Production Manager - Montague Gardens, Cape Town

Pedros Chicken; Wes-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Pedro’s Chicken is seeking an experienced Production Manager to oversee poultry production at our Distribution Centre in Cape Town. You will lead end-to-end operations, ensure targets are met safely, and drive food quality and cost efficiency.

The role requires strong leadership, production planning, and knowledge of poultry processing, cold chain and food safety. You will manage a busy team and coordinate maintenance and supplier relations in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Matric/Grade 12 with relevant tertiary qualification in production/operations or food tech.
• Proven experience in poultry, food manufacturing or FMCG environments.
• Strong leadership and people management in a fast-paced setting.
• Experience with production targets, quality standards and safety compliance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement production plans aligned with sales forecasts and distribution requirements.
• Manage daily production activities to meet targets, volumes and deadlines.
• Monitor yields, wastage and variances; implement corrective actions.
• Oversee quality control to maintain food safety standards.
• Manage scheduling, stock levels and raw material requirements.
• Coordinate with suppliers and internal departments for materials availability.
• Lead daily production meetings and communicate targets to the team.
• Coach and develop production staff to improve performance.
• Ensure health, safety and quality compliance across operations.
• Coordinate preventative maintenance to minimise downtime.
• Track performance and identify continuous improvement opportunities.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Production planning

Food safety

Quality control

Budget management

Team coaching

Education

Matric / Grade 12

Tertiary qualification in Production/Operations/Food Technology/Manufacturing

Job description

Production Manager – Poultry

Location: Montague Gardens, Cape Town
Department: Pedro’s Distribution Centre – Poultry Production
Pedro’s is looking for an experienced Production Manager to oversee our poultry production operations within our Distribution Centre.

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the end-to-end production process, ensuring that production targets are achieved safely, efficiently and in line with required food safety, quality, yield and cost standards.

This is a hands‑on operational leadership role suited to someone with strong experience in poultry or food production, who understands production planning, processing equipment, yields, cold chain requirements and the management of production teams in a fast‑paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement production plans aligned with sales forecasts and distribution requirements.

• Manage daily production activities to ensure production targets, volumes and deadlines are achieved.

• Monitor production yields, wastage and variances and implement corrective actions where required.

• Conduct and oversee quality control checks to ensure required product and food safety standards are maintained.

• Manage production scheduling, stock levels and raw material requirements.

• Coordinate with suppliers and internal departments to ensure the timely availability of materials.

• Lead daily production meetings and communicate operational targets and priorities to the team.

• Supervise, coach and develop production employees to improve performance and productivity.

• Manage employee performance, attendance and operational discipline within the production environment.

• Ensure compliance with all health, safety, food safety and quality requirements.

• Conduct routine safety and operational checks and ensure corrective actions are implemented.

• Monitor production equipment and coordinate preventative maintenance and repairs to minimise downtime.

• Track and analyse production performance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

• Prepare production reports and provide regular performance updates to management.

• Manage operational expenses and resources within approved budgets.

• Work closely with Distribution Centre management and other departments to ensure efficient overall operations.

Minimum Requirements

• Matric / Grade 12.

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Production, Operations, Food Technology, Manufacturing or a related field.

• Proven production management experience within a poultry, food manufacturing, food processing or similar FMCG environment.

• Strong leadership and people-management experience.

• Demonstrated experience managing production targets, productivity, quality and operational performance.

Technical Knowledge & Experience

The successful candidate should have strong working knowledge of:

• Poultry production and processing

• Food safety and quality control

• Production and processing equipment

• Health and Safety regulations

• Production planning and scheduling

• Inventory and stock management

• Yield management and wastage control

• Cold chain management

• Production reporting and performance metrics

• Continuous improvement within a production environment

Key Competencies

• Strong leadership and team management

• Effective communication

• Operational problem-solving

• Planning and organisation

• Performance management and coaching

• Conflict resolution

• Attention to quality and detail

• Customer and service orientation

• Ability to make decisions in a fast‑paced operational environment

Key Performance Areas

Success in this role will be measured against:

• Achievement of production and efficiency targets.

• Effective management of yield, wastage and production variances.

• Compliance with food safety, quality, health and safety requirements.

• Successful external and internal audit outcomes.

• Management of operational expenses within budget.

• Equipment utilisation and minimisation of production downtime.

• Continuous improvement of production processes.

• Productivity, performance and development of the production team.

Additional Requirements

• Flexibility to work extended hours when operationally required.

• Comfortable working within a fast‑paced production and Distribution Centre environment.

• Ability to work under pressure while maintaining quality, safety and production standards.

If you have strong poultry or food production experience and enjoy leading teams to deliver safe, efficient and high‑quality production, we would like to hear from you.