Freezing Operations Management
- Plan, coordinate, and monitor daily blast freezing operations.
- Ensures correct product loading on freezing trays and racks.
- Supervise product transfer between fresh storage, freezing and storage areas.
- Ensures to maximize freezing output per day efficiently.
- Freezer loss to be maintained within set target.
- Liase with commercial planning team and processing manager and align on the daily, weekly and monthly frozen stock volume requirements.
- Ensures that all SKUs are produced as per target volumes within the set standards,
- Monitors blast freezer performance and ensure preventative and corrective maintenance are performed timely
- Ensures that fresh stock is inspected before push-in and flags potential quality issues to processing manager.
- Ensures freezer(s) are packed quickly and efficiently with minimal time available for drip and energy wastage
- Ensures freezer cycles are arranged accordingly to not need pack out or loading at the same time and ensure a constant and efficient flow of work
- Ensures packaged/packed out stock is immediately and continuously moved and packed appropriately in the storage units one pallet at a time so that quality is not compromised
- Ensures packing of boxes is done quickly and accurately.
- Generate daily, weekly and monthly freezing performance reports (freezing cycles, downtime, freezer loss, etc.
- Ensure all packaging material required for pack-out is drawn appropriately and on time
- Ensure stock levels of packaging material is monitored and orders are made well ahead of time to prevent shortage.
- Align effectively with Further Processing and Primary Processing team on SKUs and quantities planned to be reserved for freezing to ensure efficient operations of the blast freezer.
Team Management
- Responsible for supervising and training Freezing Supervisor and Attendants.
- Ensures all direct reports have up to date, signed job descriptions.
- Conducts regular team meetings to review performance, address improvement areas, and align on future targets.
- Sets performance objectives and carries out routine reviews in line with company performance management guidelines.
- Works with HR to identify skills gaps and implement appropriate training and development interventions.
- Oversees effective attendance management, leave planning, and disciplinary processes.
- Ensures 100% compliance with PPE requirements across all teams.
- Leads process efficiency improvements and optimisation initiatives.
- Oversees quarterly policy and SOP training sessions, ensuring proper documentation of all sessions.
- Manages manpower effectively, efficient shift scheduling, keeping overtime costs below 2%.
Health, Safety & Environmental Management
- Ensure compliance with all health, safety, and environmental (HSE) legislation, regulations, codes of practice, and Yalelo’s Workplace Health & Safety (WHS) standards.
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of workplace health and safety matters relevant to operations, ensuring hazards are identified, eliminated, or minimised, and risks controlled as far as reasonably practicable.
- Ensure all plant, equipment, substances, and structures are safe for use, and that workers are adequately trained and supervised to mitigate workplace risks.
Educational Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in food science, Production Management, Engineering, or a related field.
- All academic qualifications must be certified by ZAQA
- Must be an active member of the relevant professional body
- Full Grade 12 Certificate
- Additional training or certification in cold chain management, HACCP, or ISO standards is an advantage.
Experience
- At least 3 years’ experience in production, processing, or cold chain operations within the food or FMCG sector.
- Proven track record of managing blast freezing operations or large-scale cold storage facilities.
- Demonstrated success in managing teams in a fast-paced production environment.
- Experience in implementing performance management, efficiency improvements, and compliance initiatives.
