Plant Manager

Recruiter: Chainlink SA

Job Ref: 291814

Date posted: Thursday, July 23, 2026

Location: Nigel, South Africa

SUMMARY: POSITION INFO: PRODUCTION MANAGER – PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRY Location: (Client site – details provided during screening) Industry: Petrochemical \/ Manufacturing \/ Industrial Employment Type: Permanent Salary: Market-related (based on experience) Department: Site Operations – LCS Service Function Reporting To: Senior Management Our client is seeking an experienced, technically strong, and operationally driven Production Manager with proven experience in the petrochemical industry . This role is responsible for leading all on-site production operations, ensuring safe, efficient, and reliable manufacturing output. The Production Manager will oversee daily production performance, plant availability, maintenance coordination, quality compliance, HSE standards, and continuous improvement initiatives. This is a high?impact leadership role requiring strong operational discipline, people management capability, and deep technical understanding of petrochemical production environments. Key Responsibilities Production Operations Management Oversee daily production flow to meet volume, quality, and timeline requirements Schedule and coordinate production activities based on demand and capacity Optimise utilisation of equipment, labour, and materials Ensure compliance with SOPs, quality systems, and regulatory requirements Maintenance & Asset Management Oversee preventive, predictive, and reactive maintenance strategies Ensure asset performance, uptime, and reliability targets are met Collaborate with Maintenance Supervisor on work orders, CMMS accuracy, and spares Lead plant shutdowns, commissioning, and upgrade projects People Leadership & Team Development Lead, coach, and manage production and maintenance teams Oversee workforce planning, shift scheduling, and staffing levels Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, safety, and continuous improvement Identify skills gaps and implement training plans Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Ensure all activities comply with safety policies and regulatory standards Conduct safety audits, risk assessments, and incident investigations Champion safe working behaviour and drive HSE performance improvements Quality & Compliance Ensure products meet required specifications and quality standards Address deviations, non?conformances, and root?cause investigations Collaborate with QA\/QC teams to maintain certification and audit readiness Continuous Improvement & Performance Optimisation Lead Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and OEE improvement initiatives Analyse performance data to identify bottlenecks and improvement opportunities Drive 5S, standardised work, and waste?reduction projects Budget & Cost Control Manage operational budgets and cost control Track and reduce production cost per unit Ensure cost?effective use of materials, utilities, and workforce Key Performance Outputs (KPOs) Aligned to operational excellence, including: Production Performance: Output vs target, Production Efficiency %, On?Time Delivery Quality: Right?First?Time %, Scrap\/Waste Reduction %, Customer Defects Maintenance & Reliability: OEE, Plant Uptime %, MTTR, PM Compliance % HSE: LTIR, Near?Miss Reporting, Training Completion % Financial: Cost per Unit, Budget Adherence, Energy Efficiency People: Retention, Absenteeism, Training Completion, Performance Reviews Team Structure You will lead and coordinate: Millwright Maintenance Team Supervisor Operators Foreman Artisans Safety Officer Administrator Minimum Requirements Experience in the petrochemical industry (essential) Proven experience in production management, operations, or plant leadership Strong knowledge of maintenance, asset management, and reliability principles Strong understanding of HSE, quality systems, and regulatory compliance Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, OEE, and continuous improvement methodologies Strong leadership, communication, and people?management skills Ability to work under pressure in a high?risk industrial environment Strong analytical, problem?solving, and decision?making ability