Operations Manager (Wastewater Treatment) - Gauteng (Site-based) - Salary: R35 000 CTC + Medical Aid + Fuel Card

SUMMARY:
This role ensures reliable plant performance, regulatory compliance, operator development, and operational excellence across all sites.

POSITION INFO:
Operations Manager (Wastewater Treatment) - Gauteng (Site-based) - Salary: R35 000 CTC + Medical Aid + Fuel Card About the Role An exciting opportunity has arisen for a results-driven Operations Manager to oversee the day-to-day performance, safety, and compliance of multiple wastewater treatment plants. This role ensures reliable plant performance, regulatory compliance, operator development, and operational excellence across all sites. You will lead a team of seven operators, providing technical guidance, performance management, and operational leadership. Key Responsibilities Operational Oversight: Manage the daily operations of multiple plants to ensure optimal performance, uptime, and compliance with design parameters. Monitor plant KPIs, effluent quality, chemical usage, and process stability. Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and supervise a team of seven operators. Conduct performance reviews, skills assessments, and training plans to foster a culture of accountability and safety. Compliance & Quality Assurance: Ensure all plants operate in full compliance with national water quality regulations and environmental standards. Coordinate sampling, laboratory testing, and maintain accurate operational logs. Technical Support & Troubleshooting: Provide hands-on technical guidance for process optimization, troubleshooting, and corrective actions. Collaborate with engineering teams on upgrades and support commissioning activities. Financial & Budgetary Control: Prepare, manage, and monitor the monthly chemicals and consumables budget. Forecast monthly requirements, monitor actual usage vs. budget, and identify cost-saving opportunities through process optimization. Health & Safety (HSE): Enforce strict adherence to HSE protocols across all sites, conducting routine safety audits and risk assessments. Monthly Measurable Deliverables (KPIs) Plant Performance: Achieve plant uptime across all sites and maintain plant capacity on volumes. Incident Management: Ensure zero unresolved critical alarms older than 48 hours. Workforce Development: Log a minimum of 2 hours of training per operator per month and conduct monthly performance check-ins. Safety Excellence: Maintain zero lost-time incidents (LTIs) per month. Resource Management: Ensure zero occurrences of chemical and consumable stockouts and keep chemical usage variance against the monthly budget. Requirements & Qualifications Proven experience in managing the daily operations, technical troubleshooting, and optimization of wastewater treatment plants. Demonstrated leadership capability with experience managing, training, and mentoring a team of operators. Deep understanding of national water quality regulations, environmental standards, and site safety management. Strong financial acumen with experience managing operational budgets and inventory forecasting. Willingness to perform site-based work across regional locations.