Operations Manager

Lactalis South Africa; Centurion; On-site; ZAR 800,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading dairy company in South Africa seeks a Plant Manager to oversee operations in Gauteng. The ideal candidate will drive efficiency, manage budgets, and uphold company values with a strong focus on leadership and dairy knowledge. Responsibilities include optimizing production processes, ensuring product quality, and maintaining safety compliance. The role demands significant experience in operations management, specifically within the FMCG sector.

Qualifications

• Minimum experience of 5-10 years in operations management, ideally in FMCG.
• Leadership capability to motivate people to support business objectives.
• Experience and operating knowledge of all plant business units.

Responsibilities

• Compile and manage the annual budget according to company requirements.
• Optimize fixed and overhead costs against demand forecast and production requirements.
• Ensure product quality according to health and quality specifications.

Skills

Operations management

Leadership

Budget management

Continuous improvement

Dairy knowledge

Education

B.Com Degree in management

B.Sc. Food Science Degree

B.Eng. Degree

Tools

ISO systems

HACCP

Job description

Role Purpose

The purpose of the role is to oversee the daily operations of a manufacturing plant and develop strategies to ensure it meets production goals at minimal cost. The performance must be achieved through operational excellence, people leadership, and a continuous improvement-driven mindset with a balanced approach between efficiency results and customer service delivery. Additionally, the achievement of the company’s expectations must be delivered through professional and morally sound work ethics as embedded through Lactalis SA for opportunities in Gauteng and Western Cape.

Requirements

• Minimum experience of 5-10 years in operations management, ideally in FMCG
• Dairy knowledge is essential, critical in structures with a small management team or flat structure, as the Plant Manager is required to make day-to-day product-specific decisions
• B.Com Degree in management plus experience in production or B.Sc. Food Science Degree or B.Eng. Degree plus general management experience
• Leadership capability to motivate people to support business objectives
• Experience and operating knowledge of all plant business units

Duties and Responsibilities

• Compile annual budget (cost and capital) according to company systems requirements
• Forecast, compile, and control the annual budget in line with labour efficiency standards
• Report monthly on budget adherence
• Minimize input costs, raw material usage, and waste
• Minimize costs on product and packaging
• Optimize fixed and overhead costs (labour and energy) against demand forecast and production requirements
• Ensure accuracy of Monitoring Systems
• Ensure accuracy and integrity of information for reports to Corporate
• Maintain product quality according to health and quality specifications
• Ensure conformance to all quality processes
• Ensure functionality of QMS audited by Head Office QA department
• Ensure conformance to safety requirements, e.g., ISO22000
• Compile and manage production plans according to targets
• Ensure adequate maintenance of plant equipment
• Identify systemic variables impeding production efficiency and create plans to address them
• Plan and implement changes for new products with minimal disruption
• Manage projects and deliver according to specifications and budget
• Maintain systems such as ISO, HACCP, Continuous Improvement, TQM, TPM, NOSA, etc.
• Plan annual human resource capacity and development needs
• Instill and develop profit maximization awareness among staff
• Fill vacancies using competency-based recruitment
• Facilitate plant objective setting and performance management
• Review and maintain communication structures and procedures
• Develop pride, discipline, and productivity throughout the plant
• Ensure harmonious relationships across all levels
• Develop Workplace Skills Plans and identify talent for management
• Uphold Lactalis SA values, staff morale, and motivation
• Maintain adherence to EE targets