Manufacturing General Manager: Lean, Profitable Ops

Elchemie Recruitment

Johannesburg

On-site

ZAR 893,000 - 1,116,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

Elchemie Recruitment is seeking a General Manager to lead our Johannesburg manufacturing operations. This senior role combines operational leadership with commercial accountability across production, planning, and customer delivery.

You will drive lean manufacturing, manage budgets and working capital, and lead a unionised workforce on the production floor while engaging with the Board. A bachelor’s in engineering or related field, 10+ years in manufacturing, and ERP/SAP/Qliksense experience are

Qualifications

A relevant bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Production Management, Business Management or related discipline.
At least 10 years’ experience in manufacturing, with a minimum of five years in a senior operations, plant, factory or general-management position.
Demonstrable understanding of production-line management, production planning, materials management, quality systems and supply-chain coordination.
Proven responsibility for budgets, margins, costs, forecasts and operational performance.
Strong working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems. SAP and Qliksense exposure would be advantageous.
Experience using production data, dashboards and digital reporting tools to manage performance.
Sound understanding of lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis and continuous improvement.
Experience leading employees in a unionised manufacturing environment.
Willingness to be highly visible and actively involved on the production floor.

Responsibilities

Assume full accountability for the day-to-day performance of the manufacturing operation.
Translate customer demand and forecasts into credible production, labour, material and capacity plans.
Ensure effective production scheduling, line balancing, workflow management and allocation of resources.
Drive output, productivity, quality, OTIF delivery and cost-per-unit performance.
Identify and resolve production bottlenecks, material shortages, equipment constraints and process inefficiencies.
Reduce scrap, rework, wire recuts, material wastage and avoidable overtime.
Ensure the integrity of BOMs, production data, job packs and related master data.
Take accountability for the profitability and financial sustainability of the business.
Manage budgets, forecasts, operating expenditure, gross margin and working-capital performance.
Analyse production and financial data and convert it into practical corrective action.
Identify opportunities for cost optimisation, operational growth and customer diversification.
Prepare and submit accurate monthly executive reports and rolling operational plans.
Present business performance, risks and recovery plans to executive management and the Board where required.
Provide visible, fair and consistent leadership across the operation.
Rebuild trust between employees, supervisors and management through honest communication, follow-through and respectful engagement.
Lead effectively within a unionised environment and maintain constructive relationships with employee representatives and organised labour.
Address conflict and employee concerns diplomatically while maintaining appropriate standards, discipline and accountability.
Develop supervisors and managers, clarify responsibilities and establish measurable performance expectations.
Create a culture in which employees understand the production plan, customer expectations and their contribution to business performance.
Champion the effective use of ERP systems, production data, digital dashboards and management information.
Improve planning accuracy, production visibility, traceability and data-based decision-making.
Drive lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis, standardised work and continuous-improvement initiatives.
Evaluate appropriate automation, equipment and manufacturing technology that will improve quality, capacity and efficiency.
Ensure that system and production data—particularly SAP dates, BOMs, material status and order information—are accurate and actively managed.
Maintain compliance with applicable quality, safety and environmental standards.
Ensure effective internal controls, audit readiness, risk management and statutory compliance.
Promote a zero-harm culture and ensure that operational pressure never compromises safety or product quality.
Maintain disciplined quality controls throughout the manufacturing and testing process.