Website The Coca-Cola Company
Welcome to Coca-Cola South Africa, the company that does the most for community upliftment and is the home of South Africa’s favourite brand. It is the mission of TheCoca-Cola Company to refresh the world, inspire moments of optimism and happiness, create value and make a difference. Here y… read moreou’ll find everything you want to know about the Coca-Cola business in our country, from our bottling partners and brands, to our leadership and sustainability programmes. South Africa is the largest Coca-Cola market in Africa and consistently ranks among the best performing countries in the world of Coca-Cola. This impressive position is made possible by the hard work and commitment of our four bottlers, our canning operation as well as our employees, whose main vision is to benefit and refresh the people of South Africa. We’re proud to be a business unit of the Coca-Cola Eurasia and Africa Group, which is headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey. TheCoca-Cola Company has operations in more than 200 countries around the world and serves its beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion every day. Working together with our bottling partners, we work to consistently deliver value to our customers—the grocers, retailers, vendors, spazas and tuck shop owners—across South Africa. TheCoca-Cola Company owns the brands, and our bottling partners produce, package, distribute and merchandise our products worldwide. In South Africa, The Coca-Cola System (our Company and bottling partners) employs approximately 9,000 employees and has 15 facilities. Learn more about our bottling system.
Key Purpose
The Unit Manager is responsible for leading the end-to-end performance of the production unit by ensuring safe, efficient, and cost-effective delivery of daily and weekly production targets. The role drives operational excellence through strong people leadership, equipment reliability, adherence to QFSE and safety standards, and disciplined execution of production plans. This position ensures continuous improvement across quality, productivity, waste reduction, and team capability while collaborating cross-functionally to optimise plant performance and maintain a high-reliability manufacturing environment.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Key Outcomes
Production Management
Plan and monitor daily and weekly production schedules to achieve volume, efficiency, and quality targets.
Analyze production performance and drive corrective actions to meet operational KPIs.
Ensure accurate recording of production data and maintain production records.
Asset Care and Equipment Reliability
Support Engineering and Maintenance Manager in planning and executing preventive and autonomous maintenance activities.
Foster operator ownership of equipment through Autonomous Maintenance practices.
Participate in root cause analysis of equipment failures and implement corrective actions.
Cost and Resource Management
Develop and manage operational budgets for the production unit, including labor, materials, and overheads.
Monitor cost performance against budget, identifying and addressing variances.
Drive waste reduction and efficient resource utilization.
Quality and Food Safety
Enforce adherence to Quality at Source principles and compliance with QFSE standards.
Collaborate with the QFSE Manager to investigate and resolve quality issues, implementing preventive actions.
Promote continuous improvement in product quality and process reliability.
Safety, Health, and Environmental Compliance
Ensure compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations and company policies.
Conduct safety inspections, risk assessments, and incident investigations.
Promote a culture of safety through training, communication, and visible leadership.
Continuous Improvement
Identify and prioritize performance improvement opportunities based on KPI analysis and process performance.
Lead problem-solving sessions and implement solutions to eliminate root causes.
Collaborate with the Continuous Improvement Specialist to embed lean practices.
Team Leadership and Development
Lead, coach, and mentor Production Team Leaders and Training Controllers to build capability and drive engagement.
Conduct regular performance reviews and manage individual development plans.
Ensure that training and skills development are prioritized and aligned with operational requirements.
Cross-functional Collaboration
Engage with peers (e.g., Stores, Quality, Engineering, Projects) to optimize supply chain flow, resource allocation, and plant reliability.
Foster a collaborative and solutions-oriented work environment
Skills, Experience & Education
Education
National Diploma or Degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or related field
Relevant 3 year post matric qualification (N6 or S4 Diploma) and technical and/or production management experience.
Experience
5–8 years in manufacturing operations, with at least 3 years in a supervisory or management capacity
Proven track record in managing high-volume production environments, preferably FMCG or beverage industry
Experience leading cross-functional teams and driving CI projects
Skills
Strong knowledge of manufacturing and bottling operations
Proficient in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, or similar methodologies
Data analysis and interpretation of operational metrics (OEE, yield, etc.)
Budgeting and cost control understanding
Advanced proficiency in MS Office Suite
Familiarity with manufacturing systems such
Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills
Understanding of South African labour law and OHSA preferable
Deadline:20th February,2026
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Apply via company website ( http://www.coca-cola.co.za ) or