Production Manager

Merand Recruitment; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 300,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in food manufacturing seeks a Production Manager to drive operational excellence. This rôle involves overseeing the bottling process, managing inventory, ensuring compliance with food safety standards, and leading a team to meet production targets. Candidates should have strong experience in the food sector and relevant qualifications to ensure efficient and compliant manufacturing operations.

Benefits

Group Risk & Pension fund

Qualifications

• 3–5 years in food manufacturing environment required.
• 1–2 years experience in production management role necessary.
• Preferred educational background in production management or food technology.

Responsibilities

• Oversee full bottling process and raw material management.
• Ensure target performance on production lines, achieving OTIF service levels.
• Manage variances and waste on production lines.

Skills

Knowledge of food safety standards

Experience with ERP systems

Production and inventory control processes

Problem resolution

Education

National Certificate in Food Production

National Diploma in Production Management

Grade 12

Tools

Syspro

Job description

As the Production Manager, you will be a pivotal force in driving operational excellence, overseeing the full bottling process and raw material management to ensure seamless, safe, and cost-effective manufacturing. Central to this role is demand planning—aligning production with sales forecasts and inventory needs to prevent shortages or excess. Through strategic coordination across procurement, planning, logistics, and quality, the Production Manager ensures efficient resource use, minimal downtime, and strict adherence to quality, food safety, and health standards, ultimately securing timely delivery and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities :

Operational Performance

• Ensure target performance on production lines.
• Effective scheduling of production lines to ensure demand is met OTIF (Service Level of 95%).
• Maintain and analyze production reports.

Stock Control

• Monthly reporting on variances.
• Ensure inventory accuracy.
• Minimize stock excess cover and shortages.

Cost Management

• Manage variances and waste on production lines.
• Cost-effective personnel scheduling.
• Ensure financial controls are in place to match actual spend vs budget.

Quality & EHS

• Ensure department compliance with governance, audit, and risk standards.
• Maintain audit certifications.
• Ensure production remains in compliance with all OSHA regulations.
• Maintain accurate traceability throughout the production process.
• Ensure compliance with all food safety regulations.

Personnel Management

• Motivate, develop, and coach employees.
• Handle HR functions such as leave approvals.
• Manage discipline and performance of reporting personnel.
• Recruit staff.
• Manage job descriptions and KPIs of reporting staff.

Functional Competence, Skills, and Knowledge:

• Knowledge of food safety standards (e.g., FSSC 22000, HACCP).
• Experience with ERP systems (Syspro preferred).
• Exposure to production and raw material/inventory control processes.
• Assist with production planning, shift handovers, and problem resolution.

Behavioral Competencies :

• Ownership of outcomes, following through consistently.
• Focus on quality, hygiene, and compliance.
• Remain calm and solutions-focused during breakdowns or delays.
• Build trust, communicate clearly, delegate effectively, and manage performance fairly.
• Respond quickly to production issues with practical, long-term solutions.
• Adapt to shifting demands and disruptions.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure smooth operations.
• Knowledge of modern manufacturing principles.
• Ability to build high-performance teams.
• Self-motivated with high personal discipline.

Education:

• Grade 12
• Minimum: NQF Level 4 or National Certificate in Food Production, Operations, or Industrial Engineering.
• Preferred: Currently studying or recently completed a National Diploma in Production Management, Food Technology, or similar.

Experience :

• 3–5 years in a food manufacturing environment.
• 1–2 years in a production management role.

Benefits : Group Risk & Pension fund

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.