Chief Operating Officer

Overview

Responsible for running the operation of a medium sized plastic packaging business, we are looking for someone who is an experienced GM / Director / COO, preferably from the plastics industry. Successful candidates must have a minimum 8 years experience in a senior executive position with demonstrable leadership in a company with at least 50 employees.

The individual must be able to drive continuous improvement, sales and operational excellence within a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Lead transformational cross-functional strategic initiatives to drive process, content and business impact for projects. Advance lean thinking, provide a full range of productivity coaching to Operations, and implement and sustain operational systems and standards through the deployment of operational excellence tools and company best practices. Lead sales force performance improvement, as well as procurement and overhead cost improvement initiatives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Promotes a proactive and sustainable environmental, health and safety culture
• Directs operational effectiveness to maximize efficiency and productivity
• Ensures customer delivery and quality expectations are met
• Plans and oversees the implementation of capital improvement projects to ensure adherence to approved plans, schedules and budgets
• Responsible for all aspects of financial management of the plant; controls spending in all areas including capital, labour, energy and inventory
• Resolves operational, manufacturing, employee and customer issues
• Prepares and compiles various analysis and reports pertaining to plant utilization, labour efficiencies, materials usage, scrap, and labour
• Responsible for compliance with regulatory frameworks and laws and regulations in food to consistently manufacture products according to quality standards, as well as other customer and regulatory quality standards
• Works closely with customer contacts (quality and purchasing) to ensure coordination of activities and facilitation of customer relationship; participates in the resolution and prevention of customer complaints, and promotes solid customer relations in partnership with the commercial organization
• Responsible for the overall development of people and skills throughout the plant to support talent management
• Actively works to build high engagement of co-workers
• Manages team of direct reports and is responsible for employee selection, development, mentoring, and performance management. Responsible for overall talent management and employee engagement; cultivates an environment of safety, high performance, and ethical and legal compliance; addresses employee relations issues
• Keeps informed of technical and management developments to assure continued personal growth and to coach employees toward optimum performance

Managerial Duties

• Effectively adopting the current business model and proposing improvements to the business activities to transform inputs through its business activities into outputs and outcomes to fulfil the companys strategic purposes and create value over the short, medium and long term
• Ensuring full legal compliance to applicable legislation including the OHS
• Act, Companys Act, and other relevant laws and regulations and procedures
• Managing the manufacturing activities within the business to ensure products are manufactured safely, on-schedule and within quality standards and cost objectives
• Monitoring production and maintenance processes to ensure the effective use of resources and equipment
• Management of the finance team and oversight of the finance function including management of working capital, as well as capital management
  Effectively and efficiently managing the available technical, budget, capital, and human resources
• Management of client and customer relationships
  Overseeing the development of departmental plans, including production and/or organisational priorities
• Ensuring plant and maintenance is staffed sufficiently with competent employees to optimise safety, quality, product volume and equipment efficiency
• Overseeing the execution of the continuous improvement of production performance and cost optimisation
• Provide effective leadership in the development of annual costs work plans and budgets and strategy
• Guide and oversee the alignment of the budget to expected results and review monthly, quarterly and annual reporting directly to the shareholders
• Provide effective financial, HR and administration management co-ordination
• Ensure effective performance management programmes in place

Technical Duties

• Management of plant operator and all related staff
• Reviews production orders or schedules to ascertain product data such as types, quantities, and specifications of products and scheduled delivery dates in order to plan facility operations
• Plans production to ensure customer deadlines are met. Coordinates manufacturing activities to ensure production and quality of products meets specifications
• Reviews production and operating reports and resolves operational, manufacturing, and delivery problems with plant teams
• Assists in directing plant activities to achieve optimum utilization of machinery and equipment, and maximum efficiency of operations
• Evaluates employee performance, recommends candidates for hire, promotion, demotion, transfer or termination
• Assists in controlling and reducing scrap
• Controls the financial spending of all departments
• Recommends capital improvements to plant which result directly in improved safety conditions, improved quality of finished product, resulting in value added, improved efficiency, or reduction of plant variable or fixed operations costs
• Develops or revises standard operational and working practices and observes to ensure compliance with standards
• Reviews the safety performance and training programs for the facility. Takes an active role in the plants safety programs and goals
• Responsible for monitoring and ensuring positive overall morale of the facility

Keeps informed of technical and management developments to assure continued personal growth and to coach employees toward optimum performance

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelors Degree – Engineering or related field preferred; minimally Business Administration or similar
• Minimum of eight years plant supervisory experience required, including three years in operations management
• Proven track record of success in a large operation in the plastics packaging industry or similar
• Experience overseeing functions such as accounting or finance, safety and human resources, and quality preferred
  Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources

Skills and Experience

• An innovative individual who will lead the design and delivery of the overall business strategy, responsible for the day to day running of the business
• Solutions focused, creative as well as innovative whilst being extremely decisive and results orientated
• Highly adaptable with the ability to operate at a strategic level
• Strong business and project management acumen
• Excellent stakeholder (internal and external) management skills
• Ability to propose changes in strategy and improvements on an operational level and for the business as a whole
• Ability to adhere to and apply corporate governance policies
• Commercial skills (finance, HR/IR, negotiation and contract management)
• Strong intellect, work ethic, command of the detail and a willingness to engage at all levels