Jobs at Unilever

Category/function introduction:

• Quality is a key driver of competitive advantage in the Ice Cream business. The Market Quality Operation plays a crucial role in embedding a strong culture of quality within the business unit, ensuring every product delivers the best experience and delights our consumers.

Key Responsibilities

• End-to-end quality Cold Chain responsibility across the entire South Africa region: Primary and Secondary (Warehouse & Transportation), Tertiary (Distributors, Concessionaries, Customers -cabinets, and freezers).
• Ensure Warehouse and Transportation quality requirements, including external certifications when applied.
• South Africa Collaborative Manufacturing (CM’s)Quality Management, Audits &continuous improvement, and metrics. (Including external certification).
• South Africa Re-packer Quality Management, Audits, continuous improvement and metrics.
• Member of the BU Quality Team and partnering with South Africa stakeholders’ team.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and customers to address quality issues and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Investigating customer & consumer complaints and implementing corrective and preventive actions to address quality issues and prevent recurrence. Tracking CCPMU/ Customer data and sharing trends/insights with BU Quality team and South Africa LT.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key customers to ensure E2E quality standards.
• Develop, implement, and control the Quality Management System (QMS) to ensure full compliance with our products - (including Local Legislation requirements)
• Coordinate the development of training materials.
• Driving all compliance and regulatory matters with local & international (in case of importation & exportation) regulatory bodies.
• Ensure, lead, and execute ICQA (Inter Company Quality Agreements) in case of importation process.
• Maintain an effective Change Management system to ensure business changes are effectively managed.
• Investigate quality issues (Non-conformances) and failures, lead Critical Event Processes, and apply Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA) to prevent recurrence. Ensure that improvements to products and procedures can be identified and fixed.
• Monitor & manage critical consumer complaints. In case of marketplace issues or incident-related product safety/quality, support local IMT and E2E investigation. Ensure actions are in place and Learnings shared with the business

Professional Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of food safety regulations and standards: Ensuring compliance with regulations such as HACCP, FSSC22000, and local food labeling requirements.
• Proven experience in quality management within Food companies.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities, analytical skills, and attention to detail.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience as a quality leader.
• Experience in virtual teamwork.
• Auditing skills and clear understanding and ability to assess and act upon product safety, quality, efficacy, and compliance risks.
• Proactive approach: Anticipating potential quality issues, implementing preventive measures, and continuously seeking opportunities for improvement.

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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. If you are analytical and have passion for manufacturing excellence, then this role is just for you!

What Will Your Main Responsibilities Be
Manufacturing and Packaging technology

• Rely on basic but consistent understanding of the manufacturing technologies of the Category to drive relevant process improvements

Consumer and Customer Focus

• Building world class factories will eliminate losses and ensure that we do not pass on the cost of inefficiencies to our customers and consumers
• Bias for Action. By providing consistent and near real time information, decisions can be taken quickly which leverage our resources

Accountability and Responsibility

• Working directly with the line crews daily and acting as the technical trainer for line teams and providing coaching in phenomena identification, root cause analysis and the establishment of countermeasures
• He/she is responsible for the validation of all process improvements and the establishment of revised basic conditions on the line
• Responsible and accountable for the performance of the cell

WCM

• Apply the full set of WCM methods and tools to identify root causes, define countermeasures and validate their effectiveness; mastery of AM, PM, Q and FI tools and processes and establish standards to support line operators sustain new basic conditions
• Involved in continuous improvements, responsible to solve chronical problems, reduce NVAA, develop standards, and drive productivity while granting quality and safety.
• He/she will apply extensively the full range of focussed Improvement methods and tools to counter losses identified in the areas of Safety, Quality, Business priority and Cost Deployment, Autonomous maintenance, Customer Service and Agility.

Process and Organizational Design

• Leverage technical knowledge and a systems approach to ensure factory lines and processes are optimally resourced (e.g. manpower ratios are efficient and sustainable)

Analytical capability

• Collect and analyse complex data to penetrate problems’ phenomena and understand root causes
• Eliminate Waste and Loss according to the WCM prioritization process using AM, PM, FI and QC pillar tools and methodologies
• Create Technical Standards to ensure process stability, train line crews on technical standards and restoration of basic conditions (Stability sustainability)

Digital Deployment

• Lead/co-ordinate the deployment of digital activities in the factories. The focus will be on enabling our manufacturing sites to deploy appropriate, standardized technologies and ensure consistency in deployment and associated benefit delivery.

Projects

• Lead projects related to efficiencies improvements

Experiences & Qualifications
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical/ chemical/ industrial engineering
• At least 3 years Production/Production Engineer with solid WCM or Lean Manufacturing experience within FMCG/ Motor/ Manufacturing industries
• Proficient Optimisation/ SOP’s and WCM/ Lean Manufacturing experience essential
• Must have High Speed Packaging experience
• Must demonstrate a strong technical knowledge across all the site’s processes and lines
• Must possess strong engineering leadership credentials with a proven ability to eliminate loss and waste on significant projects
• Must demonstrate a flair for improvement engineering and coaching
• Project Management experience, understanding of Quality Management systems, GMP and Change management process
• Statistics and process control tools experience
• Visualize clearly what the ideal production system, clearly understand operating principles and establish correct operating standards
• Apply a full range of FI tools to address losses in SHE, Q, CD, CS&L, develops expertise from other engineering functions

Skills

• Lean or WCM Techniques
• Problem Solving
• Change management
• Business acumen and financial tools, understanding of the Master plan, factory priorities and how manufacturing performance of the site correlates with its finance KPIs and BGs targets achievement

Leadership
Critical SOL (Standards of Leadership) Behaviors

• PASSION FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE: Takes personal responsibility and accountability for execution and results. Has an owner’s mindset, using data and insight to make decisions.
• PERSONAL MASTERY: Sets high standards for themselves. Actively builds own wellbeing and resilience.
• TALENT CATALYST: Develops and magnifies the power of people.
• PURPOSE & SERVICE: Has humility, understanding that leadership is service to others, inside and outside Unilever.
• AGILITY: Explores the world around them, continually learning and developing their skills.