Country Manager (Johannesburg South)

SUMMARY:
SENIOR MANAGEMENT VACANCY ALERT

Our client, an international entity, is looking to employ an experienced and business minded Country Manager to their dynamic team, based in Johannesburg (City Deep).

• The Country Manager oversees and is accountable for the factory's performance and its associated Production KPIs.
• This role involves planning, coordinating, organizing, and managing production operations within the facility.
• As a hands-on leader, the Country Manager will actively engage with the team to align corporate objectives and customer requirements with daily production goals.
• The position is tasked with ensuring the factory delivers top-quality products at the lowest possible cost, aiming to meet and surpass customer expectations.

POSITION INFO:

Experience, Qualifications and Requirements:

Essential :

• Higher level qualification is desirable in one of the following areas - finance, engineering or food related discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years Senior Management experience and proven track record as a successful business leader.
• A minimum of ten years manufacturing experience.
• Knowledgeable about food production and manufacturing techniques essential.

• Knowledge of meat manufacturing is desirable.
• Knowledge of engineering and technology principles and practices.
• Extensive experience in people management and problem resolution.
• Knowledge and experience in business, finance, and management principles.
• Experience in various positions in production organizations ranging from small and medium enterprises to multinationals.
• Knowledge of human resource principles and practices.
• Knowledge of process capability and running cost savings projects.
• Experience in direct line management for production, engineering, logistics, quality, and those responsible for delivering targets.
• Familiarity with food production and health and safety standards.
• Sound knowledge of relevant employment legislation.
• Problem-solving techniques, including knowledge of the Pareto analysis principle.
• Involvement in cross-functional projects.
• Experience in handling quality audits and customer visits.
• Extensive internal and external stakeholder engagement and relationship management experience.

• Fully maximise the management teams’ capability through effective leadership, established systems and processes being consistently applied and accurately measured against the business objectives.
• Organisational Effectiveness - Ensuring an effective structure is maintained that can achieve company goals and objectives for the business.
• Drive and promote quality workmanship and continuous improvement in all production processes.
• Ensure effective Leadership and Performance Management of the team providing leadership, mentoring and guidance to the employees within the business.
• Motivating employees to work at peak potential and complete goals and objectives efficiently and effectively.
• Production and Engineering - Ensuring that operating parameters are reviewed daily to ensure food safety, and responsible and cost-effective operations are maintained. Drive equipment process advancements and optimisation in each area of the business.
• Relationship management – Ensure professional relationships are developed and maintained with key stakeholders.
• Financial - Develop and justify annual business operating and capital budgets. Financial discipline and compliance to site budget and customer agreed cost models.
• Maintain the production facility to the highest level GMP and health and safety standards in the industry and ensure that the factory passes industry and customer audits and inspections.
• Delivery of production values and targets utilising KPI tools with specific focus on optimal efficiency and labour rostering to optimise yields, throughput and operational hours.
• Identify and implement project teams to focus on process improvements that deliver real time savings and operational improvements.
• Develop reporting structures and provide coaching and development for key reports, existing staff and new recruits. This involves setting job specifications, individual KPI’s and periodic reviews of an individual’s objectives against actual delivered.
• Ensure consistent adherence to company policies and procedures utilising the relevant policies, legal requirements, quality standards and human resource guidelines.
• Maintain and drive quality and health and safety standards in process, people and product by example, communication and process improvement.
• Contribute to the planning process to optimise run times, changeovers and plan attainment. Ensure that production teams are briefed in the plans and that plans when implemented are fully achievable.
• Chair the daily production meetings with relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure that all reports/documents/financial summaries/accounts necessary to run, measure and plan the business are performed to agreed deadlines and with requisite accuracy.
• Any other ad hoc requirements.