Phindile Cossa
UFLP Supply chain | Process engineer | Supply Chain Strategic Innovation & Sourcing Analyst
City of Johannesburg
Summary
I am a passionate and results driven individual with a high-performance mindset. I am a chemical engineer with experience in FMCG. I have experience in process & production engineering, and Supply chain strategic planning, equipped with process/manufacturing continuous improvement and business improvement skills, better placing me to thrive in any organization. I am a self-motivated individual, and I thrive to create a high-performance culture in any space I take-up. I thrive in challenging environments with great opportunities for growth.
Overview
2025
2025
years of professional experience
2020
2020
years of post-secondary education
3
3
Certifications
Work History
Supply Chain Strategic Innovation and Sourcing analyst
Unilever
7 2024 - Current
- End to end supply chain lead for innovations:
* Supply Chain lead for Innovation, working with Marketing and R&D leads.
* Understanding how the New Innovation will impact the portfolio in terms of Turnover, Gross Margin, Business waste, and Complexity.
* Leads (within innovation project teams), the development of the project network and ensures live updates of the networks.
* Represents E2E SC and Capabilities Organisation in project network meetings
* Ensuring Supply Chain input, after consultation with Collaborative manufacturers, MCO Planning, Sourcing Unit Processing and Logistics teams, is factored into networks and that SC tasks are executed timely.
* Leading make or buy study and engages sourcing units to lock capacity and sourcing strategy to land innovations.
* Working with Planning Teams on RMPM requirements and planning for innovations, and Raw and Packaging Material and Finished Goods run-out/run-down schedules
* Initiates Masterdata set-up and co-ordinate supply chain teams to ensure accurate Masterdata setup
Driving service and business continuity through strategic and resilient sourcing:
* Determine the best sourcing strategy through Sourcing Studies; comparisons of the landed costs, formulations, and capex requirements of multiple sourcing sites for a particular MSO customer.
* Leading Finished goods resilience agenda for the category for South Africa, and East and West Africa to ensure business continuity and secure Turn Over; Determining and executing resilience opportunities for high Turn Over SKUs.End to end management of innovations - Driving service and business continuity through strategic and resilient sourcing
Production Engineer
Unilever
09.2023 - 06.2024
- Company Overview: Unilever Future Leaders Programme
- Leading continuous improvement initiatives (OEE improvements)
- Implementation of Run to standard
- Minor stoppage reduction
- Changeover time reduction
- Collaborating on factory digital agenda
- Autonomous Maintenance and Focus Improvement pillar deployment
- Unilever Future Leaders Programme
Process Engineer
Unilever
03.2022 - 08.2023
- Responsible for process control and optimisation for the process plant
- Leading waste reduction initiatives for the both Process plant and Packing hall
- Delivering business growth through landing innovations and formulation optimisation
- Leading factory cost optimisation initiatives
- Experience in laundry detergent spray drying technology
Technical services trainee
Anheuser-Busch InBev Africa
05.2021 - 01.2022
- Company Overview: Talent Acceleration Programme - Technical services trainee
- Experience in Carbon Dioxide recovery plant, Refrigeration (Ammonia) plant, Compressed Air generation Plant, Steam & High Temperature Hot Water Plant, Combined Heat & Power (CHP) plant, Biological Treatment System (BTS), and Water Treatment Plant (WTP) process areas
- Optimization of utilities (Water, Electricity, Heat & Carbon dioxide) generation and consumption
- Understanding of Preventative and Predictive maintenance, Spare parts and stores inventory management
- Exposure Energy and Fluids Specialist role (Process Engineering) and Team Leader role (Production Engineering)
- Talent Acceleration Programme - Technical services trainee
Education
BSc (Hons) - Chemical engineering
University of the Witwatersrand
Skills
Stakeholder Management
Manufacturing Process Improvement
Change Management
Project Management
Innovation planning
Strategic Sourcing
Root Cause Analysis
Microsoft Project
World Class Manufacturing
Certification
Lean Six Sigma White Belt Certification
Accomplishments
- 2023 Africa Supply Chain Rising Star Award.
- Landed an 1.3 mil Euro Co-polymer innovation.
- Gas consumption cost saving of R2 million in the spray drying process
- OLE improvement of 12% on HS LAC line.
Timeline
Production Engineer
Unilever
09.2023 - 06.2024
Process Engineer
Unilever
03.2022 - 08.2023
Technical services trainee
Anheuser-Busch InBev Africa
05.2021 - 01.2022
Supply Chain Strategic Innovation and Sourcing analyst
Unilever
7 2024 - Current
BSc (Hons) - Chemical engineering
University of the Witwatersrand