Chief Operations Officer at Michael Stevens Consulting

Job Summary

• Be the “champion” of all Production, Supply Chain and Power issues in the Factories.
• Develop and maintain high operations performance standards for the plants and take overall responsibility for all production related operations including purchasing and distribution, safety, industrial excellence and technical support, resources (people mobilization/development), customer orientation and logistics as well as production support functions such as engineering and maintenance.
• Develop the value of all plant ‘assets’ through effective management of equipment, reserves, competencies and stakeholder relationships.
• Provide overall strategic leadership, direction and guidance for all Plant operations.
• Ensure the continuous growth and profitability of the organisation’s business.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Budgeting & Planning:

• Champion the execution of the corporate strategy at the Operation level; Demonstrate ownership for the definition of the Operation’s strategy and ensure alignment with the corporate strategy.
• Provide strategic guidance and oversight in the development of strategic plans for the plant.
• Prepare the annual budgets and prudently monitor and manage the Plants resources within the budgetary provision.
• Facilitate prompt implementation of the approved operational plans and ensure that plant operations are in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
• Facilitate the definition of broad guidelines for the establishment of standards to ensure and measure the performance of plant operations; its departments, units, teams and personnel.

Plant Management Cycle:

• Oversee the conduct of in-depth research, assessment and analysis and benchmark the plant management strategies against other major players in view of industry and economic realities in order to ensure maintenance and improvement of production standards.
• Work with the Head, Risk Management & Compliance and oversee the execution and implementation of approved risk management frameworks and disaster recovery plans to ensure optimal plant performance and minimize operational losses.
• Continually control and monitor plant performance through the use of standard tools, benchmarking and pre-defined Company indicators to be used for tracking.
• Demonstrate ownership for all technical issues in the plants.
• Optimise and adapt the production process and equipment in line with the Company’s improvement program/ action plans.
• Work with the National Sales Manager to oversee the analysis of sales forecast to determine production capacity required to meet forecast.
• Monitor production performance including cost & volumes of raw materials, energy & fuels, effective utilisation of equipment/machines and ensure alignment with planned production targets, delivery targets, profitability targets and other key performance measures.
• Implement appropriate strategies, plans and programmes for producing quality products and achieving set levels of Plant capacity utilisation and efficiency.
• Develop and enforce policies and procedures for production methods, quality and safety.
• Develop plans and processes which minimize manufacturing costs through effective utilization of manpower, equipment, facilities, materials, and capital.
• Work with the Health & Safety Officials to create safe work conditions and mobilize all plant employees and contractors on safety at work.
• Ensure Plant compliance with all local and national laws and regulations relating to food & beverage manufacturing.

Finance and Cost Reduction:

• Oversee the execution of all necessary systems, controls, policies and procedures to ensure a rigorous financial framework for the beverage & bakery Plants.
• Authorize expenses in line with all plant objectives and budget provisions.
• Provide oversight for the management of ERP reporting tool.
• Demonstrate ownership for the implementation of a cost reduction program including cost tracking practices/methods in order to maintain competitive edge in the market and ensure increased overall performance. The cost reduction program should be reflected in:
  • Fixed cost, variable cost, selling & general cost (pricing);
  • Increased volumes;
  • Effectiveness of supply chain management practices;
  • Increased investments.

Product Quality and Customer Satisfaction:

• Develop a customer oriented culture in alignment with the Company’s values ensuring prompt feedback in addressing customer complaints issues
• Ensure the maintenance of product quality and provision of quality service.
• Demonstrate ownership of quality control procedures as well as the overall quality of all products.

General:

• Coordinate day-to-day activities of the Plant and provide leadership to direct reports and the entire staff of the Company.
• Continually review and implement best practices for all units in the Plant.
• Ensure continuous review and assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of the Plant’s policies, procedures and processes, identify improvement opportunities and ensure alignment with the Country’s standards.
• Receive and review periodic financial and non-financial reports to effectively monitor and steer the activities of the Plant to meet strategic objectives.
• Review and authorise key expenditures/transactions of the Country in line with the approved budget.
• Ensure the optimal management of the Plant’s human and material resources to optimise performance and enhance output.
• Monitor and stay abreast of industry, national and global developments, trends and events to ensure that the Company is able to maintain and sharpen its competitive positioning and advantage.
• Perform any other tasks as assigned by the MD

Competency and Skills Requirements
Very good understanding of the following areas:

• Operation and Maintenance Management Systems (ERP experience is helpful).
• Process Management
• Product Quality
• Quality/ Environmental Management
• Project Management
• Logistics Management
• In-depth knowledge of strategic planning and financial management.
• Ability to think strategically and holistically and appreciate the systematic impact of complex issues and solutions.
• Well-developed leadership and people management skills, including the ability to manage multi-national and cross-cultural teams effectively.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and relationship management skills.
• Strong presentation and facilitation skills.

Key Performance Indicators

• % operating profit margin
• % overall volume growth
• % average plant utilization
• % average production yield
• % production downtime
• Operational audit score rating
• % defect rate
• Return on Investment (ROI) on all operations processes
• Efficiency of resource utilization
• Customer satisfaction index
• Production delivery turnaround time
• Level of compliance to quality standards
• Implementation of polices, processes and standards
• Efficient resource allocation and manpower utilization
• % timely deliveries
• Product Quality index
• Employee satisfaction index

Education and Work Experience

• Bachelor's Degree or its equivalent in Engineering
• Relevant Post graduate Degree such as an MBA is required
• Minimum of eighteen (18) years relevant work experience from the Food and Beverages or manufacturing industries