Lean Manufacturing Engineer: Quality & Efficiency Leader

Placements24; Stellenbosch; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 950,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Medical aid & retirement benefits

Generous PTO and sick leave

Professional development opportunities

Wine region Stellenbosch location

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Lean Manufacturing Engineer for a winery in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. The role focuses on operational excellence, waste reduction, and process optimization across manufacturing lines.

You will work hands-on with production, engineering and management to identify bottlenecks, implement lean tools such as 5S, Kaizen, VSM, and ensure quality improvements in a fast-moving FMCG environment. The position offers a competitive package and growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor-level engineering degree required in Industrial/Mechanical/Operations Management.
• Minimum 5 years in industrial engineering/operations with Lean implementations.
• Proven track record leading Lean projects and Kaizen events.
• Experience with Lean tools: VSM, 5S, Kanban, SMED, Poka-Yoke.
• Strong analytical, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead Lean transformation initiatives across production areas to reduce waste.
• Drive continuous improvement projects to increase efficiency and cut cycle times.
• Analyze production data to locate bottlenecks and quality issues.
• Develop action plans and mentor teams in Lean methodologies.
• Facilitate Kaizen events and training sessions for staff.
• Create standardized work and visual management for consistency.
• Monitor KPIs for efficiency, quality, and cost.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Kaizen

5S

Value Stream Mapping

Poka-Yoke

Gemba

Team collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Operations Management

Tools

VSM

Kanban

SMED

Poka-Yoke

Job description

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Lean Manufacturing Engineer for a winery in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. The role focuses on operational excellence, waste reduction, and process optimization across manufacturing lines.

You will work hands-on with production, engineering and management to identify bottlenecks, implement lean tools such as 5S, Kaizen, VSM, and ensure quality improvements in a fast-moving FMCG environment. The position offers a competitive package and growth opportunities.