Job Description

Purpose of the Role:

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This role is based at the Refinery and reports to the General Manager. The incumbent will be responsible for translating operational strategies into actionable plans, leading technical systems management, and supporting continuous improvement initiatives.


The Technical Services Manager plays a crucial role in maintaining and optimising the refinery's technical and management systems, including ISO 9001, ISO 45000, ISO 14000, FSSC, GMP, and environmental compliance. This role supports operational excellence, legal compliance, and continuous improvement across the site.

Key Responsibilities:

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Systems Management: Information Systems & Reporting:

Lead and maintain ISO 14000/45000, FSSC, GMP, and environmental systems; ensure alignment with legislation including NEMA, NWA, and food safety acts. Oversee technical reporting and data accuracy; manage refinery quality databases and historian systems. Provide detailed management reports regarding quality and environmental non-conformances. Integrate AI into refinery's quality management data sets to ensure accessible and real-time information.

Quality Management:

Lead the overall quality management strategy for the refinery - this includes both systems and culture management. Optimise operational excellence through a focus on quality at the source and through operational staff across the refinery. Manage supplier technical development to ensure raw material quality is maintained and optimised. Facilitate market and consumer feedback to engage relevant site departments and teams in pursuing continuous improvement plans. Ensure the laboratory function is adequately resourced and capable of providing real-time information and support to operations teams. Set up training and development initiatives and a quality internal audit function to ensure operational excellence at a shop floor level.

Strategic Environmental Management:

Develop appropriate strategies to guide refinery operations towards compliance with both local and national environmental laws. Set up programmes and projects to ensure a continuous improvement approach is adopted for all waste streams. Collaborate cross-functionally across the refinery, the group, and external stakeholders to find innovative and sustainable solutions for emerging environmental changes in legislation. Provide team leadership on key aspects of sustainability, including water, effluent, emissions, and waste management - all of which must be aligned with relevant environmental acts.

Stakeholder Engagement:

Facilitate community forums, customer audits, and liaise with regulatory bodies. Establish effective working relationships with local authorities and regulatory bodies to ensure a smooth workflow in achieving technical, environmental, and quality objectives. Build effective relationships with all key raw material suppliers to the refinery to minimise and eliminate quality risks to Tongaat Huletts' supply chain. Develop effective working relationships with all customers to ensure technical support is available, thus enhancing our product offering and after-service support.

Compliance Monitoring:

Enforce standards for trade metrology, food safety, environmental laws, and licencing.

Leadership and Management Control:

Guide strategic decision-making, manage performance, coach teams, and oversee recruitment and training. Manage and upskill direct reports within the quality teams to ensure all systems and service delivery to relevant production teams are of an exceptional standard. Effectively manage IR/union employees to ensure a healthy culture and workplace environment.

Financial Oversight:

Prepare and monitor budgets for capital and operational expenditures; approve expenditures and project costs. Effectively manage overtime, compliments, and employee productivity.

Qualifications and Experience Required:

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BSc or BTech in Computing, Operations Management, Chemical Engineering, or Environmental Management (MBA advantageous). Minimum 10 years of experience in plant engineering, refining and packaging, and compliance management. Strong analytical, strategic, and leadership capabilities. Proficient in SAP, data systems, and automation. Valid driver's licence.

Key Competencies:

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Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Ethical and professional maturity. Attention to detail and problem-solving ability. * Ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive continuous improvement.