PROCESS BASIC EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Formal schooling / degree
- Qualification in Operations Management or Production Management, Mechanical Engineering / Industrial Engineering or technical trade qualification
Experience
Minimum 5 years’ experience in a manufacturing or mechanical production environment
Experience within high volume or repetitive production environments
Experience in press, plating or automated manufacturing environment
Proven exposure to supervision, shop floor coordination and production control- must have supervised a production team
Experience in managing production targets, labour and workflow
Strong understanding of Health and Safety legislation
Languages
English and Afrikaans
KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS
- On Time Delivery
- Throughput vs Plan
- Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
- First Time Right / Defect Rate
- Scrap and Rework Percentage
- Labour Productivity
- Cost per Unit
- Safety compliance
- Production Target Achievement
INTERPERSONAL SKILLS AND VALUES
- Clear and direct communicator
- Decisive and action oriented
- Strong problem solving ability
- Handles pressure and fast paced environments
- Holds self and others accountable
- Practical and results focused
- Able to manage conflict constructively
COMPETENCIES, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
- Production and Processing
- High volume manufacturing principles
- Lean Manufacturing and waste reduction
- Line balancing and capacity planning
- Production control and scheduling
- Root cause problem solving
- Mechanical systems and equipment knowledge
- Maintenance coordination
- Inventory management
- Health and Safety legislation
- People supervision and labour relations
- ERP and shop floor systems
JOB OBJECTIVES
To lead and control daily production activities in a high volume manufacturing environment to ensure consistent output, quality compliance, and cost control.
To achieve production targets through disciplined execution of planning, people leadership, equipment reliability, and process stability.
To ensure components are manufactured to specification, delivered on time, and produced at optimal cost through elimination of waste, downtime, rework, and inefficiencies.
To actively drive continuous improvement and operational excellence across safety, quality, delivery, and productivity.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Production Performance and Throughput
- Execute the daily production plan to meet takt time, output targets, and On Time Delivery requirements
- Supervise and coordinate operators to ensure continuous flow and minimal stoppages
- Balance lines and allocate labour to optimise throughput and reduce idle time
- Monitor cycle times, capacity utilisation, and bottlenecks and implement immediate corrective actions
- Track and report hourly and daily performance against plan
- Escalate deviations early and implement recovery plans to avoid missed targets
- Drive adherence to standard operating procedures and approved production methods
- Ensure heat treatment and specialised processes are completed according to specification
- Maintain focus on Right First Time production to reduce rework and scrap
Data, Reporting and Control
- Record, analyse and report production metrics including output, downtime, scrap, rework, and labour efficiency
- Use production data to identify trends, losses, and root causes
- Support improvement initiatives using factual, measurable information
- Maintain accurate production and system records
Quality Assurance
- Ensure all work complies with the Quality Manual and internal procedures
- Enforce strict process discipline and standard work to prevent defects
- Ensure correct identification, traceability, and labelling of all components and materials
- Contain, investigate, and resolve quality issues immediately
- Support root cause analysis and corrective action implementation
- Promote a zero defect mindset
Equipment Reliability and Maintenance
- Ensure operators complete daily autonomous maintenance checks
- Monitor equipment condition to prevent unplanned breakdowns
- Support TPM and preventative maintenance activities
- Ensure breakdowns are logged and addressed without delay
- Drive improvements in equipment uptime and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
Workforce Supervision and Discipline
- Lead, coach, and develop team members to meet performance standards
- Provide clear direction and daily task allocation
- Manage attendance, timekeeping, and labour utilisation
- Address performance or behavioural issues promptly and fairly
- Ensure required training and competency assessments are completed and recorded
- Maintain a culture of accountability and ownership
Stock and Material Control
- Ensure correct material availability to avoid line stoppages
- Adhere to ERP and works order processes
- Control WIP, scrap, and rejects to minimise losses
- Maintain accurate stock movements and system integrity
Lean and Continuous Improvement
- Implement and sustain Lean Manufacturing principles
- Apply 5S and housekeeping standards
- Use visual management to support fast decision making
- Identify waste relating to motion, waiting, defects, overproduction, and excess inventory
- Lead small improvement projects to increase efficiency and reduce cost
Safety and Compliance
- Ensure strict adherence to safe work procedures and PPE requirements
- Take responsibility for legal safety appointments
- Stop unsafe work immediately
- Promote a proactive safety culture
- Maintain compliance with company, legal, and regulatory requirements
Cost Control
- Manage departmental costs including labour, scrap, consumables, and downtime
- Identify and implement cost reduction opportunities without compromising safety or quality
Team Contribution
- Collaborate effectively with Maintenance, Quality, Planning, and Support functions
- Contribute to achieving overall departmental and organisational objectives
