Operations Director

Pillango Placements; Centurion; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Pillango Placements supports an expanding FMCG manufacturing and wholesale business in Centurion seeking an Operations Director to own end-to-end operations, from production to distribution, quality and financial stewardship.

The role drives capacity planning, supplier management and a scalable operations team, with a strong emphasis on performance, safety and regulatory compliance. Excellent Afrikaans and English communication are essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years of senior operations leadership experience.
• Experience in FMCG, manufacturing, wholesale distribution or high-volume environments.
• Proven ability to manage inventory, procurement, supply planning and production capacity.
• Strong commercial and financial understanding including budgets and margins.
• Experience scaling operations during growth.
• Knowledge of quality, safety and regulatory requirements.
• Strong supplier negotiation and stakeholder management.
• Fully bilingual in Afrikaans and English.
• High achiever with standout track record.

Responsibilities

• Take overall responsibility for production, supply chain, procurement, inventory, warehousing and distribution.
• Ensure stock availability and maintain appropriate reorder levels and safety stock.
• Build accurate demand forecasts with sales and finance to prevent shortages and missed customer orders.
• Plan production capacity, staffing and equipment requirements as volumes grow.
• Improve output, efficiency, equipment uptime and operational throughput.
• Manage key suppliers, logistics partners and comercial agreements.
• Build a resilient supply chain with alternative suppliers and contingency plans.
• Ensure wholesale and FMCG orders are delivered on time and in full (OTIF).
• Oversee equipment procurement, maintenance, repairs, spare parts and service turnaround.
• Maintain strong quality, traceability, safety and regulatory standards.
• Own the operations budget, cost control, margin performance and capital planning.
• Build and lead a strong operations team with clear accountability and measurable performance.

Skills

5+ years ops leadership

FMCG/high-volume

inventory & procurement

budgeting & margins

quality & safety

supplier negotiations

Afrikaans & English

high achiever

Education

tertiary qualification

MBA advantageous

Job description

A growing FMCG manufacturing and wholesale business is looking for an exceptional Operations Director to take ownership of its end-to-end operational performance.

he position covers production, procurement, inventory, warehousing, distribution, equipment support, quality and operational finance.

The successful candidate will work closely with executive leadership and will have significant influence over capacity planning, investment and future growth.

Duties / Key Responsibilities

• Take overall responsibility for production, supply chain, procurement, inventory, warehousing and distribution.
• Ensure stock availability and maintain appropriate reorder levels and safety stock.
• Build accurate demand forecasts with sales and finance to prevent shortages and missed customer orders.
• Plan production capacity, staffing and equipment requirements as volumes grow.
• Improve output, efficiency, equipment uptime and operational throughput.
• Manage key suppliers, logistics partners and commercial agreements.
• Build a resilient supply chain with alternative suppliers and contingency plans.
• Ensure wholesale and FMCG orders are delivered on time and in full (OTIF).
• Oversee equipment procurement, maintenance, repairs, spare parts and service turnaround.
• Maintain strong quality, traceability, safety and regulatory standards.
• Own the operations budget, cost control, margin performance and capital planning.
• Build and lead a strong operations team with clear accountability and measurable performance.

Requirements

• Minimum 5+ years' senior operations leadership experience.
• Strong background in FMCG, manufacturing, wholesale distribution or a similar high-volume environment.
• Proven experience managing inventory, procurement, supply planning and production capacity.
• Strong commercial and financial understanding, including budgets, margins, COGS and capital expenditure.
• Experience improving operational performance and scaling an operation during growth.
• Good knowledge of quality, safety and compliance requirements.
• Strong supplier negotiation and stakeholder management ability.
• Fully bilingual in Afrikaans and English.
• Must be a high achiever with a track record that clearly stands out from peers.

Education

• A completed tertiary qualification is essential.
• A relevant professional designation and/or MBA will be highly advantageous.

Soft Skills

• Highly driven, organised and commercially aware.
• Strong leader who sets high standards and follows through.
• Comfortable making decisions and taking ownership.
• Able to anticipate operational risks rather than simply react to them.
• Clear communicator who works well across sales, finance, suppliers and executive leadership.
• Analytical, practical and focused on measurable results.

Salary

The salary is open for discussion. It will be market related based on qualifications, skills, and experience.