Nelspruit: Section Head – Food Processing – Nelspruit – equity preferred

Section Head Processing Position Purpose Statement Leadership: Ability to lead, motivate, and develop high-performing production teams. Operational Excellence: Ability to plan, schedule, and execute operations efficiently and effectively. Quality Assurance: Commitment to maintaining high product quality standards. Problem-solving: Ability to identify and resolve operational issues quickly and effectively. Continuous Improvement: Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity and efficiency, including CAPEX project implementation. Primary Responsibilities and Accountabilities Lead processing activities: Plan, schedule, and monitor all activities, ensuring timely and efficient processing of raw material, while maximizing potential revenue of kernel. Manage resources, including labour, equipment, and materials, to optimize productivity and minimize costs. Monitor performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) such as output, efficiency, and quality. Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency, reduce waste, and improve overall performance of area. Quality Control: Implement and maintain quality control procedures throughout the production process, ensuring compliance with industry standards and customer specifications. Conduct regular quality checks and implement corrective actions and disciplinary measures when deviations are found. Raw Material Management: Implement and maintain inventory tracking systems to monitor kernel stock levels and identify potential shortages or surpluses, FIFO principles to apply. Monitor and managed inventory levels of processed kernel, work-in-progress and re-works to ensure efficient operations. Team Leadership and Development: Supervise and motivate production teams to achieve production targets and maintain high levels of productivity and quality. Provide training and development opportunities to enhance employee skills and knowledge. Foster a safe and productive work environment by enforcing safety regulations and promoting best practices. Address employee concerns and resolve any conflicts that may arise within the production team Continuous Improvement: Stay abreast of industry best practices and new technologies in production and manufacturing. Continuously seek opportunities to improve production processes, reduce costs, and enhance overall operational efficiency. Participate in CAPEX planning and decision-making related to area Incident Investigation: Lead investigations into workplace incidents, analyzing root causes and implementing corrective and preventive actions. Conduct product related complaint investigations and rout cause analyses, applicable to your area of responsibility, in collaboration with QA. Qualifications and skills Education: Minimum of Bachelors degree or Diploma either in food sciences, food technology, manufacturing, engineering, sciences, or in a similar discipline is preferred. Alternatively, demonstratively sufficient experience in similar roles, with a strong track record of exceeding performance standards. Experience 3- 5 years junior managerial or team lead experience – Knowledge and Experience in Production or Manufacturing Processes and Techniques Knowledge of Quality Systems and Standards, i.e. HACCP and BRC Knowledge of Health and Safety Standards and Compliance Proficiency in lean manufacturing principles and techniques (preferred) Knowledge of Human Resources Principles and Practices Skills and competencies Understanding Food Safety standards and compliance requirements Ability to interpret, implement and adhere to policies, processes and objectives Excellent analytical problem-solving and decision-making skills Understanding of production planning, scheduling and control principles Strong communication, interpersonal and leadership skills. Operating Environment Economic and environmental aspects New government regulations (labor, consumer protection act, etc.) Compliance to Company procedures & regulations Time pressures Changing reporting requirements Labor/management regulations Multiple business functions and disciplines Continuous change and drive for excellence High value and sensitive product Stakeholders across various functions and organizational levels Salary – Market related