Plant Manager

The Plant Manager directs and oversees all day-to-day manufacturing operations, ensuring safe, high-quality, on-time, and profitable production runs. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), the role manages production lines (specifically tahini/food processing), enforces stringent food safety and quality standards (FSSC 22000, HACCP, BRC/IFS), optimizes manufacturing costs, and leads multidisciplinary teams across production, maintenance, quality control, and logistics.

1. Operations & Production Management

• Lead daily facility operations to achieve customer requirements, production schedules, and targets efficiently.

• Manage the production of tahini lines, monitor equipment health, schedule preventive maintenance, and minimize downtime.

• Track and optimize manufacturing costs, labor performance, line efficacy, and resource utilization.

• Plan raw materials, packaging supplies, and finished goods inventory management.

2. Quality Assurance & Food Safety

• Enforce quality control standards and maintain the highest product standards in taste, texture, and color.

• Ensure full compliance with food safety management systems, including FSSC 2200:V5, HACCP, GMP, and BRC/IFS standards.

• Collect and analyze operational data to identify waste, eliminate inefficiencies, and implement best practices.

3. Team Leadership & Administration

• Oversee recruitment, staffing levels, performance evaluations, employee discipline, and training for both skilled and unskilled personnel.

• Mentor and develop junior employees and factory supervisors to enhance plant-wide capabilities.

• Prepare comprehensive daily and monthly production reports for executive management.

• Educational Background: BSc or MSc Degree in Food Technology, Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering, or a related field.

• Overall Work Experience: Minimum of 7 to 10 years of relevant manufacturing experience.

• Managerial Experience: At least 3 years in a senior managerial or plant leadership role.

• Sector Preference: Food manufacturing experience is strongly preferred; specific background in sesame, tahini, oilseed, or edible-oil processing is a major advantage.

• Technical Expertise: Production management, HACCP, ISO 22000/FSSC 22000, GMP, Lean/Six Sigma, and process optimization.

• Core Competencies: Strong leadership, decision-making, problem-solving, cost control, KPI management, and continuous improvement capability.

• Language Proficiency: Full professional proficiency in English and Amharic.