PLANT OPERATIONS MANAGER

Job Description : PLANT OPERATIONS MANAGER EAST AFRICA 18+ years experience Manager Plant Operation Department: PURE FLEX Reporting To: Location Job Summary Pure Flex is seeking an experienced and hands-on Manager Plant Operations to lead all manufacturing activities within the flexible packaging unit. The ideal candidate will have deep operational expertise across blown film, gravure printing, lamination, slitting and pouching, and will be responsible for driving production output, quality, cost efficiency and safety performance. This is a senior operational leadership role that requires both strong technical grounding and the ability to develop, motivate and retain a high-performing plant team. Responsibilities A hands on plant operations role 12 to 15 years of overall experience and at least 5 to 6 years in a Managerial role, with a flexible packaging convertor overseeing the blown film, gravure printing, lamination, slitting and pouching operations. Having worked in an environment accredited with ISO, GMP and Global Food safety standards is essential Planning, organizing, directing and running optimum day-to-day operations with responsibility for production output, product quality and on-time shipping Oversee all daily operations of the plant from production and manufacturing to ensuring policies and procedures are followed. Develop processes that will maximize safety, quality and productivity. Allocate resources effectively and fully utilize assets to produce optimal results Share a trusting relationship with workgroup and recruit, manage and develop plant staff Collect and analyse data to find places of waste or overtime Commit to plant safety procedures Address employees issues or grievances in consultation with HR Create accountability and to lead by example Drive continuous improvement and optimization of all processes. Actively involved in both the pre-production (planning) stage as well as the production (control plan ahead for future contracts, overseeing the ordering of raw materials, storage and upgrading equipment). Monitoring the production processes and adjusting schedules as needed. Direct and motivate the workforce, review performance, identify training needs often through supervisory staff. Develop and review operation procedures. Ensure that quality standards and deadlines are met and quality controls are in place. Hold responsibility for health and safety issues. Ensuring that health and safety guidelines are followed. Interact with high profile customers. Ensure that effective and positive customer relations and services are developed and maintaine. Develop and implement operational strategies and annual plans aligned to company goals; translate business objectives into clear plant targets for production, quality, cost and people. Manage the plant budget including conversion costs, overheads and manpower costs; monitor variances and implement corrective actions to meet financial targets. Develop and maintain strong relationships with key customers, raw material suppliers and service vendors; participate in customer audits, visits and technical discussions as required. Analyse operational data, market inputs and competitor intelligence to identify opportunities for capacity utilisation, product mix optimisation and cost competitiveness. Prepare and present comprehensive plant performance and business review reports to the MD and senior leadership; contribute to long-term capacity planning and business strategy discussions. Manage machine-wise and process-wise OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) targets across blown film, gravure printing, lamination, slitting and pouching lines; drive uptime, speed and yield improvements. Oversee raw material consumption, ink and solvent usage, and film wastage; implement scrap reduction and material yield improvement programs to control conversion costs. Manage preventive and predictive maintenance programmes in liaison with the engineering/maintenance team; ensure critical spares availability and minimise unplanned downtime. Lead in-process quality controls including film thickness tolerance, print registration, colour density, seal strength, barrier properties and laminate bond strength; coordinate with the QA team to manage customer complaints and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA). Prepare and present plant performance reports (daily, weekly and monthly) covering output, OEE, waste, downtime, quality rejections and cost variances to senior management. Coordinate with supply chain and commercial teams on production scheduling, capacity utilisation and order-fulfilment priorities to meet customer delivery commitments. Champion 5S, Lean and Kaizen initiatives on the shop floor; lead root-cause analysis (RCA) and 8D problem-solving for recurring production and quality issues. Manage capex proposals and investment justification for new equipment, line upgrades and capacity expansion; participate in machine commissioning, trials and technology transfer projects. Ensure full regulatory and statutory compliance including fire safety, effluent and solvent emission norms, and applicable environmental management requirements. Build and sustain a culture of safety, quality and accountability across all shifts; conduct shift handover reviews, safety walks and near-miss investigations. Educational Qualifications B.Tech / B.E. in Polymer Technology, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline. A Post-Graduate qualification (MBA / M.Tech) will be an added advantage. Certification or formal training in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma (Green Belt or above), or Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is desirable. Working knowledge of ERP systems (SAP / Oracle or equivalent) for production planning, inventory and reporting purposes. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) line-wise and unit-wise Waste and scrap percentage against budgeted targets On-time-in-full (OTIF) despatch performance Customer complaint rate (ppm / number) and CAPA closure rate Safety lost-time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) and near-miss reporting rate Conversion cost per kilogram vs. budget Employee attrition and absenteeism rates; training man-hours completed Key Competencies Strong technical knowledge of flexible packaging processes blown film extrusion, gravure printing, solvent-based and solventless lamination, slitting and pouch-making. Results-driven leadership with strong analytical and problem-solving ability; comfortable working with data and performance dashboards. Effective communicator and team builder; able to work across functions and influence at all levels of the organisation. High sense of urgency and ownership; ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, shift-based manufacturing environment. Commitment to ethical conduct, transparency and building a culture of trust and continuous improvement on the shop floor.

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