GM OPERATIONS

Job Description : GM OPERATIONS SOUTHERN AFRICA GM – Operations to lead and manage all aspects of technical operations within a large-scale production environment, ensuring safe, efficient, and cost-effective output across all product lines. The role includes driving operational excellence, optimising process performance, maintaining quality standards, implementing continuous improvement initiatives, and providing leadership to cross-functional teams. Responsibilities: Plant Operations & Production Oversee day-to-day operations of the large-scale processing facility, ensuring consistent throughput, product quality, and overall efficiency. Ensure high uptime, performance improvement, and process optimisation across all production stages. Drive key operational metrics, including equipment performance, resource consumption, and material utilisation. Process & Technical Leadership Provide advanced technical guidance across core processing technologies and downstream conversion activities. Lead the scale-up, optimisation, and commercial rollout of new processes or product lines in partnership with technical and quality teams. Maintenance & Asset Management Work closely with maintenance and engineering functions to strengthen asset reliability, preventive maintenance practices, and reduce downtime. Contribute to capital planning and execution for facility upgrades, capacity enhancements, and efficiency initiatives. Quality, Safety & Compliance Ensure adherence to all relevant quality, safety, and regulatory standards applicable to the manufacturing environment. Champion a culture focused on safety, responsibility, and continual improvement throughout the technical organisation. Team Leadership & Development Lead, coach, and develop a multidisciplinary team across operations, process, maintenance, and quality functions. Support skills development, structured training, and succession planning within the operational and technical teams. Strategic & Cross-Functional Support Partner with supply chain, procurement, technical, finance, and commercial stakeholders to align and execute operational priorities. Contribute to organisation-wide initiatives related to cost optimisation, capacity enhancement, and sustainability objectives. Bachelor’s / Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, Food Technology, Bioprocess Engineering, or related discipline 25+ years of technical and operational experience in wet milling, starch manufacturing, or food/chemical process industries, with at least 5–10 years in a senior leadership or plant head role. Proven track record in managing large-scale continuous process plants with high safety and quality standards. Strong analytical, leadership, and decision-making skills. Experience in automation, utilities optimization, and energy management is a plus. Strong technical expertise in complex processing environments, including optimisation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement. Proven leadership ability, with skills in team management, change management, and driving operational excellence. Experience in budgeting, cost control, and managing projects within a production or manufacturing setting.

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