Aspen has a proud heritage dating back more than 160 years and is committed to sustaining life and promoting healthcare through increasing access to its high quality affordable medicines and products. Aspen has a market capitalisation of approximately US$10 billion, is the largest pharmaceutical company listed on the JSE Limited (share code: APN) and rank...
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Overview:
- Oversee and take full accountability for end-to-end production operations, ensuring the achievement of production targets, OTIF delivery within cost budgets, and effective leadership across Production, QC, Production Planning, and Maintenance.
Responsibilities:
Production management
- Manage, organise, control and supervise all aspects of the site in line with company policies and procedures
- Ensure the timely supply of quality products to customers
- Ensure that proper maintenance is carried out on equipment, utilities and manufacturing areas
Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) Leadership
- Overall accountability for SHE performance, including safety culture, incident prevention, legal compliance, and visible safety leadership
- Drive safe systems of work and embed safety as a core production discipline
Risk management and compliance
- Ensure that production documentation is GMP and legislation-compliant, on time and reviewed prior to approval
- Implement/ support risk-based approaches for manufacturing operations and equipment
Quality and continuous improvement
- Oversee the development and implementation of, and adherence to, SOPs in the department and ensure GMP compliance
- Ensure the areas of the department meet hygiene and cleanliness standards and that equipment/ process validations are performed
- Ensure that products are produced and stored according to appropriate documentation to obtain required quality
- Support QA/ QC in quality investigations and represent the department during inspections and audits, as and when required
Inspection Readiness & Regulatory Interface
- Overall accountability for inspection readiness across all production areas
- Act as a key site representative during SAHPRA, FDA, and customer inspections
- Ensure timely closure and sustainability of production-related CAPAs
Operational Excellence & KPI Ownership
- Full ownership of operational KPIs including OPP, cost, yield, scrap, labour efficiency, and throughput
- Drive regular performance reviews, loss analysis, and corrective actions
- Take accountability for recovery plans where performance deviates from budget or operational plans Explore competitor activity, market trends and new initiatives
- Motivate, train and develop department heads and their direct reports
- Agree business plans and performance targets with department managers and monitor these, taking necessary corrective actions
People Capability, Succession & Workforce Stability
- Build sustainable production teams through talent development, succession planning, and capability uplift
- Manage industrial relations risks in collaboration with HR
- Drive employee engagement, attendance, and accountability within production teams
Organisational Support & Function Management
- Manage, organise, control and supervise the process of approved capital expenditure, ensuring financial, conceptual and phasing objectives are achieved in line with company policy
- Participate in the development and lead the implementation of the strategic vision and direction for business-critical functions across SA, as well as all related plans, policies and procedures
- Perform financial and human resources functions to ensure optimal management of the function and reporting units and leaders
- Manage collaboration and coordination between reporting units
- Maintain/ support positive customer engagements and problem resolution
- Manage the site within agreed budgets
Digital, Data & Systems Leadership
- Leverage production data, MES, KPIs, and dashboards to drive data-led decision-making
- Support digital initiatives that improve scheduling accuracy, OEE, and operational visibility
Change Leadership & Transformation
- Lead teams through change, restructuring, and operating model transitions
- Embed new ways of working, governance structures, and accountability post-change
Commercial & Customer Focus
- Understand commercial priorities and translate them into executable production plans
- Manage customer commitments, supply continuity, and escalation where delivery is at risk
Requirements:
Background/experience
- 10 years’ related experience with strong manufacturing experience
- Managing a strategic production site (ideally in a pharmaceutical environment)
- Management of projects in an international context
- Proven leadership capability and managerial experience at a senior level
- Minimum of Bachelor’s degree, ideally in Engineering
Specific job skills
- In-depth insight into pharmaceutical manufacturing and pharmaceutical standards/ compliance
- Deep understanding of quality, operations and logistics
- People and departmental management
Competencies
- Translating Strategy
- Interpreting and Internalising Information
- Offering Insights
- Making Decisions
- Managing Performance
- Customer Awareness
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Overview:
- Oversee and take full accountability for end-to-end production operations, ensuring the achievement of production targets, OTIF delivery within cost budgets, and effective leadership across Production, QC, Production Planning, and Maintenance.
Responsibilities:
Production management
- Manage, organise, control and supervise all aspects of the site in line with company policies and procedures
- Ensure the timely supply of quality products to customers
- Ensure that proper maintenance is carried out on equipment, utilities and manufacturing areas
Safety, Health & Environment (SHE) Leadership
- Overall accountability for SHE performance, including safety culture, incident prevention, legal compliance, and visible safety leadership
- Drive safe systems of work and embed safety as a core production discipline
Risk management and compliance
- Ensure that production documentation is GMP and legislation-compliant, on time and reviewed prior to approval
- Implement/ support risk-based approaches for manufacturing operations and equipment
Quality and continuous improvement
- Oversee the development and implementation of, and adherence to, SOPs in the department and ensure GMP compliance
- Ensure the areas of the department meet hygiene and cleanliness standards and that equipment/ process validations are performed
- Ensure that products are produced and stored according to appropriate documentation to obtain required quality
- Support QA/ QC in quality investigations and represent the department during inspections and audits, as and when required
Inspection Readiness & Regulatory Interface
- Overall accountability for inspection readiness across all production areas
- Act as a key site representative during SAHPRA, FDA, and customer inspections
- Ensure timely closure and sustainability of production-related CAPAs
Operational Excellence & KPI Ownership
- Full ownership of operational KPIs including OPP, cost, yield, scrap, labour efficiency, and throughput
- Drive regular performance reviews, loss analysis, and corrective actions
- Take accountability for recovery plans where performance deviates from budget or operational plans Explore competitor activity, market trends and new initiatives
- Motivate, train and develop department heads and their direct reports
- Agree business plans and performance targets with department managers and monitor these, taking necessary corrective actions
People Capability, Succession & Workforce Stability
- Build sustainable production teams through talent development, succession planning, and capability uplift
- Manage industrial relations risks in collaboration with HR
- Drive employee engagement, attendance, and accountability within production teams
Organisational Support & Function Management
- Manage, organise, control and supervise the process of approved capital expenditure, ensuring financial, conceptual and phasing objectives are achieved in line with company policy
- Participate in the development and lead the implementation of the strategic vision and direction for business-critical functions across SA, as well as all related plans, policies and procedures
- Perform financial and human resources functions to ensure optimal management of the function and reporting units and leaders
- Manage collaboration and coordination between reporting units
- Maintain/ support positive customer engagements and problem resolution
- Manage the site within agreed budgets
Digital, Data & Systems Leadership
- Leverage production data, MES, KPIs, and dashboards to drive data-led decision-making
- Support digital initiatives that improve scheduling accuracy, OEE, and operational visibility
Change Leadership & Transformation
- Lead teams through change, restructuring, and operating model transitions
- Embed new ways of working, governance structures, and accountability post-change
Commercial & Customer Focus
- Understand commercial priorities and translate them into executable production plans
- Manage customer commitments, supply continuity, and escalation where delivery is at risk
Requirements:
Background/experience
- 10 years’ related experience with strong manufacturing experience
- Managing a strategic production site (ideally in a pharmaceutical environment)
- Management of projects in an international context
- Proven leadership capability and managerial experience at a senior level
- Minimum of Bachelor’s degree, ideally in Engineering
Specific job skills
- In-depth insight into pharmaceutical manufacturing and pharmaceutical standards/ compliance
- Deep understanding of quality, operations and logistics
- People and departmental management
Competencies
- Translating Strategy
- Interpreting and Internalising Information
- Offering Insights
- Making Decisions
- Managing Performance
- Customer Awareness
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