Operations Manager

East Rand
Salary: R700 000.00 - R840 000.00 Per Month
Job Type: Permanent
Sectors: Manufacturing
Reference: CET004291/Mich

Apply before May 16 2026 | 29 Days left

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External Application

Vacancy Details

Employer: Sentinel Staffing Services

Operations Manager – Food Manufacturing (Plant-Based, Hands-On Role)Location: Gauteng - ALbertonIndustry: Food Manufacturing & Packaging About the RoleThis is not a coordination role. This is not a reporting role.We are looking for an Operations Manager who has run a plant, fixed real problems, and delivered measurable improvements.You will be responsible for plant performance, cost, and output — through a Production Manager and Production Assistant. You are not here to replace them, you are here to build a system that consistently delivers results.If your experience is mostly meetings, dashboards, and theory, this role will not suit you.

What You Will Be Accountable For
Plant Performance

Deliver production targets without daily firefighting
Improve overall equipment effectiveness, reduce downtime, and stabilise output
Build processes that make performance predictable

Food Safety & Quality

Ensure full compliance with FSSC 22000 and HACCP
Maintain audit readiness as a standard, not an event
Own product quality and customer complaints

Commercial & Cost Ownership

Understand cost per ton, margin, and cost drivers
Actively reduce waste, inefficiencies, and unnecessary cost
Translate operational decisions into financial outcomes

Strategic Direction

Identify constraints limiting growth
Drive capacity improvements and process optimisation
Support capital decisions with clear operational logic

Cross-Functional Leadership

Align Production, QA, Maintenance, Supply Chain, and Sales
Remove bottlenecks between departments
Ensure production delivers what the business actually needs

Team Leadership

Lead through the Production Manager, not around them
Build accountability and discipline in the plant
Develop people who can run the operation without constant intervention

Compensation

All-inclusive CTC package: R700,000 – R840,000 per annum

This role is suited to someone ready to step toward General Management responsibility.

Minimum Requirements

Degree in Mechanical or Process Engineering
Minimum 10 years’ experience in food manufacturing or packaging
Strong hands-on experience in:

Juice, dairy, beverage, or liquid processing environments (advantageous)

Strong working knowledge of FSSC 22000 and HACCP

What We Expect

You understand production because you have worked in it
You can walk into a plant and identify problems quickly
You take ownership of results, not just processes
You are comfortable making decisions with real consequences
You focus on root cause, not symptoms
You have worked with operators and general workers and can get results through them
You can simplify processes rather than over-engineer them
You are as comfortable discussing cost and margin as you are discussing throughput

This Role Is Not For

Managers who have not spent meaningful time on the plant floor
Candidates who rely on reporting rather than execution
Individuals who avoid accountability for outcomes
People who need structured environments to function

What Success Looks Like

The plant runs without constant intervention
Output, quality, and cost are stable and predictable
Problems are solved at root cause level and do not repeat
The team performs with clear ownership and accountability
Structured and meaningful reporting on data that has actually been used and implemented
Financial performance improves as a direct result of operational decisions

Apply If
You have personally improved a plant’s performance, reduced cost, and built systems that last.
Be prepared to demonstrate this with real examples.
If you cannot point to specific results you have delivered, this role will not be a fit.

Apply

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About Sentinel Staffing Services

Sentinel Staffing Services has been providing a professional recruitment solution to employers and job seekers in all industries since 1999.

We offer a full recruitment service for permanent and contract staff/vacancies from entry level to Financial, Office Support, Engineering, Human Resources, Technical, Information Technology, Warehousing, Legal and Senior Executives.

Our mission is to ensure that our clients and job applicants are satisfied with our recruitment service and that their recruitment needs are met through our professionally trained personnel consultants.

Sentinel Staffing Services has an extensive database of top quality clients and candidates in a permanent/contract capacity.