Unit Manager - Make
Gauteng, South Africa
- Job ID:
- R-20505
- Date posted:
- 12/12/2025
- Job Type:
- Full time
- Job Category:
- Supply Chain
Job Details
Unilever is currently hiring for Unit Manager
Function: Supply Chain
Reports to: Plant Manager
Scope: Local
Location: Boksburg
Terms & Conditions: Full-time
ABOUT UNILEVER
With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world.
At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.
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.
WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE
- 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 implements any necessary changes to increase production.
- Ensures that quality standards are implemented and adhered to and diagnoses plant problems (fault finding)
- 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 SOP’s
- 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, Time keeper, ABC quality, ESS, Clock cards etc)
- 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 -conformance.
- Co-ordinates the implementation of TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) and world class principles in the factory
- Safety: As a section 16.2 appointee is required to ensure that the OHS act and company SHE regulations and standards are implemented and adhered to within the sphere of his/her responsibilities.
- Takes corrective action in the case of non-compliance as per the Section 16.2 requirements.
- Prepares for quarterly and annual Audits.
- Ensures adequate level compliance with the said policies, procedures and standards to meet all certification requirements at any given time.
- Ensures Business and Factory strategy for Safety is executed at a tactical level.
- Cost Management:
- Drives a cost-conscious culture
- Monitors and ensures MUC losses and conversion cost losses are eliminated against budgets.
- Ensures budget constraints are complied with and variances are actioned
- Identifies sources of waste and takes action to minimise waste.
- Monitors Rand per Ton costs and shares info with teams
- Monitor and Control sundry costs such as PPE, telephone, tearoom etc
- People Development:
- Identify training gaps for subordinates based on losses/ business need and execute plan together with HR/Training to close them
- Develop Personal Development Plans for subordinates and monitor progress
- Industrial Relations:
- Initiates disciplinary action/enquiries and recommends dismissals
- Resolve conflicts within immediate team and facilitates conflict resolution within subordinate teams
- Builds and maintains levels of trust with the Union Leadership and Shop Floor to facilitate win/win situations
- Eliminates industrial action
- Training and development:
- Performance management and Human Resources coordination
- Projects Management and re-engineering project management
- Manage ad hoc projects related to continuous improvements as detailed in PDP targets
WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED
Experiences & Qualifications
Completed Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain or Commerce
Must have both *Making and Packaging experience
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
Skills
Production Planning & scheduling
Supply Chain Agility
Continuous Improvement
Manufacturing Technology
Business Acumen
Project Management
Leadership
You are energized by delivering fantastic results. You are an example to others – both your results and your resilience. You are constantly on the lookout for better ways to do things, engaging and collaborating with others along the way.
As an individual you are the one responsible for your own wellbeing and delivering high standards of work. You must also focus on the Consumer and what they need. You are humble and have your head up, looking around to interpret evidence and data smartly, spot issues and opportunities to make things better.
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.
CONSUMER LOVE: Whatever their role, always looks for better ways to serve consumers. Invests time inside and outside to understand the needs of consumers.
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.
is an equal opportunities employer and committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. We are intentional in employing the best talent that reflects the demographics of our country and which will help build representation of currently under-represented groups. We therefore invite applications from all candidates representing diversity of age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief. When appointing potential candidates, the South African Employment Equity and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Legislation will be considered.
We are required by law to verify your ability to work lawfully in South Africa. If you are applying as a foreign national, please note that you may be requested to provide supporting documents supporting this.
This is an Factory-based role in Johannesburg (Boksburg) and requires 100% of time attendance on site.
Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.
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