Unit Manager: Pack at Unilever

JOB PURPOSE

• Unilever is the place where you can bring your purpose to life with the work that you do – creating a better business and a better world. The main job purpose is to ensure the production and packaging of company products, according to the production plan and within company’s quality and safety standards.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Agrees and implements production plan with production manager. Support, guide and direct within the production plan. (e.g. if a production line breaks down, prioritise production requirements and re-allocates labour accordingly) 
• Analyses shift results and implement any necessary changes to increase production.
• Ensures that quality standards are implemented and adhered to and diagnoses plant problems (fault finding) and liaises with Engineering Foreman for plant repairs and interprets fault finding to optimise production. Ensure that shift repairs and maintenance is carried out by the Team Leaders and operators to reduce the impact of downtime.
• Conduct daily production meetings with the different production disciplines to analyse previous shift results and implements any necessary changes to meet demand.
• Responsible for ensuring sufficient staff and adequate raw materials.
• Identifies causes and costs of waste, contamination and inefficiencies and takes appropriate action to reduce these amounts. Monitor and reduce wastes such as product, raw materials, packaging, steam, air, water and electricity.
• Application of mass balance for Raw material usage control. Understanding of SAP system to conduct Stock take activities and daily SAP compliance activities.
• Monitors and ensures adherence to Company standards and SOPs. Ensures that Plant is maintained in a high level of engineering, cleaning and Safety standard.
• Implements total productive maintenance to improve PQCDSMI (Production, Quality, Cost, Delivery, Safety, Morale, and Innovation) to deliver against set Factory targets.
• Implement recommendations from SHE, Quality or engineering. Ensures responsible management of SHE, Quality and Engineering using the SHE, Quality and Engineering Teams as Subject Matter Experts
• Operational Systems: Ensure that all employees adhere to the operational systems standards (SAP, Timekeeper, ABC quality, ESS, Clock cards etc) and manages the business processes defined within these operational systems
• Identifies reasons for staff non-conformance (e.g. training required, managing poor performance, refusal to obey lawful instruction, absenteeism) and takes appropriate action.
• Monitors processes and changes and ensures that corrective action has been taken in the event of a non-conformance.
• Co-ordinates the implementation of TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) and world class principles in the factory
• In addition, the role is responsible for ensuring compliance with occupational health and safety (OHS) regulations as a Section 16.2 appointee, including implementing company SHE standards, addressing non-compliance, and preparing for audits. The position also involves executing safety strategies at a tactical level.
• From a cost management perspective, the incumbent must drive cost efficiency, monitor and reduce losses, ensure adherence to budgets, and identify opportunities to minimise waste while controlling operational expenses.
• In people development, the role focuses on identifying training gaps, implementing development plans with HR, and supporting employee growth through structured performance and development planning.
• The industrial relations component requires managing disciplinary processes, resolving workplace conflicts, maintaining strong relationships with unions and employees, and preventing industrial action.
• Additionally, the role supports training and development through performance management, HR coordination, and leading continuous improvement and project management initiatives.

Experiences & Qualifications

• Completed Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain or Commerce
• Essential Experience in Making and Packaging
• Must have optimisation experience
• Strong leadership and management experience of a large team who work shifts
• Sound strategic and operational Production management experience
• Budget and cost reduction experience
• Expert project management experience
• Compilation of training manuals, coordinate and facilitate training
• Strong Industrial Relations experience; this must be in a unionized environment right through to CCMA
• Support, guide and drive OHS and SHE regulations and standards and ensure compliance
• Manage multiple stakeholders and numerous re-engineering projects
• Knowledge and understanding of the following will be an advantage:
• WCM (World Class Manufacturing)
• High precision packaging robots