your next career-changing move.
Apply for this role today, contact Abigail King at Hire Resolve or on LinkedIn.
You can also visit the Hire Resolve website: [URL Removed] or email us your CV: [Email Address Removed].com
We will contact you telephonically in 3 days should you be suitable for this vacancy. If you are not suitable, we will put your CV on file and contact you regarding any future vacancies that arise.
Desired Skills:
- Supply Chain Manager
- Supply Chain Manager
- Supply Chain Manager
