Blender Dayshift at Diageo

About the role:

• Is a Supervisory role which supplies Bulk Liquid to the Isipingo Packaging Department and other Packaging business partners, in line with the business goals and objectives, to maintain a high efficiency, low cost, good quality and acceptable safety standard operation.  To implement company’s manufacturing processes, systems, and procedures. Accountable for Supervising / leading blending, filtration, mixing process operations. Leading and ensuring loading and offloading of bulk tankers and containers. Maintain and Lead a Safe and Healthy Working Environment and Improve Quality and Food Safety Compliance Agenda

Role Responsibilities:

• Actively this role shall own the entire process to ensure the delivery of the bulk products to internal and external customers On Time In Full at the required Quality. 
• Planning & Co-coordinating Blending processes to ensure the on time in full of no error supply of Bulk liquid to all our Packaging Partners internal and external. 
• Translation of packaging plan into blending plan and communicate timeously to all stakeholders. 
• Comply with the Customs, Excise and Duty payment process as defined in the Tanker offloading SOP. 
• Stand in for the Blending Manager when required for Business continuity.  
• Ensuring all ingredients and processing aids are available for production.  
• Ensuring all utilities are available for blending production. 
• Ensure cleaning and sanitizing of the Plants and equipment in accordance with quality standards.  
• Ensure all autonomous maintenance processes are consistently applied and implemented in line with the maintenance plan.  
• Participate in AM audits. 
• Prepare for, Receiving, offloading, Loading and dispatch of consolidated flavours and blended liquids.  
• This role involves facilitation and interaction with all relevant stakeholders both internally and externally.  
• The individual must have a positive impact on all site KPIs through correct application of Continuous Improvement methodologies. 
• Participate and/or lead the relevant root cause analyses for any non-conformances. 
• This role requires you to work shifts. 
• Lead and support the Blending Operators to execute the relevant production plans in accordance with the set KPI’s 
• Lead the people management agenda related to the Blending Operators (HR/IR policies and procedures). 
• Spend adequate time on the floor to support, coach and guide operators. 
• Manage attendance and manpower requirements. 
• Apply Performance Management Practices consistently with direct reports. 
• Ensure continuous handover across shifts and within the team members. 
• Partner with capability personnel to ensure the development and growth of the Blending Operators. 
• Ensure blending operator’s skills matrix are updated timeously. 
• Effectively lead and deliver department KPIs.  
• identify opportunities on the shift and the plant to drive KPI improvement. 
• Accountable for maintenance of documentation. 
• Accountable for records to be correct, completed fully and honestly. 
• Conduct all activities and processes in accordance with relevance LTO (Licence To Operate)
• Attend all mandatory and statutory training. 
• Conduct all the Blending activities according to the agreed Technical Manuals and Company Standard operating Procedures. 
• Ensure all Quality and Food Safety Management system standards and controls are consistently applied, 
• Ensure prompt adherence of team members to standard escalation procedures. 
• Ensure 5 WHY is completed on shift inline with stipulated standards. 
• Ensure all down time activities is properly recorded. 

Experience / skills required:

• National Diploma in chemistry, Food Science, Microbiology, or related science/engineering fields
• 3 – 5 years relevant experience in Blending environment 
• Preferable 3 years in Supervisory / Team leader position 
• FMCG experience is essential. 
• SAP experience will be advantageous. 
• Analytical ability to understand balance between customer service, inventory holding and production capability. 
• Sensory Expertise: Highly developed sense of smell and identify quality nuances.
• Technical Knowledge: Understanding of spirits chemistry, wood management, and maturation dynamics.
• Experience: A background in distilling, maturation, or laboratory settings is  required
• Documentation Skills: Accuracy in logging, reporting, and maintaining detailed records for compliance and inventory.

Critical Skills Required

Functional Skills

• Incident reporting & investigation
• Emergency preparedness
• Risk Assessment
• Run The Business (RTB)
• 3 Tiers of Problem solving
• Loss & waste analysis
• Auditing
• Hygiene & Food Safety Compliance

Technical Skills

• Understanding of BOM (Bill of Materials)
• ABV understanding & Calculations
• Record Keeping and Reporting
• Blending Inspections
• Planning (Call-offs Include Scheduling)
• Manning
• Right First Time (RFT)
• Blending Waste Management (Include FIFO)
• CIP Management
• Blending Adjustments
• Stock Count
• Trained Noser (Internal)
• Process for isolation of material
• Knowledge of Innovation process of running liquid trials