Plant Manager

Role Overview

This position leads the entire manufacturing site, taking full ownership of its performance, profitability, and long-term viability. Day to day, the Plant Manager balances operational execution with strategic planning—overseeing production schedules, reviewing financial metrics, addressing equipment reliability issues, and aligning the plant’s output with commercial demand. The role matters because it directly determines whether the plant can deliver its products safely, cost-effectively, and on time, while also safeguarding the workforce, the environment, and the company’s reputation.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ultimate responsibility for the plant’s financial outcomes, including operating profit, production cost per unit, and EBIT contribution, while developing and managing both operating and capital expenditure budgets.
• Drive cost discipline across every input—labour, raw materials, energy, maintenance, logistics, and overheads—identifying inefficiencies and implementing corrective measures without ever compromising safety or product quality.
• Lead the plant-level Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) cycle, ensuring production schedules, inventory levels, procurement activities, and customer demand are fully aligned and communicated across teams.
• Develop and monitor performance dashboards that track key operational metrics, using daily, weekly, and monthly reviews to spot trends, investigate losses, and ensure action items are completed and sustained.
• Implement a comprehensive maintenance strategy combining preventive and predictive approaches to maximise Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), reduce unplanned downtime, and improve both Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and Mean Time to Repair (MTTR).
• Champion sustainability initiatives that lower energy, water, compressed air, and fuel consumption, while also driving waste reduction, recycling programmes, and compliance with environmental regulations.
• Maintain a live plant risk register, conduct operational risk assessments, and lead emergency preparedness and business continuity planning to protect the operation from disruption.
• Build a culture of accountability and continuous improvement by coaching team leaders, developing succession plans for critical roles, and embedding lean methodologies such as Kaizen, TPM, and structured problem-solving into everyday work.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Food Science, or a closely related technical discipline.
• At least eight years of progressive experience in production and plant operations, with a minimum of four years in a senior management or leadership capacity.
• Proven working knowledge of production planning and control within an ERP environment; familiarity with the SAP production module is strongly preferred.
• Solid understanding of statutory and regulatory requirements specific to feed milling operations, including food safety management systems and practical application of ISO 22000.
• Basic knowledge of milling principles and equipment is preferred, along with familiarity with continuous improvement methodologies and structured problem-solving tools.
• Strong financial acumen, including the ability to interpret budgets, cost variances, and profitability drivers at a plant level.
• Demonstrated understanding of supply chain operations, including inventory management, procurement integration, and logistics coordination.
• Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, with the ability to use data analytics tools to support decision-making.