Queenstown: Production Cheese Supervisor

Job Responsibilities: Operational Leadership: Manage all production activities within the slice-on-slice department, including planning, scheduling and daily output performance Lead Team Leaders and a total workforce of ±15 employees ensuring effective manpower utilisation. Maintain strict adherence to daily production targets, efficiency standards and customer specifications Food Safety & Quality Compliance: Ensure full compliance with FSSC 22000 (V6), internal policies and regulatory requirements Monitor CCPs, hygiene standards, allergen controls and GMP compliance Lead and support internal and external audits and ensure 100% audit readiness at all times Performance & Cost Control: Drive yield optimisation, material control, waste reduction and cost efficiency Analyse and report departmental KPIs, variances and corrective actions Implement continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity and reduce downtime People Management & Development: Provide clear leadership, coaching and performance management of team leaders and production staff Ensure skills development, adherence to SOPs and compliance with company policies and safety procedures Maintain a high-performance and disciplined culture within the department Job Requirements: Grade 12 / Matric / Equivalent. Minimum 5 years experience in processed cheese manufacturing, including supervisory experience Extensive technical experience in slice-on-slice cheese production (non-negotiable) Relevant qualification in Food Technology, Dairy Processing, or equivalent: Minimum NQF 4 required and NQF 5 and further dairy certifications advantageous In-depth understanding of FSSC 22000 version 6 including implementation and audit readiness Strong working knowledge of high care manufacturing environments and HACCP Principles Proven track record in managing production KPIs including yield waste, quality and efficiency