General Manager – Converting

Location: Pretoria, Gauteng

Our client, a well-established organisation within the manufacturing industry and FMCG, is seeking an experienced General Manager – Converting to lead the safe, efficient and profitable operation of the Pretoria manufacturing site. This senior leadership role is suited to a commercially astute manufacturing professional with strong operational leadership experience and a proven track record of driving safety, quality, productivity, cost efficiency and continuous improvement.

The successful candidate will provide strategic and operational leadership across the site, leading a multidisciplinary management team while ensuring strong performance, operational discipline, people development and compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Lead the end-to-end manufacturing operation and ensure delivery against business objectives.
• Set and communicate clear strategic and operational objectives aligned with business strategy.
• Lead, coach and develop a multidisciplinary leadership team.
• Drive a culture of accountability, high performance, engagement and continuous improvement.
• Ensure production schedules are achieved through disciplined execution and effective operational control.
• Monitor operational performance and implement corrective actions where required.
• Drive compliance with the Operations Management System (OMS), including required routines, standards and reporting.
• Lead structured problem-solving and root cause analysis to address operational constraints and recurring issues.

Manufacturing Performance

• Drive improvements in production efficiency, OEE, productivity, quality and schedule adherence.
• Monitor production performance and ensure corrective actions are implemented when targets are not achieved.
• Promote quality at source and ensure products consistently meet customer and internal specifications.
• Drive initiatives to improve operational reliability, productivity and manufacturing efficiency.
• Lead cost reduction and value improvement initiatives across the operation.

Financial & Cost Management

• Manage operational expenditure within approved budgets.
• Monitor and control manufacturing costs and operational variances.
• Manage Material Usage Variance (MUV), waste and utility efficiency.
• Identify and implement sustainable cost-saving opportunities.
• Participate in the development of annual operational and maintenance budgets.
• Ensure effective allocation and utilisation of resources.

People Development & Succession

• Develop and maintain succession plans for critical roles.
• Identify capability gaps and implement appropriate development plans.
• Support graduate, trainee and in-service development programmes.
• Build organisational capability to support long-term business sustainability.
• Coach and mentor leaders while driving accountability and performance.

Asset Management & Reliability

• Support and continuously improve the asset management strategy.
• Ensure operational and maintenance activities align with asset care plans.
• Drive reliability and equipment performance improvements.
• Work closely with Engineering to improve equipment availability and reliability.
• Identify and address asset-related risks and opportunities.
• Reduce unplanned downtime and improve overall equipment effectiveness.

CAPEX & Operational Improvement

• Identify capital investment and operational improvement opportunities.
• Develop and motivate capital requirements and business cases.
• Work with Engineering and Project Managers to deliver projects safely, on time and within budget.
• Ensure capital projects achieve intended business outcomes and ROI.
• Oversee operational readiness for commissioning and implementation activities.

SHEQ & Risk Management

• Lead and promote a culture where safety is the highest priority.
• Ensure compliance with legal, environmental, risk and corporate governance requirements.
• Ensure safe work procedures are maintained and consistently followed.
• Drive incident investigations and implementation of corrective actions.
• Promote continuous improvement in safety, environmental and quality performance.
• Maintain required permits, regulatory obligations and compliance standards.

Minimum Requirements

• Grade 12 / Matric.
• Relevant Degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Management, Chemistry, or a related discipline.
• BSc Mechanical Engineering, BSc Electrical Engineering.
• Postgraduate qualification in Business Management or Leadership advantageous.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in a senior management role within a packaging, FMCG or continuous manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in manufacturing operations leadership.
• Proven Industrial Relations experience.
• Experience leading large, multidisciplinary teams.
• Proven experience delivering operational excellence, transformation and business improvement initiatives.

Key Competencies

• Manufacturing Operations Management
• General Management
• Strategic Planning
• Financial & Budget Management
• Asset Management
• Operational Excellence
• Lean Manufacturing
• Six Sigma
• Project & Change Management
• Industrial Relations
• Supply Chain & Production Planning
• Performance Management
• Strong Safety Leadership
• People Development & Coaching
• Strategic Decision-Making
• Stakeholder Management
• Negotiation & Influencing
• Change Leadership
• Execution Excellence

Personal Attributes

• Strong business acumen and results orientation.
• High ethical standards and integrity.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability.
• Resilient and adaptable in complex operational environments.
• Passion for quality and continuous improvement.
• Exceptional communication and leadership skills.
• Customer-focused mindset.
• Ability to operate effectively in a demanding plant environment.

Working Environment

• Predominantly plant-based manufacturing environment with office responsibilities.
• Regular exposure to operational areas requiring PPE.
• Frequent interaction with production, engineering and support functions.
• May be required to work extended hours in support of operational requirements.
• Participation in emergency response and incident management when required.

If you are an experienced manufacturing leader with a strong track record in FMCG or continuous manufacturing, and have the leadership capability to drive operational excellence, people development and sustainable business performance, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today by submitting your detailed CV.

Please note: Should you not be contacted within two weeks, please take your application as unsuccessful.