Department Head Services (Hocroft) at Astral Foods Ltd

Qualifications and experience:

• Completed Matric or equivalent qualification
• Proven experience in a Supervisory role
• Proven experience in large-scale food production and processing
• Strong administrative, organizational, interpersonal, communication and time management skills
• Fluent in English and a second official language
• Have the ability to cope under pressure and manage staff professionally
• Be hardworking, honest and self-motivated

Computer Literacy using the following packages:

• MS Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint)

Other requirements:

• Excellent administration and problem solving skills
• Fluent in English and an additional language
• Basic understanding of the 20 Keys concept is essential
• Must be proactive and able to work accurately and independently
• Forklift license will be advantageous
• Due to the nature of the job, extra hours will be required from time to time, which may necessitate working overtime, public holidays, or on weekends. The incumbent may also be required to travel from time to time.
• Perform other reasonable duties outside the scope of this job description as might be requested by management.

The ideal candidate will be responsible for:

• Managing the day to day duties of the service team and reporting back to senior management.
• Ensure daily that each service position is filled for the day by submitting a daily head count.
• Ensure that services staff in various service roles are sure of their roles and compliant in completing daily paperwork.
• Inspections of all services equipment functionality, writing out job cards for any defective equipment to workshop and following up and reporting to senior management any non-conformances.
• Daily inspection of all services areas (staff facilities, canteens, chemical store, yard).
• Supervision of washing bay area for dirty crates. Ensuring all crates that are dirty gets washed daily and only clean crates are resent into the factory.
• Sorting of dirty crates and broken crates and pallets removal from site.
• Managing of truck turn around times when trucks deliver crates to site.
• Daily start up with maintenance of crate wash machines.
• Daily hand over with cleaning service provider of crate wash area at start up after cleaning.
• Daily toolbox talks with services team.
• Participate in monthly safety meetings and ensure updated documentation is available at all times.
• Communicate with and plan accordingly with the recycling contractor/s (Rocket trading, Enviroserve).
• Oversee completion and verification of all service documents (Daily, weekly, monthly).
• Oversee stock takes (crates, pallets (wood/plastic), lugs and overalls.
• Daily site inspections related to service department related tasks.
• Oversee services department Fork Lift daily checks.
• Oversee service department cleaning equipment.
• Ensure that basket (yellow, orange and lugs) requirements are met for the production week and relevant reports and documentation is updated daily.
• Ensure that blue pallets requirements are met for the week.
• Oversee and weekly stocktaking of laundry and stock levels of PPE (overalls & boots).
• Stock control of all chemicals used in the processing plant.
• Responsible for all labour-related issues for change room, canteen, basket, stoep and outside area staff, including ensuring that all positions are managed at all times,
• Dealing with all disciplinary matters appropriately and according to the company’s disciplinary code.
• Continued interaction and communication with senior management.
• Maintaining and implementing the 20 Keys principles, including Health & Safety of the department.

Closing Date: 18 March 2026