Job Opportunities at Kenya & East Africa Management Services Company (KEAMSCO)

The Operations manager uses the past performance of the business, market conditions and strategic planning to forecast the supply and demand of the products.

He coordinates all activities including management, finance, customer relations, and marketing to ensure efficiency and profitability.

Responsibilities:

• Effectively manage costs in department at all times without compromising the quality with minimum cost incurred.
• Develops the annual budget
• Ensures financial analysis on a regular basis to evaluate business performance on department level
• Develops long term financial plan in collaboration with MFI management
• Assumes responsibility for the day to day operations of the business to ensure efficiency and profitability
• Provide project planning and management i.e. team building, ensure that costs of all departments are kept under budget ensuring costs are managed within budget.
  Develop and implement a coherent training needs analysis assessment and plan, creating a training and development program designed to provide a ‘Best in Class’ in customer service and professional skills that are transferable, measurable and quantifiable.
• Ensure maintenance and smooth running of operations at the MFI plant
• Ensure that professional standards are set and adhered to in accordance with the requirements of the regulatory bodies and other relevant criteria

Competencies:

• Customer Service: The Operations Manager serves as role model and sets the standard for all employees to maintain high-quality and consistent customer service. This requires an advanced knowledge of industry best practices and customer service.
• Communication:  This position requires a commitment to details both verbally and non-verbally, therefore, the Operations Manager must encourage cooperative and consistent levels of communication with all staff and management
• Interpersonal Relationships: Must adapt to different personalities of clients, vendors and coworkers without losing focus. Must possess high professional ethics and avoid extreme familiarity or conflicts with others.
• Leadership and Management: Must understand and practice motivational management techniques. He or she must use these skills in wisely placing qualified individuals into key management and supervisory positions.
• Delegation: Delegate the appropriate tasks and manage staff workloads.
• Training and Development: Provide for instruction staff members and coach employees to improve learning and enhance performance.
• Problem Solving, Quality Control and Priority Assessment: Must evaluate current practices and processes; immediately recognize potential areas of conflict; and initiate ways to improve current business methods, quality of products and services provided to the customers.
• Conflict management: The Operations Manager must recognize a problem when it arises and be able to resolve it appropriately by using good judgment, tact and initiative according to company policy and procedure. Often requires the unbiased mediation skills to handle all types of conflicts that will occur at all levels of supervision and the ability to negotiate effectively.
• Information Gathering: Must identify and utilize internal and external sources to improve and maintain the company’s objectives.
• Sales Techniques and Customer Influence: Must understand products and services develop new prospects for opportunity, and understand customer needs clearly. Must also possess substantial experience and remain current in state-of-the-art sales methods. Must set and meet sales goals.
• Analytical Skills: Must use logic and reason to identify solutions and alternatives for a successful outcome in many situations, including cost/benefit analysis; service and product quality; and conflict resolution.
• Technical Skills: Must have experience and knowledge of budget analysis methods, general accounting skills.
• Flexibility: Must work overtime when needed and assist the workload of others.

Education:

• Advanced university degree (MBA) in finance (preferred)
• A first-level university degree/ qualified accountant in combination with qualifying experience

Work Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in a large cash and stock-based business, ideally in the food and beverages industry, in either financial controls or operations management.
• Experience in management position

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Job Purpose: Organizing the resources which includes human, material, machinery and equipment with the aim of achieving optimal plant availability to produce high quality products that meets the market demand at the right time, cost and quantities.

Production Manager will be expected to perform the following key functions:

1. Production Planning:

• Usage of materials.
• Manpower deployment and utilization.

2. Plant Utilization:

• Plant and process layout.
• Process improvement.

3. Managing Productivity and Product Quality:

• Administering compliance of the laws governing factories and related statutory requirements.
• Adherence to all quality systems of best practice in terms of product quality and safety.
• Managing production cost and waste reduction.
• Managing production while guided by best international practices.
• Managing occupational safety at the factory.

4. Plant and Infrastructure Maintenance:

• Assist the Operations Manager to prepare plans and controls for all Plant maintenance including electrical & mechanical maintenance involving the maintenance staff.
• Maximize Plant availability (capacity) by effectively monitoring the maintenance section on the planned preventive and breakdown maintenance procedures.
• Managing the repairs and maintenance of factory buildings and structures.

5. Utilities Management:

• Managing economical consumption of utilities, namely electricity, water, boiler firewood, steam, cold room, motor vehicles and standby generators.
• Recommending projects that may help minimize energy consumption costs.

6. Management of Information and Advice:

• Recommending the right software for integrating the factory processes.
• Production of periodical management reports.
• Recommending and implementing strategic operational issues.
• Adhere to the quality management systems – requirements.

7. Management of Occupational Health and Safety:

• Enforcing compliance of the laws governing factory operations and other relevant occupational health & safety statutory requirements.
• Head of the Company’s health & safety committee as the representative of the Management.
• Coordinating safety programs including training of staff on safety matters.

8. Budget Control:

• Prepare financial budgets for the production department.
• Prepare production budgets in liaison with marketing department and the Operations Manager.
• Ensure that production operations are strictly within the budget limits.

9. Management of Subordinates Effectiveness:

• Staff performance management.
• Staff training and development.
• Motivation and team development.
• Mentoring and leading staff to achieve Company’s goals.

Qualifications:

• Degree in food science & technology with specialty in fruit and vegetables products processing;
• Degree in business related to the food processing industry;
• Proven consultative training and leadership qualities with 5 years experience in food production environment;
• It would be an advantage for a candidate with exposure to leading edge ISO accreditation, OH&S process improvement practices;
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, and be driven by achieving excellence in productions efficiencies;
• Excellent managerial, organization and analytical skills.