Category Lead – Motors (Supply Chain & Product Performance)

About the role

The Category Lead – Motors is responsible for the end‑to‑end supply chain and product performance of the electric motor portfolio. Acting as the bridge between sales demand and stock‑holding, you will ensure accurate forecasts, optimal factory orders and on‑time‑in‑full delivery.

Key responsibilities

• Review regional sales pipelines with managers to separate solid opportunities from soft estimates and build a rolling 12‑month demand forecast.
• Create data‑backed capital proposals for high‑demand motor stock and premium‑efficiency units.
• Manage direct relationships with Techtop factories, negotiating order allocations, lead times and payment terms.
• Drive a “base frame + modification kit” modular strategy to keep local stock risk low while maintaining off‑the‑shelf availability.
• Collaborate with logistics to optimise import shipments, balancing sea and air freight to protect margins.
• Provide technical filtering for high‑value tenders, comparing competitor specifications to select equivalent motors.
• Partner with Head Office engineering on complex checks such as speed‑torque curve evaluations.
• Set quality standards for in‑house motor modifications and oversee service level agreements with external repair partners.

Required profile

• National Diploma or Degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of hands‑on experience in the South African electric motor or rotating equipment industry.
• Strong product knowledge of electric motor configurations, IEC frame sizes and mountings.
• Proven experience running Sales & Operations Planning processes and using ERP inventory tools.
• Clear commercial acumen – understanding of working capital, import freight costs and total cost of ownership.
• Confident, assertive communicator able to challenge sales teams on pipeline data.

Required skills

• ERP inventory tools
• Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP)
• Demand forecasting
• Import logistics optimisation
• Working capital analysis
• Speed‑torque curve evaluation