Logistics Manager – Talent Pool

For decades, Rainbow Chicken has been a trusted name in South Africa's poultry industry — known for quality, resilience, and innovation. As we continue to grow, we're looking for exceptional leaders to help shape the next chapter of our journey.

This opportunity is part of our
Management Talent Pool
— a proactive initiative to identify and engage top talent ahead of future leadership needs. While there may not be an immediate vacancy, joining the talent pool means you'll be considered for upcoming roles aligned to your skills and experience as they arise.

If you're passionate about driving excellence, sustainability, and feeding the nation, we invite you to express interest and become part of our pipeline for future leadership opportunities.

Requirements:

• Degree in Logistics/Transport Management
• Minimum 5 years' experience in Warehousing & Distribution

Key Responsibilities:

Strategy Execution

• Work in conjunction with the Customer Service Excellence Manager to cocreate the regional operations strategy, based on a 1-to-3-year view of requirements.
• Work closely with the rest of the business to ensure the delivery of an integrated supply chain benefit and strategic target achievement.
• Drive the implementation of improvements in operating processes and systems to optimise warehouse and transport efficiencies.
• Determine operational capacity requirements across both the medium and the long term and plan required asset utilisation and capex requirements accordingly.
• Work with CSE Manager and Warehouse Manager to ensure growth and investment opportunities to ensure warehouse design and flow are optimised.
• Stay abreast of latest international trends by visiting facilities (local and international) and integrating best practice into future solutions.
• Constantly monitor and drive the achievement of single depot strategic and operational targets.
• Ensure the agreed operational targets are achieved through team targets and that these targets align cross-functionally within the area of responsibility.
• Conduct weekly management meetings to address challenges, review performance and plan for future optimum performance.
• Maintain an accurate record of planning forecasts for the week before as well as a five-week future plan to enable accurate decision-making and longer-term planning.

Logistics Management

• Consolidating warehouse and distribution services into other Rainbow business units
• Integrate business systems successfully to support operational processes.
• Monitor the quality, quantity, cost and efficiency of the movement and storage of stock.
• Initiate and manage stock loss reduction programmes.
• Deliver system support to all internal and external customers.
• Manage and utilize the network vehicle fleet by optimizing routes and vehicle requirements between depots.
• Manage the fleet maintenance costs within the set parameters
• Ensure continuous improvement in reverse logistics systems and processes by on-the-job observation, benchmarking, and analysis.
• Ensure all credit uplifts and relevant documentation processed and submitted on-time
• Drive the logistics team on a daily basis to ensure that it deploys stock through the network to effectively meet customer service levels at minimal cost.
• Drive a culture of commitment to key performance indicator's (KPI's) by creating awareness and providing recognition for attainment of KPI's within the team.
• Utilise regular communication channels and team meetings to promote continuous improvement and best practice on a daily basis across the network
• Active engagement with the call centre to manage order book demand
• Optimising route planning with the sales team for new customers
• Responsible for continuous alignment of administrative debriefing of Drivers for accurate processing documentation
• Provide regional reporting on service levels and credit notes per channel to the Regional Sales Managers
• Ensure all PODs (Own & outsourced) submitted weekly for processing and maintain tracking reporting for documentation compliance

Risk Management

• Mitigate risks against people and physical assets.
• Ensure consistent application of the Group risk management policy across the network
• Drive the risk committee process and activities by having monthly meetings, analysing findings and ensuring corrective action is undertaken.
• Ensure full legal compliance with all relevant legislation.
• Re-evaluate the risk profile of the network on an annual basis.
• Measure and manage sustainability practices across the network.
• Maintain and implement food safety standards across the network and ensure that enhancements are implemented based on on-going learning.
• Ensure that security is maintained and that appropriate investigations take place where incidents occur.

Information and Data Management

• Ensure the team accurately and regularly captures operating data onto the information system to enable access to reliable data and reporting for trend analysis and decision making.
• Analyse management information on a daily basis to ensure productivity and logistics/distribution targets and standards are being met.
• Suggest system changes to ensure the ongoing relevance and accuracy of information.
• Share relevant data with the management team to enable reliable business decision making.

Maintenance Management

• Manage the formulation of a maintenance plan that is aligned to the operational plan for the network
• Drive sustainable maintenance practices throughout the network
• Manage the transport maintenance team and ensure that planned maintenance programmes are implemented to enable optimal asset utilisation.
• Ensure that maintenance practices are aligned to business standards.

Financial Management

• Compile the annual distribution budget for the network
• Manage costs to ensure lowest cost storage and distribution and the optimal utilisation of assets
• Report on and manage all input costs within the single depot and manage any over or under-spend appropriately to ensure that issues are addressed before significant financial loss occurs.
• Authorise expenses within the level of authority and monitor spending activity within teams to ensure compliance with financial and ethical standards.
• Implement and encourage cost cutting initiatives within the network where these do not impact on long term business sustainability.
• Enforce accountability for budget expenditure by the management team.
• Mitigate business risks within budgetary constraints through the allocation of spend to areas of high priority.
• Ensure correct operational planning to meet budgeted volumes across a 2–3-year time horizon.
• Review and authorise capex documentation and align the proposals with the long-term strategy, taking into account the return on investment and sustainability requirements.
• Issues all general ledger info to CSE and Commercial Manager for
• reconciliation timeously
• Ensure optimal deployment of physical and human resources using best practice standards, productivity measurements and on-the-job observation.

OHSA & Food safety management and Regulations

• Maintaining OHS & Food safety standards
• 16.1 responsible person on OHS committee for responsible depots
• Implementing sustainability agenda set by business unit Risk Manager related to depot activities.
• Ensuring compliance with all applicable Road Traffic Regulation.

Leadership

• Lead the single depot management team towards meeting strategic objectives and targets through regular communication and utilisation of the full organisational talent management tool set.
• Lead a single depot team and workforce and maintain a stable IR climate through a constructive relationship with unions.
• Manage and deliver on succession plans to enable the development of a future generation of leaders and specialists and ensure optimal turnover and retention levels are maintained.
• Drive employment equity within the team to ensure that diversity is achieved at all levels and that statutory targets and requirements are met.
• Champion training and development of the team through the utilisation of available training opportunities or by contributing to the development of new training solutions in collaboration with regional and national training specialists.
• Conduct regular performance appraisals with subordinates and ensure that the process is cascaded throughout the single depot.
• Develop and manage high performance multi-disciplinary teams in order to solve problems within the single depot.
• Encourage skills workshops between multi-disciplinary teams and across the single depot to realise the transfer of skills.
• Conduct weekly management meetings and ensure that records are kept and shared across the team and that action plans agreed to within team meetings are delivered upon.
• Manage the employee relations climate and ensure corrective action is taken where required in line with relevant legislation and company policy.
• Monitor team performance and provide regular feedback.
• Coach and support team members where necessary to achieve objectives.

South Africa

Published Date: 02 October 2025

Closing Date: 30 June 2026