Job Description

Key Responsibilities  

Operational and production leadership

• Assume full accountability for the day-to-day performance of the manufacturing operation
• Translate customer demand and forecasts into credible production, labour, material and capacity plans
• Ensure effective production scheduling, line balancing, workflow management and allocation of resources
• Drive output, productivity, quality, OTIF delivery and cost-per-unit performance
• Identify and resolve production bottlenecks, material shortages, equipment constraints and process inefficiencies
• Reduce scrap, rework, wire recuts, material wastage and avoidable overtime
• Ensure the integrity of BOMs, production data, job packs and related master data
• Maintain effective coordination between Production, Engineering, Planning, Quality, Stores, Procurement, Customer Service, Finance and HR

Commercial and financial management

• Take accountability for the profitability and financial sustainability of the business
• Manage budgets, forecasts, operating expenditure, gross margin and working-capital performance
• Analyse production and financial data and convert it into practical corrective action
• Identify opportunities for cost optimisation, operational growth and customer diversification
• Prepare and submit accurate monthly executive reports and rolling operational plans
• Present business performance, risks and recovery plans to executive management and the Board where required

People leadership and employee relations

• Provide visible, fair and consistent leadership across the operation
• Rebuild trust between employees, supervisors and management through honest communication, follow-through and respectful engagement
• Lead effectively within a unionised environment and maintain constructive relationships with employee representatives and organised labour
• Address conflict and employee concerns diplomatically while maintaining appropriate standards, discipline and accountability
• Develop supervisors and managers, clarify responsibilities and establish measurable performance expectations
• Create a culture in which employees understand the production plan, customer expectations and their contribution to business performance

Technology and continuous improvement

• Champion the effective use of ERP systems, production data, digital dashboards and management information
• Improve planning accuracy, production visibility, traceability and data-based decision-making
• Drive lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis, standardised work and continuous-improvement initiatives
• Evaluate appropriate automation, equipment and manufacturing technology that will improve quality, capacity and efficiency
• Ensure that system and production data—particularly SAP dates, BOMs, material status and order information—are accurate and actively managed

Quality, safety and governance

• Maintain compliance with applicable quality, safety and environmental standards
• Ensure effective internal controls, audit readiness, risk management and statutory compliance
• Promote a zero-harm culture and ensure that operational pressure never compromises safety or product quality
• Maintain disciplined quality controls throughout the manufacturing and testing process

The successful candidate should be:

• Diplomatic, emotionally intelligent and credible
• Decisive without being authoritarian
• Fair, consistent and accountable
• Technologically confident and data-driven
• Commercially astute and financially disciplined
• Structured, resilient and calm under pressure
• A strong communicator across production-floor, customer, union and Board environments
• Capable of stabilising an operation while building its longer-term capability

Key Performance Areas

• Gross margin performance
• Operating costs against budget
• On-time and in-full delivery
• Production quality, scrap and rework
• Labour productivity and overtime control
• Rolling production and capacity planning
• Supervisor and management performance
• Customer satisfaction and recovery-plan execution
• Safety, audit and governance compliance
• Employee engagement and labour-relations stability
• Timely and accurate executive reporting

Requirements 

• A relevant bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Production Management, Business Management or a related discipline would be highly advantageous
• At least 10 years’ experience in manufacturing, with a minimum of five years in a senior operations, plant, factory or general-management position
• Demonstrable understanding of production-line management, production planning, materials management, quality systems and supply-chain coordination
• Proven responsibility for budgets, margins, costs, forecasts and operational performance
• Strong working knowledge of ERP/MRP systems. SAP and Qliksense exposure would be advantageous
• Experience using production data, dashboards and digital reporting tools to manage performance
• Sound understanding of lean manufacturing, root-cause analysis and continuous improvement
• Experience leading employees in a unionised manufacturing environment
• Willingness to be highly visible and actively involved on the production floor
• If you are a progressive manufacturing leader who can combine operational discipline with strong, human-centred leadership, we invite you to apply