Job Advert Summary
We’re looking for an experienced Production Manager to take full ownership of our Heat Treatment Department. This is a hands-on leadership role that combines technical metallurgical expertise with strategic, commercial and people leadership. You’ll shape how we deliver quality, performance and growth for our customers.
Minimum Requirements
Matric (Grade 12).
A recognised tertiary qualification in Metallurgy (bachelor’s degree or National Diploma, NQF Level 6 or higher) is essential. An additional qualification in Engineering, Production Management, Operations Management or a related field will be advantageous.
8–10 years’ manufacturing experience, including a minimum of 5 years in a production or operations management role, of which management experience in a heat treatment environment is essential.
Experience in steel, engineering or heavy manufacturing environments.
Strong understanding of heat treatment processes, metallurgical principles and production management.
Computer proficiency in Microsoft Office and production management systems.
Duties and Responsibilities
Production & Operations Management
Direct all heat treatment production activities to achieve throughput, productivity and delivery targets.
Develop and execute production plans aligned to customer demand, capacity and operational requirements.
Monitor furnace utilisation, turnaround times, workflow, productivity and operational performance.
Interpret material specifications, technical drawings and customer requirements to determine optimal treatment cycles.
Coordinate production, quality, maintenance, and support functions to ensure seamless operations.
Analyse operational metrics and implement corrective actions to address bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
Provide technical leadership and oversight for all heat treatment operations, ensuring compliance with customer specifications, metallurgical requirements and industry standards.
Develop, review, approve and continuously optimise heat treatment procedures for steel grades, product dimensions and customer applications.
Determine and authorise appropriate heat treatment cycles including annealing, normalising, stress relieving, quenching and tempering.
Monitor and control furnace temperatures, soak times, quench conditions, cooling rates, tempering temperatures and load configurations.
Interpret material certificates, metallurgical test reports, technical drawings and customer requirements.
Ensure the controlled atmosphere furnaces are set correctly for the amount of nitrogen, methanol and LPG to prevent oxidation, decarbonisation, soot formation and other surface defects.
Strategic & Business Growth
Develop and implement departmental strategies aligned to business objectives.
Identify opportunities to improve capacity, service delivery, profitability and customer satisfaction.
Contribute to long-term operational planning and sustainable business growth.
Financial Management
Manage the Heat Treatment Department budget and control costs including overtime within approved limits.
Monitor labour, energy, maintenance and consumable expenditure.
Drive cost reduction initiatives while maintaining quality and safety standards.
Prepare and present operational and financial performance reports.
Leadership & People Development
Lead, mentor and motivate departmental teams to achieve performance objectives.
Foster a culture of accountability, respect, teamwork and high performance.
Conduct performance reviews and implement development plans.
Identify training requirements and support skills development and succession planning.
Maintenance & Asset Reliability
Ensure effective preventative maintenance programmes for furnaces and supporting equipment.
Drive equipment reliability, plant availability and downtime reduction initiatives.
Support maintenance planning and capital replacement strategies.
Ensure assets operate safely and efficiently.
Quality, Safety & Compliance
Champion a Safety Always culture across all departmental activities.
Ensure compliance with OHSA, ISO standards, internal policies and customer requirements.
Lead investigations into quality, safety and operational incidents and implement corrective actions.
Maintain traceability, documentation integrity and audit readiness.
Drive continuous improvement in quality performance and process control.
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