General Manager – Converting

General Manager – Converting

General Manager – Converting

Location: Pretoria, Gauteng

Our client, a well-established organisation within the manufacturing industry and FMCG, is seeking an experienced General Manager – Converting to lead the safe, efficient and profitable operation of the Pretoria manufacturing site. This senior leadership role is suited to a commercially astute manufacturing professional with strong operational leadership experience and a proven track record of driving safety, quality, productivity, cost efficiency and continuous improvement.

The successful candidate will provide strategic and operational leadership across the site, leading a multidisciplinary management team while ensuring strong performance, operational discipline, people development and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Lead the end-to-end manufacturing operation and ensure delivery against business objectives.

• Set and communicate clear strategic and operational objectives aligned with business strategy.

• Lead, coach and develop a multidisciplinary leadership team.

• Drive a culture of accountability, high performance, engagement and continuous improvement.

• Ensure production schedules are achieved through disciplined execution and effective operational control.

• Monitor operational performance and implement corrective actions where required.

• Drive compliance with the Operations Management System (OMS), including required routines, standards and reporting.

• Lead structured problem-solving and root cause analysis to address operational constraints and recurring issues.

• Manufacturing Performance

• Drive improvements in production efficiency, OEE, productivity, quality and schedule adherence.

• Monitor production performance and ensure corrective actions are implemented when targets are not achieved.

• Promote quality at source and ensure products consistently meet customer and internal specifications.

• Drive initiatives to improve operational reliability, productivity and manufacturing efficiency.

• Lead cost reduction and value improvement initiatives across the operation.

• Financial & Cost Management

• Manage operational expenditure within approved budgets.

• Monitor and control manufacturing costs and operational variances.

• Manage Material Usage Variance (MUV), waste and utility efficiency.

• Identify and implement sustainable cost-saving opportunities.

• Participate in the development of annual operational and maintenance budgets.

• Ensure effective allocation and utilisation of resources.

• People Development & Succession

• Develop and maintain succession plans for critical roles.

• Identify capability gaps and implement appropriate development plans.

• Support graduate, trainee and in-service development programmes.

• Build organisational capability to support long-term business sustainability.

• Coach and mentor leaders while driving accountability and performance.

• Asset Management & Reliability

• Support and continuously improve the asset management strategy.

• Ensure operational and maintenance activities align with asset care plans.

• Drive reliability and equipment performance improvements.

• Work closely with Engineering to improve equipment availability and reliability.

• Identify and address asset-related risks and opportunities.

• Reduce unplanned downtime and improve overall equipment effectiveness.

• CAPEX & Operational Improvement

• Identify capital investment and operational improvement opportunities.

• Develop and motivate capital requirements and business cases.

• Work with Engineering and Project Managers to deliver projects safely, on time and within budget.

• Ensure capital projects achieve intended business outcomes and ROI.

• Oversee operational readiness for commissioning and implementation activities.

• SHEQ & Risk Management

• Lead and promote a culture where safety is the highest priority.

• Ensure compliance with legal, environmental, risk and corporate governance requirements.

• Ensure safe work procedures are maintained and consistently followed.

• Drive incident investigations and implementation of corrective actions.

• Promote continuous improvement in safety, environmental and quality performance.

• Maintain required permits, regulatory obligations and compliance standards.

• Minimum Requirements

• Grade 12 / Matric.

• Relevant Degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Management, Chemistry, or a related discipline.

• BSc Mechanical Engineering, BSc Electrical Engineering.

• Postgraduate qualification in Business Management or Leadership advantageous.

• Minimum 5 years' experience in a senior management role within a packaging, FMCG or continuous manufacturing environment.

• Minimum 5 years' experience in manufacturing operations leadership.

• Proven Industrial Relations experience.

• Experience leading large, multidisciplinary teams.

• Proven experience delivering operational excellence, transformation and business improvement initiatives.

• Key Competencies

• Manufacturing Operations Management

• General Management

• Strategic Planning

• Financial & Budget Management

• Asset Management

• Operational Excellence

• Lean Manufacturing

• Six Sigma

• Project & Change Management

• Industrial Relations

• Supply Chain & Production Planning

• Performance Management

• Strong Safety Leadership

• People Development & Coaching

• Strategic Decision-Making

• Stakeholder Management

• Negotiation & Influencing

• Change Leadership

• Execution Excellence

• Personal Attributes

• Strong business acumen and results orientation.

• High ethical standards and integrity.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability.

• Resilient and adaptable in complex operational environments.

• Passion for quality and continuous improvement.

• Exceptional communication and leadership skills.

• Customer-focused mindset.

• Ability to operate effectively in a demanding plant environment.

• Working Environment

• Predominantly plant-based manufacturing environment with office responsibilities.

• Regular exposure to operational areas requiring PPE.

• Frequent interaction with production, engineering and support functions.

• May be required to work extended hours in support of operational requirements.

• Participation in emergency response and incident management when required.

• If you are an experienced manufacturing leader with a strong track record in FMCG or continuous manufacturing, and have the leadership capability to drive operational excellence, people development and sustainable business performance, we'd love to hear from you.

• Apply today by submitting your detailed CV.

• Please note: Should you not be contacted within two weeks, please take your application as unsuccessful.

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