Operations Executive

AVI Limited; Pinetown; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

AVI Limited is seeking a transformational 'Operations Executive' to lead one of its manufacturing sites. The role involves strategic leadership in a food manufacturing environment, focusing on operational excellence, team development, and sustainability initiatives. Candidates must have extensive experience in food production and a strong educational background in engineering or food sciences.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of leadership experience in food manufacturing or FMCG.
• Experience in leading large-scale factory operations.
• Proficient in safety and quality compliance.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across manufacturing operations.
• Oversee production, quality assurance, and cost control.
• Drive efficiency and culture of continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Continuous Improvement

Operational Excellence

Project Management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or Chemical) or Food Sciences

Business-related post-graduate qualification (e.g. MBA, MBL, or Supply Chain Leadership)

Job description

National Brands Limited (NBL), a proudly South African company and a division of AVI Limited, has been at the heart of the nation’s biscuit tradition for over 170 years. Our world-class facilities in Isando and Westmead, manufacture some of the country’s most iconic and loved products – from the nostalgic Bakers Tennis and Blue Label Marie biscuits to the ever-popular Choice Assorted.

We’re not just making biscuits – we’re creating moments of joy that bring families and communities together. At NBL, we combine tradition with innovation, excellence with humility, and purpose with passion.

If you're a seasoned manufacturing leader with deep experience in food production, passionate about people, operational excellence, and innovation – this is your opportunity to make your mark.

The Role

As the Operations Executive, you will take full accountability for one of our manufacturing sites, leading the plant’s leadership team to deliver on strategic objectives across safety, quality, cost, people, and performance. You will act as a key enabler of NBL’s broader supply chain strategy and play a critical role in driving the next chapter of sustainable growth and innovation in the organisation.

This is not just a management role – it’s a leadership mandate. We are looking for a transformational leader who can inspire teams, challenge the status quo, and deliver tangible business results, all while upholding the integrity and values of our beloved brands.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across manufacturing operations, ensuring alignment with business goals, values, and long-term objectives.
• Oversee end-to-end site performance, including production, safety, quality assurance, maintenance, and cost control.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, operational excellence, and innovation through world-class manufacturing practices (WCM, Lean, Six Sigma).
• Ensure robust risk management, food safety, and compliance standards are embedded and sustained.
• Lead and develop a strong, engaged, and capable site leadership team, fostering a high-performance culture.
• Drive efficiency, flexibility, and agility in response to a fast-paced, demand-driven FMCG environment.
• Oversee the successful implementation of capital projects, sustainability initiatives, and technological upgrades.
• Serve as a key contributor to the broader supply chain executive team, shaping cross-functional priorities and strategy.
  
  

What You Bring

• A minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience in food manufacturing or a related FMCG environment, ideally in complex, high-volume operations.
• Demonstrated experience in leading large-scale factory operations, with a track record of delivering sustained improvements in performance, cost, quality, and team engagement.
• Deep understanding of processing, high-speed packaging, and production planning systems.
• Strong grasp of industrial relations and experience managing within a unionised workforce.
• Proficiency in applying regulatory, safety, and quality compliance
• Excellent cross-functional business acumen, with the ability to collaborate effectively with Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, HR, R&D, Marketing, and Finance.
  
  

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or Chemical) or Food Sciences is essential.
• A business-related post-graduate qualification (e.g. MBA, MBL, or Supply Chain Leadership) is highly advantageous.
  
  

What Sets You Apart

• Visionary leadership with strong operational discipline.
• A collaborative and empowering leadership style – “firm but fair”.
• High emotional intelligence and the ability to inspire, influence, and develop others.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to execute flawlessly under pressure.
• Courage to innovate, challenge legacy thinking, and drive cultural change.
  
  

Why NBL?

When you join National Brands, you become part of a purpose-driven organisation that values trust, excellence, innovation, and long-term impact. We don’t just produce biscuits – we produce moments of joy, and we do so by investing in our people and our processes.

If you’re looking for a role that will stretch, inspire, and reward you – and where you can see the results of your work on shelves across South Africa – then NBL is where you belong.