Operations Manager - Rainbow Chicken

RAINBOW Chicken is currently recruiting for an Operations Manager to oversee their Wolwehoek facility in Sasolburg, the role is required to manage the Added Value Wolwehoek site in the most cost-effective way ensuring maximum efficiency and optimal mix whilst maintaining compliance with legislation, customer specifications, and quality and company standards in order to achieve production plan targets.

Qualification & Experience:

• A Diploma/ Degree in production management
• 7 years relevant operational experience in an FMCG manufacturing environment with at least 5 years in a management position

Key Responsibilities:

Production Planning:

• Input into the strategy for the Added Value Wolwehoek Site perspective by researching and considering best practices, local conditions, trends, as well as competitor activity.
• Provide input into annual SIA’s and execute on annual objectives.
• Input into identifying ways to fine-tune systems in line with changing work practices
• Provide input and contribute to the relationship between cross-functional processing teams to ensure an integrated approach in mobilising the total plan.
• Identify innovative ways to use minimum resources to achieve maximum outputs.
• Put guidelines in place to ensure the optimal use of available resources within the Processing Department.
• Put guidelines in place to assist Management in ensuring the right mix using minimal resources.
• Set production targets aligned to the objectives of the plant. Monitor performance and adjust production plans weekly to ensure annual targets will be met.
• Respond to factors that cause variances against planned production versus size of birds and liaise with Production Planners to change the production plan accordingly.
• Collaborate with other business unit heads to determine the capability of the plants, and make recommendations to increase capacity.

Operations Management:

• Contribute towards and drive continuous improvement and innovation at the process and procedure level to enhance effectiveness, efficiency, and performance in the Added Value Wolwehoek Site
• Ensure that the Processing Department has the capacity to deliver against the Processing Plan.
• Establish the most efficient use of resources, i.e. cost, people, time, etc. for the Processing Department, and allocate work accordingly:
• Work closely with the Planning Department to align production capacities and product mix requirements.
• Manage labour resources within budget to obtain required outputs.
• Continuously gather information received from Processing Managers and evaluate situations on an ongoing basis, taking necessary steps to improve efficiencies and effectiveness.
• Continuously adjust manloading and equipment availability to meet the constantly changing production plan and priorities.
• Report on a weekly basis on actual Processing KPIs versus budget and address non-conformances promptly.
• Analyse downtime, provide valid explanations for loss of production, and put action plans in place to prevent reoccurrence.
• Liaise with New Product Development to ensure appropriate staff, equipment, and materials are available to run successful trials.
• Guide and prepare the Processing team for customer and statutory audits.
• Support the plant management system to ensure SIC delivery.
• Oversee the performance of equipment:
• Monitor volumes and equipment and communicate any issues to the Head Of Added Value Business Unit: Operations promptly.
• Work closely with the Engineering Foreman to ensure that equipment performance and maintenance priorities are aligned and changed to meet production requirements.
• Liaise with Engineering to ensure that an equipment maintenance program is formulated and implemented to maintain the working condition of equipment and schedule routine or non-routine maintenance.
• Monitor the execution of the maintenance program to guarantee equipment performance as a key enabler of production outputs.

Safety, Health, Risk, and Quality Oversight

• Input into the establishment of systems and sound practices in order to comply with best practices, legislation, or other regulations/guidelines.
• Monitor the Processing team to ensure all legislative and industry standards are achieved and prompt action is taken where required to ensure there are no areas of non-compliance.
• Chair and facilitate regular safety meetings and ensure action points are delivered upon.
• Drive the adherence and maintenance of ISO 22 000/ 14 000/ 18000 standards within the Total Integrated Management System throughout Processing.
• Ensure that documentation required for the Total Integrated Management System is applied consistently throughout Processing.
• Drive in-process quality control in line with the supply chain and external customer requirements throughout the processing plant.
• Ensure environmentally sustainable practices are implemented and adhered to and that resource usage is managed effectively (e.g. conservation of water, electricity, and gas).
• Drive Processing’s appearance and image by maintaining and enforcing high housekeeping standards.
• Legal Compliance Agenda and Document to be managed.

Financial Management

• Assume overall responsibility for the budget for the Processing Department:
• Input into the forecasting, planning, development, and review of the annual budget for the factory from a Processing perspective.
• Report on and manage all input costs within the Processing Department and manage any over and underspend appropriately to ensure that issues are addressed before a significant financial loss occurs.
• Authorise expenses within the Processing Department and within the level of authority and monitor spending activity.
• Innovate and implement cost containment measures within the Processing Department.
• Implement business improvement / cost-saving initiatives within the Processing Department for both plants.
• Input into the 5-year Capex review plan.
• Provide the Head Of Added Value Business Unit: Operations with a business case to motivate and justify Capex spending in the Processing Department.

Contract Management:

• Liaise with Procurement for the selection of contractors/service providers as required.
• Work in conjunction with Procurement to develop SLAs for suppliers/contracts for the Processing Department.
• Manage contractors and outsourced activity within the Processing Department against standard.
• Enter into negotiations with labour brokers and devise the outsourced labour strategy for the Processing Department to ensure the plants run at full capacity.

Project Management:

• Manage project plans in conjunction with project teams.
• Oversee project implementation within the Processing Department.

Reporting:

• Ensure processing data is captured regularly and accurately into the information system to enable access to reliable data and reporting for trend analysis and decision-making.
• Use relevant information from IT systems to analyse and to make the right decisions with regard to operational management and costs in the Processing Department across both plants.
• Analyse volumes and quality and adjust processing practices as required to ensure performance delivers the right volume and quality of product at the right time.

Technical Training:

• Lead and manage the regional training team that is responsible for GMP, Health and Safety, Food Safety, and all SOP thereby ensuring legislative audit requirements are met and relevant documents are kept.
• Manage and oversee the on-site technical training and technical administration to build a talent pool with the required capacity.

Staff Management:

• Proactively manage capacity through the management of external labour brokers to ensure a constant pool of available resources as required to execute the production plan.
• With support from HR, employ staff in vacant and approved posts.
• Implement Employment Equity within areas of responsibility to ensure diversity is achieved at all levels.
• Evaluate, assess, and manage people's performance:
• Set boundaries within which direct reports will operate.
• Enable direct reports to do their work by monitoring, coaching, and problem-solving.
• Equip people with the necessary skills and tools to enable them to perform effectively.
• Identify, accumulate, and analyse statistics that reflect on the team’s performance.
• Conduct regular performance appraisals with subordinates and ensure that the process is cascaded throughout the team.
• Actively manage non-performance.
• Manage the employee relations climate and ensure corrective action is taken where required in line with relevant legislation and company policy:
• Chair or initiate disciplinary hearings as needed according to RPM standards.
• Develop sound relationships with Unions to minimise industrial conflict.
• Communicate actively and effectively resolving any potential conflicts that may arise, and sharing and providing relevant information.
• Develop supportive relationships with reports and encourage a team spirit.
• Manage the technical training department.
• Authorise leave, ensuring sufficient capacity to meet production targets.
• Assume overall responsibility for training and development of Processing staff:
• Continually assess the technical competence of the team and take steps to develop their knowledge and skills.
• Identify the training needs of the team and liaise with the Learning Department in order to action.
• Ensure training and development plans are implemented.
• Coach and support team members where necessary to achieve individual and plant objectives.
• Coordinate subordinate career path planning.
• Manage and deliver on the Processing team succession plans to enable the development of a future generation of leaders and specialists and ensure optimal turnover and retention levels.
• Conduct operational meetings and ensure that records are kept and shared amongst all parties and objectives are delivered upon.