Start your career with Maersk as an Industrial Engineer Graduate in Cape Town. This 12-month, full-time programme offers structured rotations across warehousing and distribution environments, focusing on process standardisation, continuous improvement, and digital enablement.
Requirements
Industrial Engineering degree or in the final year of study
Strong academic record
South African citizenship
Intermediate proficiency in MS Outlook, MS Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
Skills & Responsibilities
Data Analysis: Collect, validate, and analyse operational data to identify constraints, waste, and improvement opportunities.
Process Engineering: Conduct time studies, work measurement, process mapping, and capacity analysis to support warehousing operations.
Continuous Improvement: Participate in Lean, 5S, and Kaizen activities to ensure operational efficiencies are documented and sustained.
Solution Design: Support requirements analysis, conceptual layouts, material flow, and capacity calculations for logistics projects.
Potential transition routes: People from Junior Operations Analyst or Supply Chain Intern roles may bring analytical and logistics skills, alongside meeting the Industrial Engineering degree requirement.
Job description
Job Title: Maersk Contract Logistics Industrial Engineer Graduate Programme, Warehousing & Distribution Location: Cape Town Programme Duration: 12 months
About the Programme
At Maersk, we are committed to building a strong internal talent pipeline to power the future of our Warehousing and Distribution operations. This graduate programme forms part of our strategic talent and transformation objectives, aimed at driving process standardisation and developing future leaders with operational and digital capabilities.
Aligned with our Centres of Excellence in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, the programme is designed to equip graduates with the skills, experience, and industry insight needed to make an early and meaningful impact. We offer a unique blend of formal learning and structured workplace rotations across diverse logistics environments.
Experience Across:
Cross-dock operations
Ambient warehousing
Cold chain facilities
Key Learning Focus Areas:
Support end-to-end analysis and improvement of inbound, storage, picking, packing, dispatch, cross-dock and inventory processes.
Collect, validate and analyse operational data to identify constraints, waste, variation and improvement opportunities.
Conduct time studies, work measurement, process mapping, capacity analysis, root-cause analysis and productivity assessments.
Support inventory accuracy through cycle-count analysis, reconciliation, stock-integrity reviews and inventory variance investigations.
Work with TCO on KPI definitions, data quality, WMS reporting, dashboards, process standardisation and digital improvement opportunities.
Support Solution Design activities, including requirements analysis, conceptual layouts, material flow, capacity calculations, labour and equipment sizing, option evaluation and design documentation.
Support Implementation workstreams through project planning, RAID management, SOP development, training material, operational-readiness checks, hypercare and benefits tracking.
Participate in Lean, 5S, Kaizen and continuous-improvement activities and ensure agreed improvements are documented and sustained.
Prepare clear technical reports, presentations and recommendations for operational and functional stakeholders.
Complete an integrated capstone project with a validated benefit or an evidenced feasibility case, together with a control and handover plan.
What You Will Gain
Hands-on exposure to multiple Contract Logistics operating environments.
Practical application of Industrial Engineering methods in warehousing and distribution.
Exposure to inventory, TCO and digital enablement, Solution Design and Implementation.
Mentoring, structured feedback and professional-development support.
Experience delivering analysis, improvement projects and management-ready recommendations.
Programme eligibility
Education: Industrial Engineering degree (or final year of study)
A strong academic record
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and process-thinking abilities
Passion for logistics, supply chain, and operational excellence
Adaptability to work in diverse and fast-paced environments
Good communication and interpersonal skills
South African citizenship
Intermediate proficiency in MS Outlook, MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel
Good personal time management
A positive attitude
Maersk is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we embrace different styles of thinking. Maersk is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants without regard to race, colour, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy or parental leave, veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with all legal requirements.
We are happy to support your need for any adjustments during the application and hiring process. If you need special assistance or an accommodation to use our website, apply for a position, or to perform a job, please contact us by emailing accommodationrequests@maersk.com.
