Job Description

The Plant & Operations Manager is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving operational excellence across manufacturing functions. This position oversees day-to-day production activities, manages team performance, and implements lean processes to optimize throughput, quality, and cost efficiency in a high-mix, low-volume environment typical of custom-engineered vehicles.
The ideal candidate will possess deep experience in manufacturing operations and lean management within the automotive or heavy-duty vehicle sector. The Plant & Operations Manager will act as a cross-functional leader, aligning with engineering, quality, and supply chain teams to meet production and customer delivery goals.
This role includes full oversight of plant-level operations, including infrastructure, facilities, and production systems, with accountability for uptime, layout efficiency, and operational readiness for new product launches. The manager will ensure all plant activities are aligned with corporate strategic goals, regulatory compliance, and performance metrics.
Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations across assigned production areas, ensuring safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets are met or exceeded.
• Develop and manage high-performing teams, instilling accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement culture.
• Oversee production planning, resource allocation, and capacity management to support short- and long-term business goals.
• Drive and support Lean initiatives including Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, 5S, and Continuous Improvement to increase operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with engineering and quality teams to identify root causes of issues and implement robust corrective actions.
• Analyse key performance indicators (KPIs) including unit hour performance, quality metrics, and budget adherence to identify trends and improvement areas.
• Facilitate communication and alignment between shifts, departments, and senior leadership to ensure smooth operational execution.
• Lead initiatives that enhance workplace safety and comply with environmental, health, and safety regulations.
• Champion change management processes and lead teams through transformational projects with resilience and engagement.
• Oversee and continuously improve plant infrastructure including facilities, equipment, utilities, layout design, and maintenance programs to ensure operational reliability and readiness.
• Ensure compliance with U.S. regulatory standards including OSHA, EPA, and local building and environmental codes.
• Lead production system improvements, including MES and ERP integration for enhanced scheduling, tracking, and operational visibility.
• Manage preparation and ramp-up for new production lines, vehicle model changes, or capacity expansions as part of ongoing plant growth.
• Coordinate with internal logistics teams to ensure effective dock-to-dock material flow and outbound shipment readiness.
• Monitor and improve advanced manufacturing KPIs such as Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), First Pass Yield (FPY), and On-Time Delivery (OTD).
• Support workforce planning and development initiatives to ensure the availability of skilled labour across all shifts and production units.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial Engineering, or Operations Management (or equivalent qualification).
• Minimum 8 years of leadership experience in manufacturing or operations in a complex production environment.
• Proven success in applying Lean Manufacturing methodologies such as Just-in-Time, Flow, Visual Management, and Total Productive Maintenance.
• Solid experience in capacity and capability planning for short- and long-term operations.
• Demonstrated financial acumen related to cost centre management and budget control.
• Strong ability to motivate, develop, and manage multidisciplinary teams in a production setting.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Fluent in English, with exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, capable of engaging confidently across technical and executive audiences.
• South African citizenship.

Kindly note that by submitting your application for this career opportunity, you agree that Guardian Recruiting may use your application for the purpose of the recruitment and selection of the said position, and this information may be shared with the relevant stakeholders in the business.
Please note that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Should you not have heard back within a two-week period, please assume that your application was unsuccessful.
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