Operations Executive | Industrial Engineer | Senior Manager
Premium Executive Placements · Parys, Free State
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Operations Executive reports to the Managing Director and works alongside, not above, the Operations Manager
Managing Director Main channel for operational information going up and instructions coming down.
Operations Manager: daily working relationship; responsible for the plant, GMR2 safety, efficiency and daily output.
Supervisors (5): engaged through the Operations Manager.
Other functions: safety officer, maintenance, stores and procurement, quality and finance, as operational matters require.
The Operations Executive reports to the Managing Director and acts as the liaison to the Operations Manager, Stores / Warehouse / HR / R & D / ISO Management / Sales Dept / Marketing Solid lines show reporting; dotted lines show coordination only, with no authority over those functions
Duties & Responsibilities
1. Liaison between the MD and the Operations Manager
Act as the first point of escalation for operational issues that need MD attention, with facts and a recommended action.
Communicate the MD’s instructions, priorities and targets to the Operations Manager Stores / Warehouse / HR / R & D / ISO Management / Sales Dept / Marketing clearly and track them to completion.
Relay operational updates, risks, constraints and resource needs from the Operations Manager Stores / Warehouse / HR / R & D / ISO Management / Sales Dept / Marketing to the MD in a concise, accurate form.
Prepare for and attend management meetings, record decisions and actions, and follow up on deadlines.
2. Operational reporting and analysis
Compile and issue daily, weekly and monthly reports on production output, efficiency, downtime, scrap and rework, on-time delivery, and safety.
Maintain order-status tracking, and flag any risk to customer commitments early.
3. Health, safety and GMR2 compliance support
Support the Operations Manager in ensuring the plant complies with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the General Machinery Regulations (GMR2), including machine guarding, lock-out procedures and safe operating practice.
Keep safety records current: inspections, incident and near-miss reports, training records, and corrective action registers.
Track closure of safety findings and audit actions, and report safety performance to the MD.
Promote a visible safety culture on the floor, supporting toolbox talks and safety walk-arounds.
4. Efficiency and daily output
Monitor daily output and efficiency measures against targets and highlight deviations the same day.
Apply industrial engineering tools such as time and motion studies, standard times, capacity analysis and process mapping to set realistic output targets and staffing levels.
5. Supervisor and team support
6. Projects and special assignments
Handle ad hoc investigations, data requests and process reviews on behalf of the MD.
Key performance indicators
Performance is measured against the plant’s own targets, which the MD and Operations Manager set at the start of each year.
Area Measure Frequency Reporting
Daily, weekly and monthly reports issued on time and accurate
Daily / weekly / monthly
Liaison
MD actions communicated and closed by agreed dates
Weekly
Safety
Lost-time injuries, near-miss reporting, GMR2 audit findings closed on time
Monthly
Output
Daily and monthly units produced vs plan
Daily / monthly
Efficiency
Weekly
Delivery
On-time, in-full delivery to customers
Monthly
Improvement
Quarterly
Skills and competencies
Strong written and verbal communication, able to brief a Managing Director concisely and to earn the respect of managers and supervisors on the floor.
Advanced Excel and MS Office skills; experience with ERP or production-planning systems.
Strong analytical skills, with the ability to turn production data into clear reports and recommendations.
Working knowledge of industrial engineering techniques, including work study, line balancing, capacity planning, plant layout and process mapping.
Sound judgement, discretion and integrity, since the role handles sensitive information from both directions.
Self-driven, well organised, and comfortable managing several priorities and deadlines at once.
Practical, hands-on and comfortable spending time on the factory floor.
Valid driver’s licence and own transport.
Based full time at the manufacturing facility, split between office and factory floor; safety PPE is required on the floor.
Standard office hours, with flexibility for early starts, shift handovers or urgent production needs.
Desired Experience & Qualification
National Diploma, BTech or Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering (preferred), or in Mechanical or Production Engineering, Operations Management or a related field (essential).
At least 5 years in a manufacturing environment, with at least 2 years in a coordinating, planning or supervisory role (essential).
Experience in metal fabrication, refrigeration, assembly-line or similar light-industrial manufacturing (advantageous).
Working knowledge of the OHS Act and GMR2, and exposure to ISO 9001 or ISO 45001 (advantageous).
Package & Remuneration
R 55 000 CTC to R 70 000 CTC