PRODUCTION MANAGER - PLASTICS RECOVERY AND SORTING

Complex International Recruitment Philippines; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Resource Innovative Recycling Solutions is seeking a Production Manager to lead the new plastics recovery and sorting line. The role is hands-on, floor-based, with daily responsibility for the line, safety, and meeting production targets.

You will report to the Operations Manager and supervise the plastics crew, ensuring efficient operation of the sorting line and timely production reporting.

Qualifications

• 5+ years running production in heavy industry, mining or recycling.
• Experience leading a small crew with rostering.
• Hands-on experience running sorting/separation lines (NIR/X-ray/eddy current).
• Able to operate a skid steer and forklift with Australian licences.

Responsibilities

• Plan daily production and sequencing based on input and capabilities.
• Set sensor/air settings and material spread on the belt for optimal sorting.
• Keep plant running with quality checks, hours, and maintenance coordination.
• Compare produced material with customer promises and re-run if needed.
• Monitor recovery rates and production costs, adjusting as required.
• Complete production sheets and hand over to next shift and supervisor.

Skills

Production management

Crew leadership

Hands-on operations

Sortation/Separation

Skid steer operation

Forklift operation

Safety & compliance

English communication

Education

Engineering degree (mechanical/industrial/process/mining/manufacturing)

Job description

PRODUCTION MANAGER - PLASTICS RECOVERY AND SORTING

Keilor East, VIC, Australia Resource Innovative Recycling Solutions

Job Openings PRODUCTION MANAGER - PLASTICS RECOVERY AND SORTING

About the job PRODUCTION MANAGER - PLASTICS RECOVERY AND SORTING

ABOUT THE JOB

This is a hands-on job running our new plastics sorting line, going in at the end of this year. You will spend your day on the floor, at the sorters and at the quality bench, and on the skid steer and forklift moving feed and product around.

Your feed is the floc that drops off the eddy current on the e-waste line, which is around 30 to 40 per cent of everything that goes through it. Your job is to turn that into clean, saleable polymer. It is the most technically advanced line on the site and the second most important one.

We are a recycler, not an office. Everyone here wears hi-vis, including the owner. If you want to run a plant from a desk, this is not it.

You report to the Operations Manager and run the plastics recovery and sorting crew.

WHAT THE JOB INVOLVES

Work out what runs each day and in what order, based on the floc coming across, what the sorters can do with it and who you have on. Keep an eye on how it is tracking and change it when you need to.

Get the sorting line right. Sensor settings, air settings, how the material is spread on the belt, and what you do with the material that does not sort cleanly first time.

Keep the plant running properly. Quality checks, running hours, spare parts and wear items on hand, and calling maintenance in early rather than late.

Check the product against what we have promised the customer, and decide whether it goes out or gets run again.

Watch how much you are recovering and what it costs to recover it, and adjust the line to keep both where they need to be.

Fill in the production sheets and hand over properly at the end of the day, to the next crew and to the Operations Manager.

Run the crew day to day. Who is doing what, showing them how to do it better, sorting the roster, and having the conversation early when someone is not pulling their weight.

Keep the area safe and tidy, and make sure the safety rules are actually followed rather than just posted.

Get the new near-infrared sorting line running. Work with the suppliers through installation, prove it does what it is supposed to on real material, and get it into normal production.

WHAT WE ARE AFTER

ESSENTIAL

• At least five years running production in heavy industry, manufacturing, mining, materials processing or recycling, where the output and what it cost were yours.
• Experience leading a small crew, including rostering and helping people get better at the work.
• Hands-on experience running sorting or separation plant. Optical, near-infrared, X-ray, eddy current or density separation.
• Comfortable operating a skid steer and forklift. You will use both most days. Australian licence requirements are sorted before you start.
• Able to plan a day's production against targets and keep accurate production records.
• Good judgement on process and quality. You notice output drifting before the numbers show it.
• Happy working on the floor in personal protective equipment every day.
• Sound knowledge of workplace health and safety in heavy industry, and disciplined about housekeeping.
• Clear spoken and written English for safety instructions, running a crew and written production reports.

NICE TO HAVE

• A degree in mechanical, industrial, process, chemical, mining or manufacturing engineering.
• Plastics recovery, polymer sorting or resource recovery experience.
• Near-infrared sorting experience, or setting up sensor-based sorters.
• Having helped install or commission new plant.