WMS / Logistics Solution Architect

We are looking for an experienced Warehouse Management System / Logistics Solution Architect to lead the solution design for a major greenfield logistics management platform being developed for a large logistics operator in South Africa.

The new platform will replace and consolidate a broad range of operational systems covering warehouse operations, inventory, cargo handling, transport, vessel operations, customer services and financial processes.

This is not a configuration or implementation role for an off-the-shelf WMS. We need someone who has designed and helped build complex warehouse or logistics management systems, ideally from first principles.

The role

You will lead the functional and solution architecture of the platform, working alongside our CTO, engineering team, the customer's technical team and operational subject-matter experts.

You will be responsible for turning a detailed functional requirements specification into a coherent, scalable system architecture and ensuring that the design reflects established WMS and logistics-industry practice.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Lead the architecture and high-level design of the logistics management system.

• Translate detailed operational requirements into system domains, services, workflows and data models.

• Define the boundaries and interactions between major functional areas.

• Design core warehouse concepts including inventory, locations, zones, capacity, reservations, stock movements, intake, picking, dispatch and stock history.

• Advise on workflows for palletised goods, cold storage, general/project cargo, bulk cargo and containers.

• Help design integrations with ERP, weighbridge, vehicle monitoring, scanning, external data sources and other operational systems.

• Define appropriate API, event, transaction and integration patterns.

• Ensure inventory and operational transactions have appropriate integrity, traceability and auditability.

• Design for high availability, scalability, security and disaster recovery.

• Identify gaps, ambiguities and risks within the functional requirements.

• Work with engineering teams during development to ensure that the implementation remains consistent with the architecture.

• Support testing strategy, particularly around complex operational workflows and inventory integrity.

• Produce clear architecture and design documentation.

• Mentor the customer's developers and support knowledge transfer as part of a co-build approach.

Essential experience

We are particularly interested in people with demonstrable experience of:

• Architecting warehouse management systems or complex logistics platforms.

• Designing or building WMS platforms rather than simply implementing/configuring a packaged WMS.

• Inventory and stock movement architecture.

• Warehouse location, capacity and reservation models.

• Receiving, put-away, internal movement, picking, loading and dispatch processes.

• Complex operational workflows with scanning or handheld devices.

• Integration between operational systems and ERP/financial platforms.

• API-first and modular enterprise application architecture.

• Designing systems where operational and financial transactions require strong audit trails and data integrity.

• Working directly with warehouse/logistics operational teams to translate real-world processes into software.

You should be comfortable working at both business-process and technical-architecture level.

Particularly useful experience

Experience in any of the following would be valuable:

• Port or terminal logistics.

• Cold-chain or fruit logistics.

• Container handling and stacking.

• Breakbulk, project cargo or dry bulk.

• Vessel loading/discharge operations.

• Transport management and truck scheduling.

• Yard or gate management.

• Weighbridge integrations.

• Sage X3 or similar ERP integration.

• High-volume, multi-site logistics operations.

AI experience is not required. Our existing team will provide the underlying AI/application platform expertise.

Engagement

The overall programme is expected to run for approximately 12–18 months and will be delivered as a co-build with the customer's development team.

We initially need the architect to take a leading role during discovery, architecture and detailed solution design, with the opportunity to remain involved through development, testing and implementation.

The customer is based in South Africa. The role can potentially be delivered largely remotely, but some travel to South Africa and direct engagement with operational teams may be required.

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate that they have encountered the difficult problems involved in building a WMS before — and who can help us avoid discovering those problems for the first time during development.

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