Packhouse Manager

Our client is a leading berry producer, for an experienced, self-motivated, and target-driven Packhouse Manager . This senior role leads the full packhouse operation- people, process, and performance, to deliver world-class quality for both local and export markets. Location: Hermanus (Please note that accommodation is NOT provided for this position and nor will a housing benefit be provided) Salary offered: Market related and negotiable (dependent on experience and suitability of the ideal candidate) About the opportunity You’ll own the day-to-day running of a high-throughput, labour-intensive soft-fruit packhouse. Your mandate: build a safe, disciplined, and data-driven operation that consistently meets customer specifications while developing a strong team and a culture of continuous improvement. Key responsibilities Operational leadership: Run end-to-end packhouse operations (intake, grading, packing, labelling, cold chain, dispatch) and lead all packhouse staff and supervisors. Quality & compliance: Ensure product integrity and traceability; maintain documentation and SOPs; uphold standards required for local and export customers; prepare for and host audits. Best-practice systems: Implement and refine policies, workflows, and KPIs to drive accuracy, yield, and consistency (e.g., changeovers, line balancing, downtime control, waste reduction). People management: Recruit, train, schedule, and coach teams; build multi-skilled capability and a strong leadership bench; manage performance and labour relations constructively. Health & safety: Champion a proactive safety culture and ensure compliance with legislative and site requirements. Planning & reporting: Convert harvest forecasts into executable pack plans; manage materials, inventory, and cold-store capacity; track throughput, giveaway, and cost KPIs with clear daily/weekly reporting. Customer focus: Ensure all customer and market specifications are met, on time and in full, for both local and export programs. Success in this role looks like Consistent OTIF delivery against pack plans and customer specs. Audit-ready quality systems with robust traceability and documentation. Improved yields, reduced waste, and reliable daily KPI reporting. Engaged, well-trained teams and a stable leadership pipeline on shift. What you’ll bring Tertiary qualification (operations/engineering/food science/similar). 5+ years’ experience managing a soft-fruit (or similar high-care, labour-intensive) packhouse at senior level. Proven people leadership with excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Strong numerical, planning, and analytical ability; confident with production data and MS Office/Google Sheets. Self-disciplined , team-oriented, honest, and high integrity; comfortable working with minimal supervision to hit targets and deadlines. Willingness to work overtime and weekends to meet operational demand. Advantageous: working knowledge of HACCP , BRC/BRCGS , and other quality systems; experience meeting export program specifications. #J-18808-Ljbffr