Materials Manager

Sappi; Mbombela; On-site; ZAR 500 000 - 750 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading manufacturing company is seeking a skilled Materials Manager in Mbombela, South Africa. The successful candidate will be responsible for material planning and inventory control, ensuring critical spares are available to minimize plant downtime. Candidates should possess an NQF Level 7 qualification and have extensive experience in materials management, with a strong emphasis on safety and compliance. This role offers the chance to make a significant impact in operational reliability.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years’ experience in an engineering, manufacturing, or industrial environment.
• 5–8 years of experience in materials management including inventory control.
• Experience with Lean, 5S, or similar continuous improvement methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Ensure full SHEQ compliance and uphold legal requirements.
• Oversee MRO operations to support mill-wide performance objectives.
• Manage and optimise stores resources and stock levels.

Skills

Strong knowledge of SAP

Proactive risk management

Team leadership

Education

NQF Level 7 qualification in Engineering or related field

Job description

Description

Join Our Team as a Materials Manager

We are seeking a highly skilled Materials Manager to take full responsibility for material planning, inventory control, and the rotable repair cycle—ensuring critical spares are repaired, tracked, and available on time to minimise plant downtime and support operational reliability.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure full SHEQ compliance, maintain high housekeeping standards, uphold legal requirements, and investigate incidents to drive corrective actions.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate risks through proactive risk management and action planning.
• Oversee Engineering Spares, Raw Materials, and all MRO operations to support mill-wide performance objectives.
• Manage and optimise stores resources, stock levels, transport services, and rotable repair systems to ensure continuous plant support.
• Ensure accuracy and compliance across all material management systems (SIN, XCPIM) and maintain high-quality master data.
• Develop, implement, and review policies, procedures, and work instructions within the Materials Management function.
• Prepare and manage operational budgets, monitor working capital, and lead stock optimisation initiatives, including reduction of redundant materials.
• Lead, develop, and coach team members while managing discipline, succession planning, and overall capability growth.

Minimum Qualifications

• NQF Level 7 qualification in Engineering, Inventory Management, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, or a related field.
• Strong working knowledge of SAP is advantageous.

Minimum Experience

• 8–10 years’ experience in an engineering, manufacturing, or industrial environment.
• 5–8 years proven experience in materials management, including inventory control, warehouse operations, and stock optimisation (experience with consignment stock and contracts is an advantage).
• Minimum 5 years supervisory or management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, high-volume stores with strict compliance, accuracy, and safety requirements.
• Experience collaborating with maintenance, production, and planning teams to support plant reliability and operational continuity.
• Continuous improvement exposure (Lean, 5S, or similar) will be advantageous.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you’re passionate about improving reliability, optimising materials flow, and driving operational excellence, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today and become part of a dynamic team focused on engineering success!