Head of Manufacturing & Production

The Key Recruitment Group; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

The Key Recruitment Group is seeking a Head of Manufacturing & Production in Parow, Cape Town. This senior role leads fabrication, machining, assembly and finishing, aligning sales demands with realistic production plans while managing capacity and resources.

You will drive productivity improvements, enforce quality and safety standards, and mentor factory managers and teams to achieve targets and deadlines in a large, multi-project environment.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification (N5 minimum) and proven senior management experience.
• Extensive background in production, manufacturing or factory management.
• Strong track record in production planning, scheduling and capacity management.
• Experience handling multiple projects with competing priorities and deadlines.
• Familiarity with production management/ERP software is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and overall management of manufacturing and production operations.
• Develop and improve production planning and scheduling to meet targets and deadlines.
• Translate sales requirements into realistic production plans considering capacity and lead times.
• Monitor progress, identify bottlenecks and take corrective actions to stay on track.
• Drive continuous improvement to increase productivity and reduce waste.
• Ensure quality standards and pursue ongoing quality improvements.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Sales, Procurement and Logistics for seamless flow.
• Ensure resources are available to support the production schedule.
• Oversee manufacturing processes and enforce procedures and controls.
• Lead and mentor factory managers, supervisors and production teams.
• Promote communication, teamwork and accountability across operations.
• Ensure health and safety requirements are met and a strong safety culture is promoted.
• Take ownership of production challenges and provide practical solutions.

Skills

Senior production management

Manufacturing experience

Production planning

Capacity management

ERP/Manufacturing software

Education

N5 minimum tertiary qualification

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Head of Manufacturing & Production

An established Air Systems Engineering Company, specialising in large turnkey projects, is seeking a Head of Manufacturing & Production to join their dynamic team based in Parow, Cape Town.

Qualifications and Experience Required:

• Tertiary qualification (N5 minimum)
• Proven experience in a senior production, manufacturing or factory management role.
• Strong experience in manufacturing and metal fabrication environments.
• Proven experience in production planning, scheduling and capacity management.
• Experience managing complex production environments with multiple projects, competing priorities and deadlines.
• Experience with production management systems, ERP systems or manufacturing software will be advantageous.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership and overall management of manufacturing and production operations, including fabrication, machining, assembly and finishing.
• Develop, manage and continuously improve production planning and scheduling to ensure work is prioritised effectively and production targets and customer deadlines are achieved.
• Translate sales requirements into realistic production plans, considering capacity, labour, machinery, materials and lead times.
• Monitor production progress against schedules, identify bottlenecks and delays, and implement corrective action to keep production on track.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives aimed at increasing productivity, improving efficiencies, reducing waste and optimising manufacturing processes.
• Ensure manufacturing processes and outputs meet required quality standards and identify opportunities for ongoing quality improvement.
• Work closely with Engineering, Sales, Procurement and Logistics to ensure effective planning and seamless operational flow.
• Ensure appropriate materials, drawings, labour, machinery and other resources are available to support the production schedule.
• Oversee manufacturing processes and ensure that operational procedures, policies and controls are implemented and maintained.
• Lead, develop and mentor factory managers, supervisors, artisans and production teams, ensuring clear accountability and performance standards.
• Promote effective communication, teamwork, employee engagement and accountability throughout the manufacturing environment.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety requirements and actively promote a strong safety culture.
• Take ownership of production related challenges and provide timely, practical and commercially sound solutions.