Manufacturing Manager

Nurture Brands; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 450,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food manufacturing company is seeking a Manufacturing Manager to oversee all production, maintenance, and continuous improvement activities. The ideal candidate will drive operational excellence, ensure compliance with safety and quality standards, and foster a high-performance culture among teams. This role requires strong leadership skills and experience in food manufacturing operations.

Qualifications

• Hands-on leader with a passion for driving operational excellence in food manufacturing.
• Experience in leading manufacturing operations and compliance with quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily manufacturing operations across various production areas.
• Ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP, FSSC22000, and internal SOPs.
• Align production with sales forecasts to meet demand.
• Oversee packaging and product compliance to standards.
• Manage preventative maintenance programs to reduce downtime.

Job description

Are you a hands-on leader with a passion for driving operational excellence in food manufacturing? Meze Foods is seeking a dynamic Manufacturing Manager to oversee all production, maintenance, and continuous improvement activities across our facility.

This is a high-impact role focused on achieving excellence in safety, quality, efficiency, cost control, and team development. You’ll work closely with production teams on the ground, ensuring smooth operations, accurate reporting, and ongoing improvement.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead daily manufacturing operations across High Risk, Labelling, Cheese, Kitchen, Bakery, and Maintenance.
2. Ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP, FSSC22000, customer specifications, and internal SOPs.
3. Align production with sales forecasts to minimise shortages and meet demand.
4. Oversee packaging and product compliance to quality and food safety standards.
5. Manage preventative maintenance programmes and reduce downtime in collaboration with the Maintenance Manager.
6. Drive a high-performance culture through team leadership, development, and engagement.
7. Monitor material usage, reduce waste, and manage monthly stock counts.
8. Support budget planning and lead cost-saving initiatives.
9. Report on key operational metrics: productivity, waste, quality, maintenance.
10. Manage and optimise annual operational and CAPEX budgets.