Group Head of Operations

SUMMARY:
Our client, a well-established industrial manufacturing group with multi-site and international operations, is seeking an experienced operations executive to own their end-to-end Order-to-Delivery system.

This is a senior executive role reporting to the COO, with accountability for Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Order Fulfilment and SHE through their respective functional leaders.

It's a rare opportunity for a hands-on operator who thrives on building scalable systems, not just running them.

POSITION INFO:
Requirements BEng, BSc Engineering or BTech (mechanical, industrial or manufacturing); postgraduate qualification advantageous 15+ years in industrial manufacturing and operations, including 5+ years at executive\/multi-site level with full P&L accountability Proven ownership of manufacturing, supply chain AND quality together across a full order-to-delivery chain ERP change leadership experience (SYSPRO, SAP, JD Edwards or equivalent) as business owner, not just user Hands-on experience applying AI, automation and workflow tools to operations, with quantified results Experience in mixed-process, engineered or make-to-order manufacturing (fabrication, polymer processing, machining, assembly) Strong grounding in lean manufacturing, S&OP, ISO 9001, and South African labour and OHS legislation Financial literacy covering standard costing, variance analysis and capital appraisal Travel required (incl. China, ~25-35%) What You Will Be Doing Owning the group's operating model end-to-end - from customer order to delivered, invoiced product. You'll drive cross-functional process design, eliminate duplicated or unowned activity, hold functional leaders accountable for integrated performance, and act as executive business owner of core operating systems (ERP, work management, automation). You'll also lead cost-reduction, capacity planning, and the group's readiness to scale into new markets and entities. Why Join This is a seat at the executive table in a business that is actively investing in AI-enabled operations, systemised decision-making and international growth. You'll have real authority to redesign how the business runs - not just report on it - and be measured on outcomes that matter: delivery, cost, quality and safety.