Production Shift Manager

SUMMARY:
Are you a hands-on production leader who thrives in a high-performance manufacturing environment and takes pride in safety, quality, and results?

POSITION INFO:
Production Shift Manager
Location: Bethlehem / Vrede, Free State

A well-established animal feed manufacturing operation is seeking a driven and experienced Production Shift Manager to take full accountability for plant performance during assigned shifts. This role plays a key part in optimising output, leading production teams, and ensuring consistent compliance with quality, safety, and cost targets.

The Role:
The successful candidate will be responsible for supervising production staff, coordinating workflows, and ensuring optimal plant performance in a safe, compliant, and cost-effective manner. This is an operationally critical role suited to a strong leader who can balance people management, technical understanding, and production discipline.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead production teams to ensure total plant functionality and equipment performance during shifts.
• Align production activities with planned volume, quality, cost, safety, and development targets.
• Take ownership of time management, risk mitigation, plant uptime, people performance, and quality control.
• Drive manufacturing results through clear communication, planning, monitoring, and performance management.
• Monitor workflow processes, processing variables, control points, personnel, and resources to ensure efficiency.
• Identify and implement cost-reduction and process improvement initiatives.
• Plan, schedule, and allocate staff while setting priorities and resolving production issues.
• Maintain strict quality standards and compile accurate production performance records.
• Ensure a safe, clean, and compliant working environment in line with policies and procedures.
• Manage shift handovers and ensure continuity across operations.
• Monitor actual production against planned targets and report variances.
• Record and analyse downtime related to man, machine, and system performance.
• Ensure the workforce's understanding of performance expectations and accountability.
• Identify and report quality issues to line management and Quality Assurance.
• Take full responsibility for plant operations during overnight shifts and weekends, when on duty.

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in a supervisory role within an animal feed or manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on technical and troubleshooting experience will be advantageous.
• Sound working knowledge of ISO 14000, ISO 14001, and ISO 9001 standards.
• Previous experience leading a production team, preferably within animal feed manufacturing.
• Literacy in English, both written and verbal.
• Willingness to work shifts.

• Strong analytical and organisational skills.
• Proven leadership and people management ability.
• Effective problem-solving capability.
• Sound product and process knowledge.
• Computer literacy.
• Solid industrial relations and interpersonal skills.
• Self-driven with strong assertiveness and work ethic.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.