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
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
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