Oversee and manage the overall operations of the Distribution Centre. Responsible for the efficient and effective function of all departments as well as building and monitoring operational capacity and process to ensure the sustainability of the Distribution Centres operations at the right cost to the right quality standards. This pivotal role is also responsible for executing the operational strategy, ensuring a consistent customer experience across all customers, and fostering a world-class operations culture.

The Key Functional Responsibilities:
Operations Management:
• Translate the company's strategic plans into defined operational plans.
• Provide operational leadership and effective management to ensure accurate operational controls.
• Directing all operational activities across the business unit.
• Managing the functional areas to achieve the required KPI’s.
• Ensures all quality audits are passed.
• Maintain all statutory and regulatory certifications.
• Ensures all operations comply with Company policy and procedure.
• Improves operational KPI’s year on year.
• Reviewing Inventory Control Operations ensuring that accuracy and system integrity is maintained.
• Ensures DC master delivery schedules are optimal, accommodate growth and meets the customer’s needs.
• Identifying opportunities to streamline business processes and systems.
• Ensures all quality audits are passed.
Customer Service:
• Achieve customer contractual service levels.
• Build and maintain trusting relationships with key customers, partners, and stakeholders.
• Conduct Business Reviews with customers discussing operational performance and identify areas of improvement.
• Conduct strategic sessions with customers to understand any changes in their operating environment. Using this info to improve / change service offering to customer.
• Resolve critical matters through seasoned negotiation skills and diplomacy.

Continuous Improvement:
• Lead People Development, Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement.
• Stay abreast of current market and industry trends and implement best practices where applicable.
Reporting:
• Presents and explains performance per DC in Monthly MANCO meetings.
• Customer Business Review presentations
Finance:
• Develop an attainable operational budget and align this to company financial strategy.
• Achieve budgeted cost per case per DC.
• Drive Cost Control
Risk:
• DC contingency plans are always up to date.
• Operational risks are timeously addressed and mitigated.
• Mitigate financial loss.
• Ensure that all KPI’s are met, and risk is mitigated.
• To be knowledgeable on the FSSC 22000.
• To lead the food safety Team and update them on all relevant changes and or improvements.
• To be conscious about food safety and quality protocols in the distribution centre.
• To be part of the Food safety Team and custodian of improvements.
• To be accountable for all internal and external audits and ensure smooth running of the audit procedure.
People:
• Ensures alignment and execution of the HR strategy.
• Cultivate a strong and safe performance culture across the business unit.
• Team performance is reviewed at least quarterly.
• Succession plans for team members are always up to date.
• Continuous training and development according to training requirements are met and up to date.
• Continuously coaches and mentor’s staff.
• Host monthly staff and union meeting with minutes.
• Ensure that all staff maintains DQSP certification.
• Develop and manage high performance multi-disciplinary team in order to solve problems within the distribution centre.
• Ensures a good corporate culture is maintained, pro-actively managing the IR landscape.
• Develop a good relationship with the elected Union.

The above list is not exhaustive, and you shall be obliged to perform subsidiary tasks in addition to the primary tasks for which you are employed. The Company undertakes to ensure however, that these subsidiary tasks will be within the training and experience or occupational capabilities of yourself and that you shall not suffer any loss of remuneration or status for work performed on subsidiary tasks. 

Work Experience Required:
• Senior Operational Management including but not limited to:
• Warehouse Management
• Inventory Management
• Transport Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Customer Service Management
• Project Management
• Health & Safety Management
• Facility & Asset Management
• Contingency Planning & Management
• Best Practice / Continuous Improvement Management
• Management of multi temperature stock items
• Management of complex, multi-site, multi-disciplinary, multi-culture organizations.
• Integrated strategy formulation and execution within large organizations of 400 plus employees.
• People Management including but not limited to:
• Probation Management
• Performance Management
• Time and Attendance Management
• Disciplinary Enquiries, including investigations, initiating and chairing.
• CCMA / Bargaining Council Exposure
• Sound knowledge of Payroll Processes
• Unionized Workforce Management
• Culture development.
• Organizational planning.
• Change Management

Minimum requirements:
• Grade 12
• Relevant Tertiary Degree, Honors Degree in Business / Supply Chain Management. MBA an advantage.
• 8-10 Years’ experience in a similar role within a similar field or industry
• MS office skills and Intermediate to advanced MS Excel skills required,
• Accounting Software Microsoft Great Plains
• Planning and Routing Soft Ware
• Advanced WMS system skills