South Africa: PRODUCTION MANAGER PREFORM AND CLOSURE PLANT DEPARTMENT posted by BevCo

PRODUCTION MANAGER

PREFORM AND CLOSURE PLANT DEPARTMENT

Manufacturing

Job Overview

Accountable for the full operational leadership of the high-speed Preform and Closure manufacturing plant. Plan, organising, directing and running optimum day-to-day operations, while increasing production, asset capacity and flexibility and minimising costs and maintaining current quality standards Focus on injection-moulded PET preforms and plastic closures, driving Lean excellence, safety, quality and profitability.

Job Purpose

Lead overall manufacturing platics operations, ensuring optimal production efficiency, quality control, cost effectiveness, and timely delivery. Manage, lead and support the team so that manufacturing, quality and maintenance targets are achieved in the most cost-effective and efficient manner.

Key Accountabilities and Outputs

• Operational Leardership: Oversee all manufacturing activities including preform- and closure production, quality assurance, planned and autonomous maintenance, and plant logistics. Develop and communicate an annual business plan and implementation strategies to achieve operational goals, production targets, capacity expansion and business growth.
• Continuous Improvement & Efficiency: Drive continuous improvement through Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma, TPM and performance improvement projects. Enhance productivity, increase asset capacity and flexibility, reduce wastage/scrap, optimise machine and manpower utilisation, and improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) while minimising costs.

• Quality, Compliance & Safety: Ensure strict adherence to ISO standards (9001, 22000/FSSC 22000), EHS norms, SHEQ practices, food safety/hygiene and all statutory requirements. Maintain product quality, reduce defects, ensure full traceability, conduct root-cause analysis and deliver customer satisfaction. Commit to plant safety procedures and foster a zero-harm culture.

• Cost & Budget Management: Formulate, manage and control operational budgets. Monitor and control raw material (PET resin, masterbatch, additives) consumption, power/fuel usage, overtime and variances. Identify and implement cost-saving initiatives to achieve or exceed profitability targets while optimising resources.

• People Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, develop and motivate the production team (supervisors, technicians, operators). Build a high-performance, accountable and safety-first culture. Ensure effective manpower planning. Share a trusting relationship with the team and hold people accountable.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Delivery: Collaborate with Sales, Supply Chain, R&D, Quality, Finance and Engineering teams for seamless operations, accurate demand forecasting, new product introductions and timely delivery of preforms and closures to bottling lines. Monitor operations, trigger corrective actions and ensure on-time shipping and customer expectations are exceeded.

• Additional responsibilities: Active monitoring and tracking of KPIs with regular feedback and gap closure. Partnering with Quality and Maintenance for permanent root-cause elimination. Leading daily shift meetings, line walkabouts and post-breakdown reviews. Implementing systems that track and optimise productivity, standards and return on assets.

 Adherence to the Quality, Food Safety, Health, Safety and Environmental Standards

• Enforce health, safety, and environmental protocols in utility operations, including handlingof hazardous materials like CO2. Conduct risk assessments, ensure compliance with local regulations (e.g., OSHA equivalents), and participate in audits.
• Adherence to Standards: Ensure strict adherence to Quality, Food, Health, Safety and Environmental policies and standards.
• Enforcement: Enforce all food safety and health regulations, policies, and requirements at all times to guarantee a secure work environment.
• Personal Hygiene: Maintain exceptional personal hygiene as per the organization’s code of conduct.
• Contamination Control: Raise awareness about potential physical product contamination and implement control measures to prevent it.
• Health and Safety Measures: Take reasonable precautions to prevent health and safety hazards. Follow the prescribed incident reporting procedure in case of accidents.
• Knowledge and Compliance: Stay updated with relevant business information, policies, processes, and procedures. Enforce compliance with legislative and statutory requirements, as well as GMP’s (Good Manufacturing Practices).
• Training: Attend and enforce the implementation of learnings from training sessions related to Quality, Food Safety, and Health and Safety.
• Housekeeping: Maintain high levels of cleanliness and orderliness within the work environment.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (BSc / BTech / National Diploma) in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field (essential.
• Post-graduate qualification or certification in Operations Management, Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt) or Production Management is an advantage.
• Minimum 8–10 years’ progressive experience in manufacturing, with at least 5 years in a senior production/plant leadership role. 
• Proven track record in PET preform and/or plastic closure manufacturing (high-cavitation injection moulding) within the beverage/FMCG industry is strongly preferred.
• Experience in high-speed packaging or plastics processing (Husky, Netstal, Engel or equivalent equipment) is essential.
• Computer literacy (ERP systems, MS Office, production reporting tools).

Key Qualities

• Leadership & People Management – Ability to create accountability, lead by example, develop high-performing teams and foster teamwork.
• Strategic & Operational Excellence – Bias for action, strategic agility, problem-solving, root-cause analysis and data-driven decision making.
• Technical Expertise – Deep knowledge of injection moulding processes, polymer behaviour, tooling, troubleshooting, autonomous maintenance and high-speed production lines.
• Process & Performance Improvement – Hands-on mastery of Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma, TPM, OEE, 5S and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Cost & Business Acumen – Strong focus on budgeting, variance control, resource optimisation and delivering profitability.
• Safety, Quality & Compliance Mindset – Passion for zero-harm, zero-defect and full regulatory adherence.
• Communication & Collaboration – Excellent interpersonal, stakeholder engagement and cross-functional influencing skills at all levels.
• Resilience & Adaptability – Ability to thrive in a 24/7 fast-paced manufacturing environment, manage ambiguity and drive change.