Packaging Manager (Hawassa)

Lead, manage, and oversee the execution and efficient operation of the plant packaging function to ensure achievement of the Sales & Operational Plan by delivering finished products On Time and In Full with the required quality at the optimum cost. Ensure compliance with BGI and Castel Group standards while promoting operational excellence, continuous improvement, product quality, food safety, workplace safety, and sustainable manufacturing practices.

• Plan, organize, lead, staff, and control all packaging department activities to achieve production, quality, cost, safety, and efficiency targets.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve packaging procedures, systems, SOPs, and operational tools to maximize departmental efficiency and productivity.
• Develop production and packaging plans in coordination with Production, Supply Chain, Warehouse, Sales, and Quality teams to ensure timely product availability while minimizing downtime and optimizing line utilization.
• Oversee all packaging operations, including filling, sealing, labeling, date coding, palletizing, kegging, and finished goods handling, ensuring compliance with quality and production standards.
• Ensure efficient operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, and optimization of packaging equipment including bottling lines, fillers, labelers, conveyors, palletizers, bottle washers, and other packaging machinery.
• Lead preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance planning and execution to maximize equipment reliability and availability while minimizing production interruptions.
• Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Breakdown Analysis, 5 Why, TPM, and other structured problem-solving methodologies to resolve equipment failures and improve plant reliability.
• Develop and implement continuous improvement initiatives to reduce extract losses, increase Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), improve productivity, reduce waste, and optimize packaging costs.
• Develop and manage spare parts planning by reviewing equipment manuals, forecasting critical spare requirements, maintaining optimal inventory levels, and ensuring timely procurement to maximize equipment availability.
• Manage packaging material inventories including bottles, crowns, labels, glue, caustic, pallets, cartons, shrink wrap, and other consumables to prevent production interruptions.
• Collaborate closely with the Quality Department to analyze production and quality data, interpret statistical process results, conduct packaging audits, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, GMP, HACCP, FSMS, QMS, EMS, OHSMS, and other applicable regulatory and company standards while maintaining sanitation and Clean-In-Place (CIP) procedures.
• Ensure workplace health, safety, and environmental standards are consistently implemented by promoting a safety-first culture and coordinating with the Health & Safety Coordinator.
• Lead improvement and capital projects related to packaging operations through effective project planning, budgeting, resource allocation, scheduling, execution, and performance monitoring.
• Establish, monitor, analyze, and report packaging KPIs including productivity, downtime, waste, OEE, quality performance, maintenance effectiveness, and cost efficiency, driving corrective actions where necessary.
• Coach, mentor, train, evaluate, and develop Packaging Team Leaders, Supervisors, Operators, and technical staff through continuous performance management and succession planning.
• Participate in developing departmental and organizational KPIs and contribute to strategic initiatives that improve operational excellence and manufacturing performance.
• Responsible to report problem(S) regarding the integrated management system such as on FSMS, QMS, EMS, and OHSMS to QSHE supervisor and/or his immediate supervisor
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the line manager.