Plant Factory Manager - Injection, Blow & Stretch Molding

A well-established manufacturing business is seeking an experienced Plant Factory Manager to take full operational accountability for a high-volume injection, blow and stretch blow moulding facility.

This is a senior, hands-on leadership role requiring strong technical understanding of plastics processing, tooling, and automated production environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Full management of factory operations including production, maintenance, quality, safety, and people performance
• Drive production efficiency, OEE, yield, and throughput across injection, blow, and ISBM lines
• Lead and develop production, maintenance, and technical teams to meet output, quality, and cost targets
• Implement and sustain lean manufacturing, preventative maintenance, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, environmental, and quality standards
• Oversee production planning, resource allocation, and labour optimisation
• Manage factory budgets, operational costs, and capex projects
• Work closely with engineering and tooling teams on process optimisation, equipment reliability, and new product introduction

Minimum Requirements

• Engineering qualification (Mechanical, Industrial, Plastics Engineering) or relevant technical trade background
• 7-10 years' experience in manufacturing management within a plastics processing environment
• Proven exposure to injection moulding, blow moulding, and/or stretch blow moulding operations
• Strong knowledge of plastics processing parameters, tooling, and high-speed automated production lines
• Demonstrated experience in lean manufacturing, KPI-driven operations, and continuous improvement
• Sound understanding of South African health & safety and labour legislation

Key Competencies

• Strong operational and technical leadership
• Data-driven decision making and KPI management
• Root cause analysis and structured problem solving
• Change management and people development
• Ability to operate effectively in a high-pressure manufacturing environment

Desirable Experience

• FMCG, packaging, or plastic container manufacturing
• Exposure to ERP / production management systems
• Experience in plant start-ups, expansions, or major process improvements

Please note only qualified candidates will be shortlisted & only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 

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