Sort QA Lead (Logistics Hub Operations)

Location: Cape Town

Remuneration: R22000 CTC

Role Overview

The Sort QA Lead serves as the floor supervisor for the regional hubs sort operation. This role completely owns the accuracy, speed, and quality of every parcel moving through the sort floorfrom the moment it arrives off the truck to the moment it is scanned onto a drivers vehicle.

Leading a team of five sorters shared across major e-commerce waves (including Breaze and Amazon), this position is the last line of defence before a wrong parcel hits the road. This is a hands-on, floor-level leadership role requiring an individual who sets high standards, runs efficient team briefings, catches operational exceptions, and keeps delivery waves strictly on time.

Authority Levels

Operational Direction: Authority to direct the daily work of all sorters and manage their positions on the sort floor.

Operational Halt: Authority to halt the sort and escalate to the Operations Manager if parcel volumes, system failures, or staffing shortfalls threaten sort accuracy or safety.

Quality Control: Authority to flag and quarantine damaged, mislabelled, or suspect parcels (no damaged parcel may be loaded without QA clearance).

Shift Flexibility: Authority to direct sorters to cover afternoon Amazon sort waves when triggered, and escalate additional overtime requirements to the Operations Manager.

Workforce Management: Authority to sign off sorter attendance and report absences to the Operations Manager before the start of a wave.

Key Responsibilities

1. Sort Floor Leadership

AM Dispatch Sort: Manage the team from 05:30 through to full sort completion and driver load-out, targeting $ 45$ minutes from first vehicle arrival to final scan-out.

Mid-day Wave: Manage the second wave sort for the ~250-parcel Breaze lunch dispatch.

Peak/Afternoon Waves: Lead the afternoon Amazon dispatch sort when triggered; brief the team on additional waves and manage extended shift transitions smoothly.

Daily Briefings: Run a pre-shift toolbox talk every morning to communicate daily parcel volumes, route changes, and specific client handling instructions.

2. Quality Assurance (QA)

Accuracy Ownership: Maintain a sort accuracy target of 99.5% by implementing and enforcing the bay labeling system, route allocation process, and misroute correction protocol.

Gatekeeper QA Check: Perform an at-door QA check on every drivers load before departure, verifying parcel counts against the manifest and confirming correct sequencing.

Inbound Inspection: Inspect all inbound parcels for damage upon arrival; quarantine and report any Damaged in Transit (DIT) items before they enter the sort flow.

Continuous Improvement: Conduct a daily sort accuracy review, count misroutes, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions before the next wave.

3. Team HR Management

Supervision: Daily supervision of 5 permanent sorters and any temporary flexible headcount brought on during peak e-commerce ramp periods.

Readiness: Record and report sorter attendance to the Operations Manager before each wave; manage last-minute absences by dynamically reassigning bay responsibilities.

Onboarding: Support the Operations Manager in onboarding, training, and briefing new or temporary sorters.

Performance: Report any sorter performance issues or repeated errors to the Operations Manager for formal action.

4. Health, Safety Environment (HSE)

Compliance: Maintain floor Health Safety standards, ensuring safe lifting, clear walkways, correct PPE usage, and fire escape compliance at all times.

System Integrity: Ensure 100% POD-equivalent scan compliance at the sort stage (every parcel scanned in and out of every stage).

Housekeeping: Keep the sort floor clean, organized, and hazard-free, completing a post-wave floor inspection before leaving.

Defect Reporting: Report any damaged equipment, scanner faults, or HS hazards to the Operations Manager immediately.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

Required Education: NQF Level 4/5 (Matric or equivalent standard).

Technical Proficiency: Strong systems proficiency with handheld scanning hardware and logistics/warehouse mobile applications is essential.

Relevant Experience: 12 years of experience in a warehouse, sortation, or last-mile dispatch environment. Prior experience as a lead hand, team leader, or floor supervisor is a strong advantage.

Core Skills:

o Detail-obsessed with a zero-tolerance attitude toward misroutes and QA failures.

o Physically fit and agile, capable of standing and moving throughout the entire shift.

o Assertive and clear communicator who can direct a team and escalate operational roadblocks without delay.