Graduate Industrial Engineer â€“ Agriculture

Somerset West
Salary: Market Related
Job Type: Permanent
Sectors: Engineering
Reference: SW006087/AM

Apply before Feb 22 2026 | 30 Days left

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Vacancy Details

Employer: Helderberg Personnel cc

A fruit export concern, based in Somerset West, with a packhouse in Overberg, is seeking to appoint a recently graduated Industrial Engineer to support and optimise day-to-day packhouse operations and production performance. Employees residing in Somerset West area drive to packhouse on a daily basis from the office.This is a hands-on role focused on improving flow, productivity, quality and cost across farming and packing processes through data, observation, and structured continuous improvement. This includes evaluating production systems, collecting process data (e.g., observations/time studies), analysing performance, and improving workflows for productivity and quality.

Key Responsibilities

Operational and Production Optimisation
Quality, Compliance and Standardisation
Continuous Improvement & Problem Solving

Minimum Requirements

BEng / BSc in Industrial Engineering (recent graduate / 0–1 year experience).
Strong analytical ability with good Excel skills (Power BI / basic data tools advantageous).
Comfortable working in a fast-paced production environment (on the floor; seasonal demands when required).
Strong communication skills (fully bilingual Afrikaans and English; able to engage with operators, supervisors and management.
Detail-focused, organised and deadline-driven; able to manage multiple workstreams at once.

Advantageous

Exposure to fresh produce / food production / packhouse environments (internship, vacation work, projects).
Basic knowledge of Lean / continuous improvement methods.
Experience writing SOPs, training guides or process documentation.

Personality & Fit

Curious, practical, hands-on and willing to learn on the floor.
Proactive and solution-driven (doesn’t wait to be told what to do).
Comfortable working with people at all levels and driving change respectfully.

Success Measures (KPIs)

Improved throughput/efficiency on targeted lines (measured vs baseline).
Reduced downtime and repeat issues through structured root-cause actions.
Improved standardisation (SOP adoption, training completion, consistent process adherence).
Reliable weekly/monthly reporting and actionable insights for packhouse leadership.

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About Helderberg Personnel cc

Based in Somerset West, Helderberg Personnel was established in 1998. The company initially started doing placements in the Helderberg Basin and over the years expanded nationally. Our background has proved to be invaluable in providing a high standard of recruitment, screening, evaluation and placement of candidates.

Our Value proposition:
The true value proposition of the Helderberg Personnel brand is our commitment to attending to our clients’ needs, culture and values and to ensure that, through comprehensive interviews with candidates, the overall match is determined to ensure a long term relationship. The identity of the client remains confidential at all times. We understand that our function is to ensure that the candidate must become a strategic partner to a business instead of a mere employee. Helderberg Personnel has achieved a steady growth over the last years and we have evolved into one of the leading agencies in the region. We have made placements cross functional, cross industry and up to senior management level.