Regional Operations Manager: Africa

Description

Our client, an established international organisation in the animal nutrition and feed manufacturing industry, is looking for an experienced Regional Operations Manager - Africa to drive operational excellence, manufacturing performance and continuous improvement across its African business units.

The successful candidate will play a key role in developing and implementing regional operational standards, improving manufacturing efficiency and strengthening operational capabilities across multiple facilities in Africa.

This is a regional coordination, facilitation and operational improvement role, working closely with local Operations Managers, Plant Managers and Project Managers to drive best practices, support strategic CAPEX initiatives and develop operational expertise across the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement regional manufacturing standards, operational frameworks and best practices across African business units.

• Drive Operational Excellence, continuous improvement and process optimisation initiatives to improve manufacturing efficiency and performance.

• Establish operational KPIs, performance reporting and benchmarking across manufacturing facilities.

• Identify performance gaps and coordinate practical improvement programmes across business units.

• Support operational improvements across production, maintenance, supply chain, warehousing, logistics, quality and HSE.

• Coordinate and facilitate regional CAPEX initiatives, working closely with local Project Managers to ensure alignment with regional operational standards and objectives.

• Support project teams with factory expansions, commissioning, operational readiness and the implementation of best practices.

• Identify operational skills and capability gaps across African business units and facilitate the development of regional expertise.

• Build and strengthen networks of operational specialists, promoting knowledge sharing and the transfer of best practices across countries.

• Develop operational dashboards and promote data-driven performance management.

• Collaborate with Plant Managers, Operations Managers, Engineering Teams and regional leadership to drive consistent operational performance.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Industrial, Mechanical or Manufacturing Engineering, Operations Management, or an equivalent qualification.

• 8--10 years' experience in manufacturing, operations or engineering leadership roles.

• Proven experience in multi-site and/or multi-country manufacturing operations.

• Strong Project Coordination and Facilitation skills, with the ability to support and align project teams across multiple sites and countries.

• Strong background in Operational Excellence, continuous improvement and manufacturing performance optimisation.

• Experience supporting CAPEX projects, factory startups, expansions or operational transformation initiatives.

• Proven ability to develop operational capabilities, transfer knowledge and implement best practices across manufacturing environments.

• Experience operating in Africa or comparable emerging markets.

• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and drive initiatives without direct reporting authority.

• Willingness and ability to travel extensively across Africa (40--60%).

Advantageous

• Lean Six Sigma certification.

• Project Management or Operations Management qualification.

• MBA.

• Experience implementing regional manufacturing standards and operational improvement programmes.

Key Competencies

• Manufacturing Operations Management

• Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Multi-site Operations Coordination

• Project Coordination & Facilitation

• CAPEX & Operational Readiness

• Process Optimisation & Performance Management

• Operational Capability Development & Knowledge Transfer

• Supply Chain & Production Operations

• Data Analysis & Operational Reporting

• Stakeholder Management & Influencing Skills

• Strategic Thinking & Structured Execution

• Strong communication and cross-cultural collaboration skills

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is an experienced manufacturing or operations professional with a strong technical foundation and a proven ability to drive operational improvements across multiple manufacturing facilities.

You should combine practical manufacturing experience with strategic operational thinking, strong coordination and facilitation skills, and the ability to influence stakeholders across different business units and countries.

A key aspect of this role is the ability to identify capability gaps, develop regional expertise and facilitate knowledge transfer, while supporting local management teams in implementing sustainable operational improvements.

General

• We are committed to fair and inclusive hiring. All suitably qualified applicants are welcome to apply.

• Preference may be given in line with our client's Employment Equity plan and applicable legislation.

• Applicants must have the legal right to work in South Africa at the time of application.

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within 30 days, please consider your application unsuccessful.

• Please include your current remuneration (CTC), salary expectation, and notice period (optional but helpful for screening).

• By applying, you consent to the processing of your personal information for recruitment purposes in accordance with POPIA.