Deputy Factory Manager

SUMMARY:
My client, a leading entity in the manufacturing sector and member of a publicly traded group, is seeking a dynamic and resilient Engineer in the position of Deputy Manager. This role is highly demanding and requires an individual capable of excelling in a fast-paced, challenging environment. Min Degree required (MEng) advantageous.

POSITION INFO:

VACANCY: ENGINEER (Manufacturing)

DEPUTY FACTORY MANAGER

GAUTENG

Our esteemed client, a prominent leader in the manufacturing industry and part of a publicly listed group, is seeking a dynamic and resilient Engineer in the Manufacturing domain. This is a demanding role that requires an individual capable of thriving in a fast-paced environment.

Desired Experience & Qualification

Degree; (Hons) or (MEng) in one or more of the listed Engineering disciplines:

• Chemical
• Mechanical
• Process
• Quality
• Electrical
• Mechatronics
• Maintenance
• Industrial

Job Summary

The primary responsibility of the Engineer is to ensure that production processes deliver products of the highest quality in a cost-effective, safe, and reliable manner. Additionally, the Engineer is tasked with maintaining factory assets cost-effectively to guarantee continuous and reliable production. The ideal candidate must possess extensive experience in maintenance and exhibit a hands-on approach at all times. They will be responsible for leading and managing the process and maintenance functions of the factory, encompassing strategic direction, resource management, and process excellence.

Experience & Qualifications

v A minimum of 5 years of post-qualification engineering or process experience within a manufacturing environment

v Extensive experience in maintenance will be highly advantageous.

Duties & Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Asset Preservation Strategy

• Assist the Factory Manager with the development and execution of the asset preservation strategy, asset management objectives, and operational plans.
• Review and make recommendations for the asset register to determine the remaining useful life and preservation strategy based on current asset condition.
• Evaluate the previous years budget and expenses to formulate the maintenance budget and asset preservation strategy for the following year.
• Review the plant performance from the previous year to identify shortfalls, recommend, and implement focused initiatives to improve performance.
• Define and implement maintenance standards for the department to ensure cost-effective and safe maintenance execution.
• Translate the asset preservation strategy and asset management objectives into plans, budgets, and KPIs for the maintenance function, ensuring the right skill sets are identified to execute these plans.

Duties & Responsibilities

Management of Maintenance

• Oversee the effective execution of preventive and reactive maintenance work on the factory assets to optimize performance at minimal costs and risks.
• Evaluate weekly work orders (status, backlog, schedule compliance, performance) and address any issues with the relevant department heads.
• Review and monitor maintenance costs using SAP and Excel maintenance sheets, addressing any problems with the relevant department heads.
• Assess the status of critical plant/equipment to implement a scheduled maintenance plan.

Quality and Continuous Improvement

• Drive continuous improvements in process and maintenance through KPI review meetings, defect elimination, small projects, and recognition.
• Record all continuous improvement tasks/opportunities.
• Prioritize, plan, and resource continuous improvement (CI) projects.
• Ensure the master tile specifications are valid.
• Analyse customer complaints to ensure the quality control (QC) system prevents defects from reaching customers.
• Monitor daily/weekly QC inspections from the lab to identify problems and recommend solutions.
• Identify inefficiencies and suggest improvements.

People Management

• Manage and lead the team.
• Facilitate daily operational meetings with department coordinators to review previous day performance, discuss key constraints and risks, and agree on the daily plan.
• Source and manage relationships with external and internal suppliers, OEMs, and shared resources.
• Organize workflow by assigning responsibilities and preparing schedules.
• Oversee and coach personnel for the development of future leadership within the business.
• Ensure new joiners are trained and developed to work on factory equipment.
• Identify, train, and equip employees to work effectively and efficiently.
• Ensure individual development plans are in place for all critical and key roles.

Safety, Health, and Environment

• Ensure compliance with SHERQ regulations and systems.
• Monitor and ensure safety inspections (monthly, weekly, quarterly, and annual) are completed and records are maintained.
• Plan and coordinate internal and external audits (ISO9001, OHS Audit, Risk Audit)
• Monitor time and attendance (including overtime, time worked, and absenteeism) and address any issues with the responsible department coordinator.
• Monitor SHEQR indicators and address any problems with the responsible department coordinator.
• Ensure the safe use and regular maintenance of process equipment.

Management of Process

• Set daily, weekly, and monthly production objectives and communicate them to relevant team members.
• Ensure production outputs meet specifications.
• Schedule KPI meetings to review the previous week production and quality, discuss problem areas, and recommend and implement solutions.
• Prepare and present month-end reports on key metrics.
• Prepare quarterly board reports on key metrics and projects.
• Monitor the quality specifications of raw materials and manage non-conformances.

Soft Skills

• Self-motivated and independent
• Ambitious and result-oriented
• Sound judgment and decision-making abilities.
• Performance-driven
• Excellent planning, coordination, and execution skills
• Effective problem solver
• Innovative
• Committed to safety, health, and environmental concerns.

Preferred Skills

Asset Management

• Ensure that assets are managed to maximize value and mitigate risk to the business.
• Develop and evaluate contracts and contractors for critical services such as compressed air, water, gas, and raw materials.
• Oversee defect elimination according to agreed standards.
• Ensure adherence to best practices and principles for chemical, mechanical, and electrical processes.
• Ensure department heads have a comprehensive understanding of opportunity cost, time value of money, and their impact on decision-making.
• Explain and quantify the value of improvements when necessary.
• Evaluate and plan asset replacement based on life cycle costs.
• Manage capital projects within budget.
• Develop and implement an asset care plan.
• Ensure that maintenance shutdown processes are followed in line with best practices.
• Ensure compliance of work areas with company standards
• Interpret and forecast demand patterns in line with sales orders.

Package & Remuneration

• Competitive market-related salary package
• Profit-sharing opportunities
• Medical Aid Contributions
• Pension/Provident Fund Benefits