Production Manager

Production Manager

NFT Consult

Product & Project Management

Today

Easy apply

New

Nairobi

Full Time

Manufacturing & Warehousing

KSh

More than 600,000+

Negotiable

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Job summary

The Production Manager is the operational backbone of the PET Beverages and Plastics manufacturing plant. This is a senior, hands-on, floor-present leadership role demanding deep technical mastery of automated Krones filling lines, PET preform and cap moulding operations, and the full spectrum of mechanical, electrical, and automation

Min Qualification:

Masters

Experience

• Level:
• Senior level
• Length:
• 14 years
• Language Requirement:
• English
• Working Hours:
• Full Time - 8 to 5
• Applicant
• Location:
• Kenya
• Job descriptions &
• Required
• • 12-15+
• years of total manufacturing experience, with a minimum of 5 years in a senior
• production leadership role in a Beverage and Plastics/Packaging plant.
• • Hands-on,
• proven
• operating and troubleshooting Krones filling and packaging
• lines (Contiform, Modulfill, Checkmat, Linajet, or equivalent).
• • Direct
• operational
• on KraussMaffei and/or Netstal injection moulding
• machines for PET preforms and closures.
• • Strong
• working knowledge of Nitrogen-based Hot Fill PET juice processing - dissolved
• oxygen control, fill temperature, nitrogen dosing, and vacuum integrity.
• • Advanced
• proficiency in SAP (PP, MM, PM modules) and production data analytics within an
• ERP/MES-driven plant environment.
• Technical
• Competency
• ·
• Deep
• knowledge of Krones Contiform, Modulfill, Checkmat, Linajet, and downstream
• automation. Ability to independently resolve line faults without OEM call-out.
• ·
• Hands-on
• troubleshooting of KraussMaffei and Netstal machines - IV degradation, gate
• defects, flash, hot runner issues, cycle time anomalies.
• ·
• Validated
• process knowledge of nitrogen dosing, fill temperature control, vacuum sealing,
• and dissolved oxygen management for PET juice lines.
• ·
• Ability
• to read engineering drawings, diagnose hydraulic/pneumatic/electrical faults,
• and direct repair activities at component level.
• ·
• Practical
• understanding of PLC-controlled systems, HMI interfaces, SCADA data
• interpretation, and alarm management on Krones and moulding machine platforms.
• ·
• Advanced
• SAP (PP/MM/PM) and MES proficiency; real-time data entry culture; generation of
• meaningful KPI analysis from plant data.
• ·
• HACCP,
• GMP, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000 - implementation, auditing, and deviation
• management.
• ·
• Ability
• to lead, motivate, assess, and develop a diverse technical team of 50+ across
• multiple shifts and functions.
• ·
• Material
• forecasting, long-term capacity planning, cost control, and proven ability to
• bridge technical engineering with commercial production goals.
• ·
• Practical
• application of 5S, Kaizen, SMED, TPM, and root cause analysis in a high-speed
• FMCG environment.
• Leadership
• and Behavioural Profile
• The
• ideal candidate will demonstrate the following qualities consistently:
• •
• Visible, floor-present leader who earns respect through
• technical credibility, not only authority.
• •
• Highly disciplined in reporting and data accuracy - sets the
• standard personally before enforcing it with the team.
• •
• Calm under pressure; able to make fast, sound decisions during
• line breakdowns without causing panic or escalation.
• •
• Proactive and solutions-oriented - identifies problems before
• they escalate and acts without waiting to be asked.
• •
• High sense of ownership - treats the plant, its assets, and its
• output as a personal responsibility.
• •
• Strong communicator - equally effective engaging with floor
• operators, technical engineers, and senior management.
• •
• Resilient and adaptable in a fast-moving, high-growth FMCG
• manufacturing environment.
• •
• Change champion - proven track record of leading large teams
• through process digitalisation and operational transformation.
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Requirements

Location: Thika/Ruiru,

• Position: Production Manager –Maintenance
• & Production
• Reports to: Chief
• Value Stream Leader
• Kenya
• About our Client
• Our client’s
• Beverages and Snacks is one of East Africa's fastest-growing FMCG
• manufacturers, operating a highly automated, digitally integrated plant in
• Nairobi, Kenya. The facility runs state-of-the-art Krones filling lines,
• KraussMaffei Injection and Netstal Caps injection moulding machines, and a full
• suite of PET-based beverage technologies including CSDs, Nitrogen Hot Fill
• Juices, Energy Drinks, and Water. The plant culture is built on precision,
• digital discipline, real-time reporting, and a relentless drive for operational
• excellence.
• Key
• •
• Guarantee
• production efficiency
• above 85% OEE
• while maintaining total process
• wastage below 1%; ensure all Krones lines run with zero/minimal unplanned
• stoppages.
• •
• Material
• Reconciliation Accuracy:
• 100% accuracy in shift-end
• reconciliation between SAP and physical stock for preforms, caps, labels, and
• shrink film.
• •
• First-Pass
• Quality (FPQ):
• 99.5% of products meeting quality
• specs without rework or rejection.
• •
• Monitor
• Nitrogen dosing parameters, fill weights, dissolved oxygen, fill temperature,
• vacuum, torque, seaming/capping integrity, and labelling quality on Hot Fill
• PET juice lines - maintained within validated ranges at all times.
• •
• Drive
• a culture of
• line discipline
• - every line start, stoppage, speed change,
• quality event, and batch yield record must be logged in real time on the
• digital system.
• •
• Lead
• all line qualification, product changeover, and CIP/SIP activities to GMP and
• food safety standards.
• •
• Champion
• cost-saving initiatives
• ,
• energy reduction programmes, weight reduction projects, and overhead
• optimisation to improve the plant's bottom line.
• •
• Oversee
• the organisational structure of the plant - performance management, skill
• development for technicians/operators, and shift allocation.
• 2.
• Plastic (PET Preforms &Cups) Manufacturing.
• •
• Oversee PET preform production on KraussMaffei injection
• moulding machines, ensuring IV integrity, wall uniformity, and gate quality are
• consistently within specification.
• •
• Manage HDPE/PP cap production on Netstal Synergy machines,
• maintaining dimensional compliance, torque performance, and tamper-evident band
• integrity.
• •
• Conduct or direct first-level troubleshooting on moulding
• machines - gate defects, flash, short shots, IV degradation, cycle time
• variation - without reliance on external OEM support for routine issues.
• •
• Monitor and review hot runner performance, melt temperature
• profiles, and cooling system efficiency across all moulding lines.
• •
• Oversee mould maintenance scheduling, cavity wear tracking, and
• spare parts readiness in collaboration with the Maintenance Lead.
• 3.
• Maintenance, Engineering and Technical oversigh
• t
• ·
• MTBF
• (Mean Time Between Failure):
• Increase the average time between equipment breakdowns by
• 15% year-on-year
• through predictive maintenance.
• ·
• MTTR
• (Mean Time To Repair):
• Reduce the average time taken to fix breakdowns to target levels (e.g., <30
• minutes for minor automation faults). Track and
• continuously improve MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) and MTBF (Mean Time Between
• Failures) targets; target MTTR below 30 minutes for minor automation faults.
• ·
• Utility
• Reliability:
• Ensure
• 99.9%
• uptime
• for HP/LP air, chilled water, and power systems to prevent
• production stoppages.
• ·
• Preventive
• Maintenance (PM) Compliance:
• 100% completion of scheduled PM tasks for all critical machinery.
• ·
• Direct the maintenance strategy for Krones, KraussMaffei, and
• Netstal lines; ensure shared utilities (HP/LP Air, Chillers, Power) are
• optimised for 24/7 operations.
• ·
• Be the first point of technical escalation for all mechanical,
• electrical, automation, and pneumatic faults on filling and moulding lines -
• this is a hands-on, floor-present role.
• ·
• Drive and review Preventive Maintenance (PM) and Predictive
• Maintenance (PdM) programmes across all assets; ensure 100% PM schedule
• adherence.
• ·
• Liaise with internal teams and, where required, with Krones,
• KraussMaffei, and Netstal service teams for planned overhauls, software
• upgrades, and technical support.
• 4.
• Financial
• & Cost Control KPIs
• Utility
• Specific Consumption: Reduce the cost of electricity/water per unit
• produced (e.g., kWh per 1,000 bottles) by 5–10%.
• Maintenance
• Spend vs. Budget:
• Oversee calibration, spare parts inventory,
• critical component lifecycle management, and vendor costs within +/-2% of
• annual maintenance budget.
• Inventory Turnover: Reduce
• "dead stock" in the inbound store by optimizing RMPM projections
• and lead times.
• 5. Digital Systems, Reporting & Data
• Discipline
• • Champion
• a culture of real-time digital reporting - all production, quality, and
• maintenance data must be entered on time, every time, without exception.
• • Own
• daily, weekly, and monthly production KPI dashboards: OEE, line efficiency,
• downtime analysis, waste, scrap rates, yield, and RMPM reconciliation.
• • Ensure
• all shift reports, batch records, CIP logs, and quality certificates are
• completed accurately and submitted within the shift.
• • Drive
• utilisation of SAP (PP, MM, PM modules) and MES systems; enforce 100% material
• reconciliation accuracy and zero tolerance for retrospective or fabricated
• entries.
• • Use
• data proactively to identify trends, anticipate equipment failures, and
• implement corrective actions before problems escalate.
• •
• Cost-Saving Initiatives: Identify and
• implement at least two major Kaizen/digitization projects per year with a
• measurable ROI.
• 6. Quality, Food Safety & Compliance
• • Ensure
• all products leaving the plant conform fully to internal specifications and
• regulatory
• - target First-Pass Quality (FPQ) of 99.5%.
• • Enforce
• GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000, and FSSC 22000 compliance across all production and
• packaging areas.
• • Lead
• root cause analysis for all quality deviations using structured methodologies
• (5-Why, Fishbone); implement corrective and preventive actions.
• • Ensure
• in-process quality checks are conducted at defined frequencies by trained
• operators, with results captured digitally in real time.
• • Oversee
• raw material, packaging material, WIP, and finished goods inspection protocols,
• including laboratory coordination.
• 7. People Leadership & Team Development
• •
• Manpower
• Productivity:
• Units
• produced per man-hour (UPMH) targets to ensure optimal labour utilization.
• •
• Skill Matrix Improvement:
• Conduct
• competency assessments and build training plans targeting 90% of
• operators/technicians at Level 3 (operate and troubleshoot independently)
• within 12 months.
• •
• Project
• Timelines:
• 100%
• on-time delivery of new development tasks and expansion projects.
• •
• Safety
• Record:
• Zero Lost
• Time Injuries (LTI) and 100% compliance with HSE protocols on the shop floor.
• • Lead,
• inspire, and develop a multi-disciplinary technical team of 50+ including Line
• Supervisors, Automation Lead, Mechanical & Electrical Engineers, Quality
• Controllers, Boiler and RO Operators, Machine Operators, and support staff.
• • Build
• a high-performance production culture through structured shift briefings,
• accountability reviews, and visible floor leadership.
• • Address
• performance gaps swiftly and constructively; recognise and reward discipline,
• initiative, and technical excellence.
• • Foster
• a safety-first mindset - enforce LOTO, PPE compliance, and safe work permit
• systems; maintain zero Lost Time Injuries (LTI).
• • Support
• recruitment, team retention, and motivation in collaboration with HR and
• relevant authorities.
• 8. New Products, Projects & Continuous
• Improvement
• • Act
• as primary lead for new product development, facility expansions, and
• commissioning of new machinery - from R&D trials through to validated
• commercial production.
• • Prepare
• and review Technical Feasibility Analysis and Project Reports for capital
• expenditure proposals and plant expansion projects; ensure 100% on-time
• delivery.
• • Institutionalise
• Kaizen, 5S, SMED, and Lean manufacturing methodologies; deliver at least two major
• improvement projects per year with measurable ROI.
• Identify and eliminate chronic losses using structured
• problem-solving and data-driven approaches
• Candidate
• Profile-Qualification and

Responsibilities

• 1.
• Production
• Operations and Line Management
• •
• Own
• end-to-end production operations across all PET beverage lines - Nitrogen Hot
• Fill Juice, CSDs, Energy Drinks, and Water filling lines.
• •
• Lead
• the production planning and scheduling process; manage RMPM (Raw Material &
• Packaging Material) projections to ensure optimised inventory levels and zero
• production stock-outs.
• •
• Set
• and enforce shift targets, 95%+ completion of the monthly
• production schedule on time and in full (OTIF) and line priorities in alignment with supply chain and
• dispatch

Education

• & Background
• • Bachelor's
• Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering (or closely related
• field).
• • An
• MBA or specialisation in Supply Chain / Operations Management is a significant
• advantage.