OPERATIONS HEAD – EDIBLE OIL FACTORY

About this role

Job Identity Item Description Job Title Operations Head – Edible Oil Factory Department Factory Operations Location Adama City, Ethiopia Job Summary The Operations Head is responsible for overseeing the overall operations of the edible oil manufacturing plant located in Adama City, ensuring efficient production, product quality, operational safety, cost control, and compliance with applicable standards and regulations. The factory produces sunflower oil, palm oil, soybean oil, and soybean meal and is among the leading edible oil producers in Ethiopia.The position provides strategic and operational leadership across production, maintenance, quality assurance, supply chain coordination, inventory management, and workforce supervision to maximize plant productivity, minimize operational costs, maintain product standards, and support the company's growth and profitability. Key Responsibilities and Duties A. Production and Plant Operations Lead and oversee daily factory operations to ensure production targets, schedules, and quality standards are achieved. Develop and implement production plans based on market demand, raw material availability, inventory levels, and sales forecasts. Oversee the processing, refining, packaging, and storage of sunflower oil, palm oil, soybean oil, and soybean meal, as applicable to the plant's production processes. Monitor production efficiency, plant capacity utilization, material yields, and operational performance. Identify production bottlenecks and implement corrective measures to improve throughput and reduce downtime. Ensure effective coordination among production, maintenance, quality assurance, warehouse, procurement, and logistics teams. B. Quality Assurance and Food Safety Ensure that all products meet established quality specifications, food safety requirements, and applicable Ethiopian standards and regulations. Coordinate with the quality assurance team to maintain quality control throughout the production process. Establish and monitor procedures for product testing, traceability, hygiene, sanitation, and contamination prevention. Ensure appropriate handling, storage, and preservation of raw materials, intermediate products, finished products, and by-products. Lead investigations into quality complaints, product deviations, and non-conformities and implement corrective and preventive actions. C. Maintenance and Asset Management Oversee preventive and corrective maintenance of production machinery, refining equipment, utilities, packaging lines, and other factory assets. Ensure equipment reliability, operational availability, and optimal utilization of plant capacity. Coordinate planned maintenance schedules to minimize disruptions to production. Monitor equipment breakdowns, maintenance costs, spare-parts availability, and recurring technical problems. Work with technical teams to improve equipment performance, energy efficiency, and plant reliability. D. Cost Control and Operational Efficiency Develop and manage operational budgets in coordination with senior management and the finance department. Monitor production costs, raw material consumption, energy usage, labor productivity, packaging costs, and material losses. Implement cost-reduction initiatives without compromising product quality, safety, or regulatory compliance. Monitor key production indicators, including yield, waste, downtime, capacity utilization, and cost per unit. Identify opportunities to improve process efficiency, reduce losses, and increase profitability. Prepare operational performance reports and recommend improvements to management. E. Raw Materials, Inventory, and Supply Chain Coordinate with procurement and supply chain teams to ensure the timely availability of oilseeds, crude or refined oils, packaging materials, chemicals, spare parts, and other production inputs. Monitor raw material and finished goods inventory levels to minimize shortages, excess stock, deterioration, and losses. Ensure proper warehouse management, stock reconciliation, material traceability, and inventory control. Coordinate production requirements with sales forecasts, procurement plans, and distribution schedules. Monitor raw material quality, supplier performance, and material utilization efficiency. F. Health, Safety, Environment, and Compliance Ensure compliance with occupational health and safety requirements, environmental standards, and applicable factory regulations. Promote a safe working environment through risk assessments, safety inspections, staff training, and incident reporting. Ensure proper handling and storage of chemicals, fuels, oils, and other potentially hazardous materials. Monitor waste management, wastewater handling, energy consumption, and environmental performance. Ensure that factory operating procedures, emergency preparedness measures, and safety controls are consistently implemented. G. Leadership and Performance Management Lead, supervise, and develop production, maintenance, warehouse, and other operational teams. Establish clear performance targets and accountability mechanisms for operational staff. Identify training needs and strengthen employees' technical capabilities, productivity, and safety awareness. Promote teamwork, discipline, continuous improvement, and a performance-oriented culture. Conduct periodic performance reviews and ensure timely resolution of operational challenges. H. Reporting and Continuous Improvement Prepare daily, weekly, monthly, and annual operational performance reports for senior management. Monitor production performance against approved plans, budgets, and operational KPIs. Introduce continuous improvement initiatives, including lean manufacturing, waste reduction, and process optimization. Evaluate opportunities for automation, technology adoption, and production capacity expansion. Provide management with recommendations on operational investments, resource requirements, and business improvement opportunities. Perform other related duties as assigned by senior management. Work Location The position is based at the company's edible oil manufacturing plant in Adama City, Ethiopia . The successful candidate is expected to provide hands-on leadership and oversight of factory operations.