Canola Oil Refinery Production Manager: Yield & Safety

ClayHR Inc.; Swellendam; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Job summary

ClayHR Inc. in Swellendam, Western Cape, South Africa, seeks an experienced Production Manager to lead the edible oil refinery operations, focusing on canola chemical refining, yield optimization and safety compliance.

You will drive production planning, process optimization and cross-functional collaboration with Maintenance, Quality, Engineering and Supply Chain to ensure safe, reliable and cost-efficient plant performance.

Qualifications

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in edible oil refining, Food Technology, Production Management, or related discipline.
• Minimum 5–10 years' experience in edible oil processing/refining, preferably in a management or senior supervisory position.
• Proven experience in chemical refining of canola oil.
• Strong understanding of edible oil refining processes and process chemistry.
• Demonstrated experience in oil yield optimization and loss control.
• Experience managing refinery maintenance and equipment reliability.
• Proven track record in capacity improvement and process optimization.
• Experience working within FSSC 22000 and ISO-certified food manufacturing environments.
• Working knowledge of HACCP, GMP and food-safety management systems.
• Strong understanding of production planning, KPI management and cost control.

Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day operation of the edible oil refinery to achieve agreed production volumes, quality specifications and cost targets.
• Develop and implement production plans in line with raw material availability, customer requirements and business objectives.
• Ensure efficient operation of all refining processes, including degumming, neutralization, washing, drying, bleaching, filtration, deodorization and final oil handling and storage.
• Monitor plant performance, production rates, downtime and process efficiency.
• Identify and eliminate production bottlenecks and operational losses.
• Ensure effective shift management, production discipline and adherence to standard operating procedures.
• Drive continuous improvement in plant utilization and overall equipment effectiveness.
• Provide technical and operational leadership in the chemical refining of canola oil.
• Optimize caustic dosing, acid conditioning, separation, washing and drying processes to achieve maximum oil recovery and consistent quality.
• Monitor the effect of raw-material quality on refining performance and yield.
• Control soap stock, neutral oil losses and other process losses.
• Optimize operating parameters to achieve required FFA, moisture, phosphorus, colour and other product specs.
• Identify opportunities to improve refining efficiency while maintaining quality and food safety.

Skills

Oil refining

Production planning

KPI management

Cost control

Leadership

Process optimization

Food safety

Education

Edible oil refining

Food Technology

Production Management

Job description

ClayHR Inc. in Swellendam, Western Cape, South Africa, seeks an experienced Production Manager to lead the edible oil refinery operations, focusing on canola chemical refining, yield optimization and safety compliance.

You will drive production planning, process optimization and cross-functional collaboration with Maintenance, Quality, Engineering and Supply Chain to ensure safe, reliable and cost-efficient plant performance.