Production Manager

Objective Personnel; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 480,000 - 720,000; Full time

Job summary

Objective Personnel is seeking an experienced manufacturing operations professional in Midrand, Gauteng. The role focuses on planning, scheduling and supervising production to meet forecast demand while ensuring compliance with food safety protocols and quality standards.

The candidate should have a relevant qualification and at least 5 years in manufacturing, with 2 years in a supervisory or management capacity. Strong knowledge of GMP, allergen controls, FIFO, and cost analysis is essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in manufacturing or production operations, including two years in a supervisory or management role; food manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Technical knowledge of production planning, GMP and food-safety systems, allergen controls, FIFO, OHS, SOPs, root-cause analysis, calibration and maintenance coordination.
• Competent in production documentation, KPI reporting, cost analysis and Microsoft Office.

Responsibilities

• Plan and schedule production against forecast demand; sequence allergen, GMO, Halaal and Kosher work correctly; communicate delays, shortages and plan changes promptly.
• Ensure accurate weighing and blending using approved equipment and readable formulation sheets; label all materials and products correctly; rework approved overruns and rejects.
• Enforce food-safety protocols, cleaning SOPs, clean-as-you-go practices, FIFO, specifications and quality standards; address non-conformances and identified gaps.
• Review production costs and resource use; identify waste and cost drivers; implement practical actions that improve capacity, efficiency and profitability.
• Set goals, allocate work, provide direction, manage leave, discipline and performance, resolve conflict, build accountability and complete quarterly KPIs.
• Provide on-the-job training, upskill team members and retain training material and signed registers.
• Keep equipment and apparatus serviceable; arrange prompt repairs and routine calibration; maintain an inventory, location and maintenance-history register.
• Store and label dangerous, allergenic and GMO materials per SOP and SDS requirements; enforce PPE, OHS, housekeeping, document control and intellectual-property rules.
• Report departmental metrics; acknowledge queries, provide timelines and updates, solve problems or escalat, and route cross-functional requests appropriately.

Skills

Supervisory / management experience

Root-cause analysis

Communication

Cost analysis

Education

Diploma or Degree in Production / Operations Management, Food Technology, Food Science, Engineering or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Qualification

• Relevant Diploma or Degree in Production / Operations Management, Food Technology, Food Science, Engineering or related field.

Requirements

• Minimum 5 years in manufacturing or production operations, including two years in a supervisory or management role; food manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Technical knowledge of production planning, GMP and food-safety systems, allergen controls, FIFO, OHS, SOPs, root-cause analysis, calibration and maintenance coordination.
• Competent in production documentation, KPI reporting, cost analysis and Microsoft Office.

Duties

• Plan and schedule production against forecast demand; sequence allergen, GMO, Halaal and Kosher work correctly; communicate delays, shortages and plan changes promptly.
• Ensure accurate weighing and blending using approved equipment and readable formulation sheets; label all materials and products correctly; rework approved overruns and rejects.
• Enforce food-safety protocols, cleaning SOPs, clean-as-you-go practices, FIFO, specifications and quality standards; address non-conformances and identified gaps.
• Review production costs and resource use; identify waste and cost drivers; implement practical actions that improve capacity, efficiency and profitability.
• Set goals, allocate work, provide direction, manage leave, discipline and performance, resolve conflict, build accountability and complete quarterly KPIs.
• Provide on-the-job training, upskill team members and retain training material and signed registers.
• Keep equipment and apparatus serviceable; arrange prompt repairs and routine calibration; maintain an inventory, location and maintenance-history register.
• Store and label dangerous, allergenic and GMO materials per SOP and SDS requirements; enforce PPE, OHS, housekeeping, document control and intellectual-property rules.
• Report departmental metrics; acknowledge queries, provide timelines and updates, solve problems or escalat, and route cross-functional requests appropriately.