Operations Manager

Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for operational efficiency and high-impact leadership? We are looking for an accomplished Operations Manager to take charge of our supply-side operations and elevate performance to new heights. This is more than a job—it’s an opportunity to lead a dynamic environment where excellence, innovation, and global collaboration meet.

Based in Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal, the Operations Manager will be responsible for organizing and overseeing the daily supply-side operations of our business. Your mission: to ensure our procedures are efficient, our people are empowered, and our products deliver exceptional value to our customers—cost-effectively and consistently.

This role operates at the Executive level, working in close partnership with our Commercial, Finance and HR leaders, and engaging with our global counterparts to align practices and performance standards. You will plan and oversee a wide range of operational activities, identify the most efficient ways to run our operations, and drive continuous improvement with a relentless focus on productivity (OEE) and cost reduction.

As an Operations Manager, you will live our internal mantra of collaboration, respect, openness, clear communication and it goes without saying . . . fulfilling our business goals.

 

A guideline of you daily tasks will include:

Operational Effectiveness and Productivity Improvements

• Ensure all operations are carried on in an appropriate, cost-effective way
• Improve operational management systems, processes and best practices
• Plan and monitor the day-to-day running of (supply side) business to ensure smooth progress
• Evaluate regularly the efficiency of business procedures according to organizational objectives and apply improvements
• Evaluate overall performance by gathering, analysing and interpreting data and metrics
• Actively design and implement necessary strategies to deliver OEE targets to global expectations (Uptime; Waste; Seconds; Machine Efficiency)
• Find ways to increase quality of customer service
• Liaise with superior to make decisions for operational activities and set strategic goals
• Design and implement business strategies, plans and procedures
• Formulate strategic and operational objectives

Communication

• Write and submit reports to the Managing Director in all matters of importance
• Present Feedback at Staff Meetings
• Travel, and meet customers as appropriate: to reinforce the activities of the “Demand Side” team

Leadership/Personnel

• Supervise staff from different departments and provide constructive feedback
• Lead employees to encourage maximum performance and dedication
• Set comprehensive goals for performance and growth
• Recruit, train and supervise staff
• Perform quality controls and monitor production KPIs

Financial Awareness and sensitivity

• Review financial information and adjust operational budgets to promote profitability
• Manage and optimize budgeting and forecasting

Procurement

• Manage procurement processes and coordinate material and resources allocation
• Manage relationships/agreements with external partners/vendors
• Purchase materials, plan inventory

 

Business Expansion

• Participate in expansion activities (investments, acquisitions, corporate alliances etc.)
• Understanding of government funding and/or investment programs and incentives

Planning

• Effect improvements in the Planning Processes; improve visibility, optimize production processes;
• Support global alignment around planning processes
• Actively oversee the quality of system data, in order to optimize costing and planning process

Warehousing and Logistics (Inbound and Outbound)

• Oversee warehousing and logistics efficiency and cost
• Develop and activate strategies to optimize the Working Capital tied up in raw materials and finished goods (and specifically Slow Moving Stock)

Quality (HSEQ)

• Implementing and maintaining a high standard of quality processes and system
• Overseeing external Quality Audits

R&D – Product Development

• Ensuring a standard robust approach to product development and post development review process is followed and maintained

Engineering and Maintenance

• Ensuring optimum levels of uptime are maintained across all Production Equipment
• Following a Preventative maintenance approach
• Maintain equipment in world class condition

Laboratories

• Maintain Laboratory equipment to optimum condition (including calibrations) and standards
• Quality processes are always followed and records maintained

Facilities and Asset Management

• Overall responsibility for all facilities of the business
• Ownership of assets (Buildings and Production equipment) and safeguarding thereof

 

Qualifications and Experience

 

• Educationally, BEng(Mech) or BEng(Elect);  
• Ability to operate seamlessly across a diverse range of activities, looking at the “entire system” to unlock opportunities for value creation
• Demonstrable competency in strategic planning and business development
• Aptitude in decision-making
• Aptitude in resourceful problem-solving, using a “System’s Thinking” and “Critical Thinking” Approach
• Working knowledge of data analysis and performance/operation metrics
• Working knowledge of IT/Business infrastructure (XAL / AX an advantage)
• Experience and understanding of Item/Product costing and inventory valuation
• Advanced knowledge of MS Office essential, particularly MS Excel and MS Project
• Proven experience as an Operations Manager/Executive or equivalent position
• Working knowledge of mechanical and electrical production equipment
• Experience in Product Development Process
• Experience with dealing with Unions and Bargaining councils

 

Our ideal candidate

 

You possess outstanding leadership and organisational abilities, with a high standard of work ethics. Your ability to interact with customers and other stakeholders to convey technical and product input will stand you in good stead. Teamwork is important to you and you draw on the strengths and liaise daily with other members of the Exco Team. Mutual respect, trust, accountability and responsibility are precedential pillars of your value system. You are a strong decision maker and have excellent verbal and written communication with an ability to defend your decisions in terms of good data, sound logic and financial justifications.

 

More about us

 

We are business that continuously strives to improve. Change, growth and development is our only constant. We do this by remaining open to each other through curiosity, support, understanding and encouragement. As a team, we envision to be each other’s greatest cheerleaders. We prefer to unlock and enable individual strengths with an aim to have our people activated to be the best version of themselves. Thereon we watch the possibilities unfold as we strive to uphold our global motto of “Results are created by People”.

 

Are you keen on joining a team that contributes to global success? Please go ahead and apply. Our People Department will take it from there. All the best!