Job at a glance
Requirements: Grade 12 / Matric and SP2 qualification with Nature of Milk. HACCP and Safety Training Certificate. Minimum of 1 years' experience in a cheese manufacturing environment. Previous supervisory experience overseeing teams in a production environment. Ability to supervise and coordinate up to 24 employees. Sound knowledge of cheese manufacturing processes, draining vats, cheese towers, and cheese production operations.
Strong understanding of GMP, HACCP, ISO, Food Safety, Quality, and Hygiene requirements. Working knowledge of production equipment and machinery used within a cheese factory. Ability to monitor production performance, yields, waste, and product quality standards. Strong problem-solving, troubleshooting, and decision-making skills. Good planning, leadership, and people management skills. Ability to conduct employee training, coaching, and performance monitoring.
Good communication skills with the ability to engage effectively across all levels of the business. Strong attention to detail and commitment to product quality and food safety. Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced production environment. Computer literacy and accurate record-keeping skills will be advantageous. First Aid, Supervisory, Dairyman, and Chain Hoist Training will be advantageous.
Responsibilities but not limited to: Lead, supervise, and coordinate up to 24 employees to ensure adherence to company policies, procedures, productivity targets, and workplace discipline. Oversee the operation of draining vats, cheese towers, and associated equipment to ensure efficient and uninterrupted cheese production. Monitor cheese production processes, including pH levels, salt addition, vacuum pressure, weight control, and recipe compliance to achieve product specifications.
Ensure all cheese products are produced, handled, packed, and transferred according to quality, weight, traceability, and food safety requirements. Maintain compliance with HACCP, ISO, GMP, hygiene, sanitation, and quality standards throughout the production process. Drive production efficiency by monitoring yields, controlling waste, reducing losses, and ensuring production targets are achieved. Promote a safe working environment through compliance with safety procedures, PPE requirements, incident reporting, and safety awareness initiatives.
Monitor raw materials, packaging materials, and production resources to ensure product availability and minimize waste. Complete and sign off production, quality, hygiene, traceability, and ISO documentation accurately and on time. Conduct inspections of equipment, production areas, and sanitation activities to ensure operational readiness and compliance. Coordinate with the Cheesemaker, Laboratory, Warehouse, Planning, and Cold Storage departments to maintain product quality and production flow.
Train, coach, and develop employees to ensure competency, compliance with SOPs, and continuous skills development. Please note: If you do not receive a response within 2 weeks of submitting your application, please consider your application unsuccessful.