Durban: Technical Services Manager posted by Tongaat

Systems Management: Information Systems & Reporting:

• Lead and maintain ISO 14000/45000, FSSC, GMP, and environmental systems; ensure alignment with legislation including NEMA, NWA, and food safety acts.
• Oversee technical reporting and data accuracy; manage refinery quality databases and historian systems.
• Provide detailed management reports regarding quality and environmental non-conformances.
• Integrate AI into refinery’s quality management data sets to ensure accessible and real-time information.

Quality Management:

• Lead the overall quality management strategy for the refinery – this includes both systems and culture management.
• Optimise operational excellence through a focus on quality at the source and through operational staff across the refinery.
• Manage supplier technical development to ensure raw material quality is maintained and optimised.
• Facilitate market and consumer feedback to engage relevant site departments and teams in pursuing continuous improvement plans.
• Ensure the laboratory function is adequately resourced and capable of providing real-time information and support to operations teams.
• Set up training and development initiatives and a quality internal audit function to ensure operational excellence at a shop floor level.

Strategic Environmental Management:

• Develop appropriate strategies to guide refinery operations towards compliance with both local and national environmental laws.
• Set up programmes and projects to ensure a continuous improvement approach is adopted for all waste streams.
• Collaborate cross-functionally across the refinery, the group, and external stakeholders to find innovative and sustainable solutions for emerging environmental changes in legislation.
• Provide team leadership on key aspects of sustainability, including water, effluent, emissions, and waste management – all of which must be aligned with relevant environmental acts.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Facilitate community forums, customer audits, and liaise with regulatory bodies.
• Establish effective working relationships with local authorities and regulatory bodies to ensure a smooth workflow in achieving technical, environmental, and quality objectives.
• Build effective relationships with all key raw material suppliers to the refinery to minimise and eliminate quality risks to Tongaat Huletts’ supply chain.
• Develop effective working relationships with all customers to ensure technical support is available, thus enhancing our product offering and after-service support.

Compliance Monitoring:

• Enforce standards for trade metrology, food safety, environmental laws, and licencing.

Leadership and Management Control:

• Guide strategic decision-making, manage performance, coach teams, and oversee recruitment and training.
• Manage and upskill direct reports within the quality teams to ensure all systems and service delivery to relevant production teams are of an exceptional standard.
• Effectively manage IR/union employees to ensure a healthy culture and workplace environment.

Financial Oversight:

• Prepare and monitor budgets for capital and operational expenditures; approve expenditures and project costs.
• Effectively manage overtime, compliments, and employee productivity.

• BSc or BTech in Computing, Operations Management, Chemical Engineering, or Environmental Management (MBA advantageous).
• Minimum 10 years of experience in plant engineering, refining and packaging, and compliance management.
• Strong analytical, strategic, and leadership capabilities.
• Proficient in SAP, data systems, and automation.
• Valid driver’s licence.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ethical and professional maturity.
• Attention to detail and problem-solving ability.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive continuous improvement.