Process Engineering Specialist

<p><strong>Join Our Mission at Takealot Fulfilment Solutions | We Are TFS</strong></p> <p>Revolutionising e-commerce logistics in South Africa with cutting-edge technology and operational excellence. We deliver 30+ million orders annually, empowering businesses and driving economic growth.</p> <p><strong>Who We're Looking For:</strong></p> <p>Innovative, ambitious individuals ready to shape the future of e-commerce logistics.

At TFS, "Uniquely You" meets "Powerfully Us", where your individuality strengthens our collective mission.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Purpose of this role : </strong>The Process Engineering Specialist leads a structured, business-wide programme to create, understand, optimise, and standardise Takealot’s key operational processes -driving measurable business value through process&nbsp;improvement, visibility, and change management. This is a role for an up and coming engineer who is&nbsp;methodical, analytical, and eager to gain deep exposure to the&nbsp;inner workings of a large-scale e-commerce operation.

The&nbsp;successful candidate will move across multiple business&nbsp;functions, engaging with process owners and frontline teams to understand how work is performed today, identify where&nbsp;value is trapped or lost, and drive improvements that unlock&nbsp;that value - then codify the optimised processes into clear, standardised documentation that sustains the gains. This is not a documentation-only role.

The person in this seat is responsible for the full improvement lifecycle: understanding the current state, identifying optimisation opportunities, quantifying the business case, driving the change with stakeholders, and embedding the improved process through documentation, training, and governance.</p> <p><strong>This position reports to the Head: Solutions and Architecture (TBC)</strong></p> <p><strong>Your responsibilities can include:</strong></p> <p><strong>Process Discovery, Mapping &amp; Visibility :</strong></p> <ul> <li>Cross- functional Engagement: Engage with stakeholders across operations teams (including warehouse/inbound, catalogue, customer service,seller onboarding, and other operational functions as scoped with the project lead) to understand and document current-state processes end-to-end.</li> <li>Operational&nbsp;Walkthroughs:&nbsp;Conduct&nbsp;interviews,&nbsp;process&nbsp;walkthroughs,&nbsp;and&nbsp;on-floor&nbsp;observations&nbsp;to&nbsp;capture&nbsp;how&nbsp;work&nbsp;is&nbsp;actually&nbsp;performed,&nbsp;not&nbsp;just&nbsp;how&nbsp;it&nbsp;is&nbsp;intended&nbsp;to&nbsp;be&nbsp;performed.</li> <li>Standardised&nbsp;Notation:&nbsp;Map&nbsp;processes&nbsp;using&nbsp;standardized&nbsp;notations&nbsp;(BPMN,&nbsp;swimlane&nbsp;diagrams,&nbsp;decision-tree&nbsp;formats)&nbsp;to&nbsp;create&nbsp;a&nbsp;shared,&nbsp;visual&nbsp;understanding&nbsp;of&nbsp;how&nbsp;work&nbsp;flows&nbsp;across&nbsp;functions.</li> <li>Dependency&nbsp;Mapping:&nbsp;Identify&nbsp;process&nbsp;owners,&nbsp;inputs,&nbsp;outputs,&nbsp;and&nbsp;interdependencies&nbsp;between&nbsp;functions.</li> <li>End-to-End&nbsp;Visibility:&nbsp;Build&nbsp;process&nbsp;visibility&nbsp;to&nbsp;give&nbsp;stakeholders&nbsp;a&nbsp;clear,&nbsp;shared&nbsp;picture&nbsp;of&nbsp;how&nbsp;work&nbsp;moves&nbsp;through&nbsp;the&nbsp;operation,&nbsp;where&nbsp;bottlenecks&nbsp;sit,&nbsp;and&nbsp;where&nbsp;data,&nbsp;handoffs,&nbsp;or&nbsp;decisions&nbsp;create&nbsp;friction.</li> <li>Gap&nbsp;Identification:&nbsp;Uncover&nbsp;gaps,&nbsp;ambiguities,&nbsp;undocumented&nbsp;workarounds,&nbsp;and&nbsp;hidden&nbsp;process&nbsp;steps&nbsp;in&nbsp;current&nbsp;operations.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Process Optimisation &amp; Business Value Unlocking :</strong></p> <ul> <li>Inefficiency&nbsp;Analysis:&nbsp;Analyse&nbsp;mapped&nbsp;processes&nbsp;to&nbsp;identify&nbsp;inefficiencies&nbsp;—&nbsp;unnecessary&nbsp;steps,&nbsp;manual&nbsp;workarounds,&nbsp;duplicate&nbsp;processes&nbsp;across&nbsp;teams,&nbsp;bottlenecks,&nbsp;rework&nbsp;loops,&nbsp;and&nbsp;underutilised&nbsp;automation.</li> <li>Business&nbsp;Case&nbsp;Quantification:&nbsp;Quantify&nbsp;the&nbsp;business&nbsp;impact&nbsp;of&nbsp;identified&nbsp;opportunities&nbsp;(time&nbsp;saved,&nbsp;cost&nbsp;reduction,&nbsp;error&nbsp;reduction,&nbsp;throughput&nbsp;improvement,&nbsp;or&nbsp;capacity&nbsp;unlock)&nbsp;and&nbsp;build&nbsp;lightweight&nbsp;business&nbsp;cases&nbsp;for&nbsp;each.</li> <li>Prioritised&nbsp;Implementation:&nbsp;Recommend&nbsp;and&nbsp;help&nbsp;implement&nbsp;process&nbsp;improvements,&nbsp;working&nbsp;with&nbsp;process&nbsp;owners&nbsp;and&nbsp;the&nbsp;project&nbsp;lead&nbsp;to&nbsp;prioritise&nbsp;by&nbsp;impact&nbsp;and&nbsp;effort.</li> <li>Automation&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;AI&nbsp;Readiness:&nbsp;Identify&nbsp;opportunities&nbsp;for&nbsp;automation&nbsp;and&nbsp;AI-enablement&nbsp;where&nbsp;structured&nbsp;process&nbsp;data&nbsp;and&nbsp;standardised&nbsp;workflows&nbsp;create&nbsp;a&nbsp;foundation&nbsp;for&nbsp;technology-led&nbsp;improvement.</li> <li>Benefit&nbsp;Tracking:&nbsp;Track&nbsp;and&nbsp;measure&nbsp;the&nbsp;realised&nbsp;benefit&nbsp;of&nbsp;implemented&nbsp;improvements&nbsp;against&nbsp;the&nbsp;baseline,&nbsp;closing&nbsp;the&nbsp;loop&nbsp;between&nbsp;recommendation&nbsp;and&nbsp;outcome.</li> </ul> <p><strong>SOP Documentation &amp; Standardisation :</strong></p> <ul> <li>Produce&nbsp;clear,&nbsp;structured&nbsp;Standard&nbsp;Operating&nbsp;Procedure&nbsp;(SOP)&nbsp;documents&nbsp;for&nbsp;each&nbsp;identified&nbsp;process&nbsp;area&nbsp;—&nbsp;capturing&nbsp;both&nbsp;the&nbsp;current&nbsp;state&nbsp;and,&nbsp;where&nbsp;improvements&nbsp;have&nbsp;been&nbsp;implemented,&nbsp;the&nbsp;optimised&nbsp;future&nbsp;state.&nbsp;Each&nbsp;SOP&nbsp;must&nbsp;capture:</li> <li>Data&nbsp;Sources:&nbsp;Databases,&nbsp;reporting&nbsp;dashboards,&nbsp;internal&nbsp;tools,&nbsp;and&nbsp;third-party&nbsp;platforms&nbsp;referenced&nbsp;or&nbsp;relied&nbsp;upon,&nbsp;including&nbsp;purpose&nbsp;and&nbsp;access&nbsp;methods.</li> <li>Existing&nbsp;Scripts&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;Automation:&nbsp;Capture&nbsp;details&nbsp;of&nbsp;existing&nbsp;SQL&nbsp;queries,&nbsp;Python/Shell&nbsp;scripts,&nbsp;scheduled&nbsp;jobs,&nbsp;API&nbsp;calls,&nbsp;or&nbsp;other&nbsp;automated&nbsp;routines&nbsp;executed&nbsp;as&nbsp;part&nbsp;of&nbsp;the&nbsp;process&nbsp;(including&nbsp;purpose,&nbsp;frequency,&nbsp;owner,&nbsp;and&nbsp;trigger&nbsp;locations).</li> <li>Inputs&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;Outputs:&nbsp;Specific&nbsp;requirements&nbsp;for&nbsp;each&nbsp;process&nbsp;step,&nbsp;including&nbsp;required&nbsp;approvals&nbsp;or&nbsp;sign-offs.</li> <li>Exception&nbsp;Handling:&nbsp;Procedures&nbsp;for&nbsp;resolving&nbsp;operational&nbsp;issues,&nbsp;escalation&nbsp;contacts,&nbsp;and&nbsp;decision&nbsp;criteria.</li> <li>Security&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;Compliance:&nbsp;Data&nbsp;access&nbsp;permissions,&nbsp;information-handling&nbsp;requirements,&nbsp;and&nbsp;compliance&nbsp;considerations.</li> <li>Visual&nbsp;Workflows:&nbsp;Flowcharts&nbsp;and&nbsp;process&nbsp;diagrams&nbsp;that&nbsp;complement&nbsp;rather&nbsp;than&nbsp;duplicate&nbsp;written&nbsp;procedures,&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;clear&nbsp;BPMN/swimlane&nbsp;consistency.</li> <li>SOP&nbsp;Governance:&nbsp;Establish&nbsp;a&nbsp;sustainable&nbsp;review&nbsp;and&nbsp;update&nbsp;cadence&nbsp;so&nbsp;SOPs&nbsp;remain&nbsp;current&nbsp;as&nbsp;processes&nbsp;evolve.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Change Management :</strong></p> <ul> <li>Rollout&nbsp;Planning:&nbsp;Plan&nbsp;and&nbsp;support&nbsp;the&nbsp;rollout&nbsp;of&nbsp;process&nbsp;changes&nbsp;with&nbsp;affected&nbsp;teams&nbsp;—&nbsp;ensuring&nbsp;stakeholders&nbsp;understand&nbsp;what&nbsp;is&nbsp;changing,&nbsp;why,&nbsp;and&nbsp;what&nbsp;it&nbsp;means&nbsp;for&nbsp;day-to-day&nbsp;work.</li> <li>Proactive&nbsp;Resistance&nbsp;Management:&nbsp;Identify&nbsp;potential&nbsp;resistance&nbsp;points&nbsp;and&nbsp;work&nbsp;with&nbsp;process&nbsp;owners&nbsp;to&nbsp;address&nbsp;them&nbsp;proactively.</li> <li>Training&nbsp;Aids:&nbsp;Develop&nbsp;or&nbsp;support&nbsp;the&nbsp;development&nbsp;of&nbsp;training&nbsp;materials,&nbsp;quick-reference&nbsp;guides,&nbsp;and&nbsp;onboarding&nbsp;aids&nbsp;that&nbsp;help&nbsp;teams&nbsp;adopt&nbsp;improved&nbsp;processes.</li> <li>Reinforcement&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;Governance:&nbsp;Ensure&nbsp;process&nbsp;changes&nbsp;are&nbsp;reinforced&nbsp;through&nbsp;updated&nbsp;documentation,&nbsp;system&nbsp;configurations,&nbsp;and&nbsp;governance&nbsp;checkpoints&nbsp;so&nbsp;improvements&nbsp;stick.</li> <li>Post-Implementation&nbsp;Review:&nbsp;Run&nbsp;post-implementation&nbsp;reviews&nbsp;to&nbsp;assess&nbsp;adoption,&nbsp;identify&nbsp;residual&nbsp;issues,&nbsp;and&nbsp;capture&nbsp;lessons&nbsp;learned.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Stakeholder Management &amp; Validation :</strong></p> <ul> <li>Validation&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;Sign-Off:&nbsp;Review&nbsp;draft&nbsp;SOPs&nbsp;and&nbsp;proposed&nbsp;improvements&nbsp;with&nbsp;process&nbsp;owners&nbsp;and&nbsp;stakeholders&nbsp;for&nbsp;accuracy,&nbsp;completeness,&nbsp;and&nbsp;buy-in.</li> <li>Version&nbsp;Control:&nbsp;Incorporate&nbsp;feedback&nbsp;and&nbsp;manage&nbsp;version&nbsp;control&nbsp;of&nbsp;all&nbsp;documentation.</li> <li>Technical&nbsp;Translation:&nbsp;Act&nbsp;as&nbsp;the&nbsp;technical&nbsp;interface&nbsp;between&nbsp;business&nbsp;needs&nbsp;and&nbsp;engineering/data&nbsp;teams,&nbsp;translating&nbsp;operational&nbsp;reality&nbsp;into&nbsp;documentation&nbsp;and&nbsp;improvement&nbsp;recommendations&nbsp;that&nbsp;support&nbsp;automation&nbsp;initiatives.</li> <li>Multi-Stakeholder&nbsp;Alignment:&nbsp;Manage&nbsp;multiple&nbsp;stakeholder&nbsp;relationships&nbsp;simultaneously&nbsp;across&nbsp;functions&nbsp;with&nbsp;differing&nbsp;priorities&nbsp;and&nbsp;operating&nbsp;rhythms.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Qualifications and experience:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering or a&nbsp;related discipline (Operations Management, Supply&nbsp;Chain Management, Business/Systems Engineering,&nbsp;or Process Engineering).</li> <li>+3 years experience in process engineering, process&nbsp;improvement, industrial engineering, operations, or a&nbsp;related field. Internships, vacation work, and university projects involving process mapping or improvement<br>are valued.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Attributes required :</strong></p> <ul> <li>Process&nbsp;Mapping&nbsp;Tools:&nbsp;Proficiency&nbsp;in&nbsp;at&nbsp;least&nbsp;one&nbsp;of:&nbsp;Microsoft&nbsp;Visio,&nbsp;Lucidchart,&nbsp;draw.io,&nbsp;or&nbsp;similar.</li> <li>Process&nbsp;Notation&nbsp;Frameworks:&nbsp;Knowledge&nbsp;of&nbsp;BPMN,&nbsp;swimlane&nbsp;diagrams,&nbsp;or&nbsp;other&nbsp;standard&nbsp;process&nbsp;notation&nbsp;frameworks.</li> <li>Data&nbsp;Literacy:&nbsp;Familiarity&nbsp;with&nbsp;basic&nbsp;SQL&nbsp;and&nbsp;data&nbsp;querying&nbsp;concepts;&nbsp;ability&nbsp;to&nbsp;read&nbsp;and&nbsp;interpret&nbsp;query&nbsp;logic&nbsp;and&nbsp;pull&nbsp;data&nbsp;to&nbsp;support&nbsp;process&nbsp;analysis.</li> <li>Basic&nbsp;Scripting&nbsp;Awareness:&nbsp;Ability&nbsp;to&nbsp;recognise,&nbsp;understand&nbsp;at&nbsp;a&nbsp;high&nbsp;level,&nbsp;and&nbsp;document&nbsp;existing&nbsp;scripts,&nbsp;queries,&nbsp;or&nbsp;automated&nbsp;routines&nbsp;(e.g.,&nbsp;SQL&nbsp;queries,&nbsp;Python/Shell&nbsp;scripts,&nbsp;scheduled&nbsp;jobs,&nbsp;API&nbsp;calls)&nbsp;used&nbsp;in&nbsp;day-to-day&nbsp;operations.</li> <li>AI&nbsp;/&nbsp;Automation&nbsp;Awareness:&nbsp;Basic&nbsp;understanding&nbsp;of&nbsp;how&nbsp;AI&nbsp;tools&nbsp;and&nbsp;automation&nbsp;platforms&nbsp;consume&nbsp;structured&nbsp;process&nbsp;data;&nbsp;awareness&nbsp;of&nbsp;how&nbsp;documented&nbsp;SOPs&nbsp;and&nbsp;mapped&nbsp;processes&nbsp;enable&nbsp;AI&nbsp;integration.</li> <li>Business&nbsp;Case&nbsp;Development:&nbsp;Ability&nbsp;to&nbsp;quantify&nbsp;process&nbsp;improvement&nbsp;impact&nbsp;in&nbsp;business&nbsp;terms&nbsp;(time,&nbsp;cost,&nbsp;throughput,&nbsp;error&nbsp;rate)&nbsp;and&nbsp;present&nbsp;lightweight&nbsp;justifications&nbsp;for&nbsp;action.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Change Management</strong></p> <ul> <li>Understanding&nbsp;of&nbsp;change&nbsp;management&nbsp;principles&nbsp;-&nbsp;how&nbsp;to&nbsp;introduce&nbsp;process&nbsp;changes&nbsp;in&nbsp;a&nbsp;live&nbsp;operational&nbsp;environment&nbsp;without&nbsp;disrupting&nbsp;delivery.</li> <li>Ability&nbsp;to&nbsp;develop&nbsp;or&nbsp;support&nbsp;training&nbsp;materials,&nbsp;quick-&nbsp;reference&nbsp;guides,&nbsp;and&nbsp;onboarding&nbsp;aids.</li> <li>Stakeholder&nbsp;engagement&nbsp;skills&nbsp;to&nbsp;build&nbsp;buy-in&nbsp;and&nbsp;address&nbsp;resistance&nbsp;to&nbsp;change.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Communication &amp;amp; Collaboration</strong></p> <ul> <li>Excellent&nbsp;communication&nbsp;skills&nbsp;to&nbsp;interface&nbsp;effectively&nbsp;with&nbsp;business&nbsp;stakeholders,&nbsp;engineering,&nbsp;and&nbsp;data&nbsp;teams.</li> <li>Strong&nbsp;documentation&nbsp;habits&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;commitment&nbsp;to&nbsp;knowledge&nbsp;sharing&nbsp;across&nbsp;the&nbsp;team.</li> <li>Collaborative&nbsp;by&nbsp;nature,&nbsp;with&nbsp;the&nbsp;ability&nbsp;to&nbsp;manage&nbsp;multiple&nbsp;stakeholder&nbsp;relationships&nbsp;simultaneously.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Ownership &amp; Delivery</strong></p> <ul> <li>Self-driven&nbsp;with&nbsp;a&nbsp;strong&nbsp;bias&nbsp;for&nbsp;action&nbsp;and&nbsp;end-to-end&nbsp;ownership&nbsp;of&nbsp;deliverables.</li> <li>Comfortable&nbsp;working&nbsp;in&nbsp;a&nbsp;fast-paced,&nbsp;iterative&nbsp;environment&nbsp;with&nbsp;evolving&nbsp;priorities.</li> <li>Results-oriented,&nbsp;with&nbsp;a&nbsp;focus&nbsp;on&nbsp;delivering&nbsp;measurable&nbsp;business&nbsp;impact&nbsp;rather&nbsp;than&nbsp;just&nbsp;technical&nbsp;output.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Preferred (Nice-to-Have)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Exposure&nbsp;to&nbsp;Lean,&nbsp;Six&nbsp;Sigma,&nbsp;or&nbsp;other&nbsp;continuous&nbsp;improvement&nbsp;methodologies.</li> <li>Experience&nbsp;in&nbsp;an&nbsp;e-commerce,&nbsp;retail,&nbsp;or&nbsp;logistics&nbsp;operations&nbsp;environment.</li> <li>Familiarity&nbsp;with&nbsp;process&nbsp;documentation&nbsp;tools&nbsp;that&nbsp;support&nbsp;AI-enabled&nbsp;workflows&nbsp;(e.g.,&nbsp;tools&nbsp;that&nbsp;export&nbsp;structured&nbsp;data&nbsp;for&nbsp;automation&nbsp;pipelines).</li> <li>Experience&nbsp;supporting&nbsp;or&nbsp;leading&nbsp;process&nbsp;change&nbsp;in&nbsp;a&nbsp;live&nbsp;operational&nbsp;environment.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Why Join TFS:</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Purpose-driven impact</strong>: Transform lives through logistics innovation</li> <li><strong>Advanced technology: </strong>Work with cutting-edge systems in a fast-paced environment</li> <li><strong>Career growth: </strong>Thrive in an agile space that champions continuous improvement</li> <li><strong>Inclusive culture</strong>: Your unique perspective drives extraordinary results</li> </ul> <p>At TFS, your growth is our growth.

You'll be joining a team powered by Takealot Group's core values.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>More than just a job, we offer:&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>A culture that celebrates individual uniqueness while championing the strength of togetherness. Be part of creating sustainable, scalable solutions that make a difference across South Africa's e-commerce landscape.</p> <div><em>Takealot Fulfilment Solutions (TFS)</em> <em>is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Applicants from previously disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities will be given preference.</em></div>