Regional Geochemistry Manager at SGS

Job Description

SGS provides analysis on a wide range of geological materials containing precious, base, rare-earth and battery metals, as well as bulk commodities.

SGS South Africa is looking for a Regional Geochemistry Manager.

The Regional Geochemistry Manager will be is expected to direct, plan, organize all Geochem Laboratory operations within the Southern African Region.

Accountable for and ensures that the entire Regional Geochem Laboratory Group meets operational targets and customer expectations in a timely and effective manner while observing corporate Quality, Environmental, Health & Safety requirements.

Directly responsible for P&L management for the regional group with a view to ensuring that target budgets are met or exceeded.

Maintaining a Full Communication Channel To The Regional MD And For Ensuring That The Regional MD Is Kept Current And Informed On All Aspects Of The Regional Geochem Laboratories That Have Any Direct Or Indirect Impact On

• Operational Integrity (prevents accidents, incidents, perceived or actual H&S concerns)
• Participate in the completion of Management Action Report Card responsibilities, which measures leading HSE indicators to proactively manage Health & Safety.
• Accountability for compliance to local and provincial Environmental regulations for air, waste, water, and soil
• Quality (Client complaints, data, personnel performance, turnaround, equipment)
• Client Satisfaction (meeting external and internal customer expectations from a service, quality, and turnaround perspective)
• Accountable for ensuring that all Site Laboratory Managers are adhering to all codes of conduct in the line with the enforcement of all regulations as per the Company Health and Safety Manual, and the immediate reporting of any health, safety or environmental incidents, accidents or concerns to the Manager, H&S and the Regional Geochemistry Manager.
• Complies and ensures that all work follows Quality systems and that quality KPI’s are maintained at all the Regional Geochem Laboratories in the Southern African Region:
• Accountable for ensuring that the quality of data, current methodologies and the execution of the methods follow the current accreditation under ISO 17025:2017 as well as ISO 9001, and in lines with the Global Geochem standards
• Accountable for ensuring that appropriate and planned training program is executed and measured for all personnel under direction at the various sites. Accountable for familiarizing oneself with the Quality Manual and ensuring appropriate documentation is current and reliable
• Ensuring that all the laboratory managers have formal succession plans in place for the various sites
• Accountable for the delivery of data to achieve Client Satisfaction by maintaining production and specified turnaround targets:
• Monitors production of each laboratory and ensures optimum staff levels to achieve optimum standards for production, quality, and financial performance. Monitors throughput and performance on regular basis with laboratory managers, with recommendations to amend where needs be
• Ensure that all operations manage their resources to attain optimum production and cost effectiveness.
• Provides authoritative opinions in their area of expertise and finds new and innovative ways of improving production efficiencies
• Works toward continuous improvement in production and efficiency, delivery of quality data promptly adhering to predetermined schedules
• Responsible for approvals of specified consumables

Responsible for the overall financial management of the Geochem Laboratories within the Southern African Region with special emphasis on:

• Adhering strictly to annual budgets and plans accordingly
• Monthly financial performance review with each of the laboratory managers, and implementing plans of action where needs be to ensure financial budgets are met
• Constant review of YTD and prior YTD performance with the Regional Financial Controller, with emphasis on plans of action to ensure financial targets are met
• Management of the major consumable supplier chain to the various laboratories, with emphasis on leveraging on bulk purchasing power
• Ensuring that the various laboratories within the region are fully utilized, and overseeing the movement of projects to other laboratories within the region to ensure full utilization of all laboratories, and meeting client demand
• Reviews all Capital Expenditure requisitions prior to submitting to the Regional MD
• General technical accountabilities include assisting client services or management with RFQ/RFP’s, as well as providing technical direction to client services.
• Providing technical and operational leadership to the laboratory managers, and ensuring a team environment.
• Ensures the training needs of the laboratories within the region are met and maintains a motivated team. Sets goals, reviews laboratory managers’ job performance, and assesses training needs at least twice a year.
• Acts with professionalism at all times when representing the business to clients, peers and employees. Ensure visits to major clients, especially the contracted clients
• Travel, off-site consulting, ad hoc projects, and extended hours may be required
• Perform any other reasonable tasks as assigned by direct line manager

Qualifications

• Degree/Diploma in Chemistry
• Business qualification an advantage
• At least 8 years in the applicable discipline
• Languages: Proficiency in English (Read, Speak, Write)
• Any other languages an added advantage
• Computer literacy in Word and Excel
• Sound financial acumen
• Good people management.
• Excellent Communication.
• Delegation
• Problem Management
• Strategic Thinking
• Change Management Skills