Italtile | View - Deputy Factory Manager

Deputy Factory Manager

Listing reference: ceram_000015

Listing status: Online

Apply by: 18 September 2026

Position summary

Industry: Manufacturing

Job category: Production and Operations Management

Location: Hammanskraal

Contract: Permanent

Remuneration: Market Related

EE position: No

Introduction

Ceramic Industries is a leader in the design and manufacture of ceramic tiles, bathroom and sanitaryware. As a Deputy Factory Manager you will oversee the productivity, quality and operational excellence within the Factory. Enlisting the latest technology and processes, you will lead a manufacturing team to ensure we deliver the most beautiful products to our clients.

Job description

About the Company:

Since our founding in 1976, the Ceramic Industries Group has grown to become a leader in the design and manufacture of ceramic tiles and bathroomware. The Group comprises five tile factories, one bathroomware factory and one acrylic bath factory, all based in South Africa, and a tile factory in Australia.

Job Summary

The main responsibility of the Deputy Factory Manager is to ensure the production processes deliver products of maximum quality in a cost-effective, safe and reliable manner, while maintaining the factory assets in a cost-effective way to ensure safe and reliable production. The Deputy Factory Manager is also responsible to lead and manage the process and maintenance function for the factory in terms of execution of strategic direction, resources and process excellence.

Duties & Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Development of asset preservation strategy

Assist the Factory manager with the development and execution of the asset preservation strategy, asset management objectives and operational plans
Review and make recommendations for the asset register remaining useful, and compare to current asset condition to determine the remaining preservation strategy
Evaluate previous year budget and expenses to determine the following years maintenance budget and Asset preservation strategy
Review the performance of the plant for the previous year to identify shortfalls, recommend and implement focused initiatives to improve performance

Implementation of asset preservation strategy

Define and implement maintenance standards for the department to ensure cost-effective and safe maintenance execution
Translate the asset preservation strategy and asset management objectives into plans, budgets and KPI’s for the maintenance function and ensure the right skills set are identified to execute these plans
Allocate the budgets and performance targets to the relevant department heads

Management of maintenance effectiveness

Oversee the effective execution of preventive and reactive maintenance work on the factories assets to optimize their performance at minimal costs and risks
Evaluate the work orders for the week (status; backlog; schedule compliance; performance) and address any problems with the relevant department heads
Review and monitor the cost of maintenance (SAP & Excel maintenance sheet) and address any problems with the relevant department heads
Evaluate critical plant/equipment status to implement a scheduled maintenance plan

Drive quality and eliminate defects through continuous improvement

Drive continuous improvements in process and maintenance (KPI review meetings; defect elimination; small projects; recognition)
Records all continuous improvement tasks/opportunities
Prioritise, plan and resource CI projects
Ensures the master tile specifications are valid
Analyse the customers complaints to ensure the QC system is preventing defects reaching your customers
Monitor daily/weekly QC inspection from the Lab to identify problems and recommend solutions

Identify issues in inefficiencies and suggest improvements

Lead, manage and direct People

Manage and lead the team
Facilitate daily department coordinators operational meeting (Previous day performance, discuss key constraints and risk and agree on the daily plan)
Source and manage relationships with external and internal suppliers, OEM, shared resource
Organize workflow by assigning responsibilities and preparing schedules
Determine the action plans and targets in line with sales order book
Overseeing and coaching (process and support) personnel for the development of future leadership of the business
Ensure that new joiners are trained and developed to work on factory equipment
Identify, train, and equip employees to work effectively and efficiently
Ensure that individual development plans are in place for all critical and key roles
Enforce and manage non-conformances to company policies, procedures, guidelines and company standards

Safety, Health and Environment

Ensure compliance to SHERQ regulations and system
Monitor and ensure (Monthly, weekly, quarterly, and annual) safety inspection are done and records kept
Plans and coordinates Internal & External audits (ISO9001; OHS Audit; Risk audit)
Monitor time and attendance (overtime, time worked, absenteeism) and address problem areas with responsible department coordinator
Monitor SHEQR indicators and address problem areas with responsible department coordinator
Ensure the safe use and regular maintenance of process equipment

Management of process

Set daily/weekly/monthly production objectives and communicate to relevant team members
Check and ensure production outputs are according to specifications
Schedule KPI meeting, to review the previous weeks production and quality, discuss problem areas, recommend and implement solutions
Prepare and present the month end reports on key metrics
Prepare Quarterly board reports on key metrics and Projects
Monitor the quality of specification of raw materials and manage non-conformance

Minimum requirements

Qualifications and Experience

NQF Level 6/7 Degree in an Engineering discipline - Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical or Metallurgy, Qualification in financial management is advantageous
5 years post qualification engineering or process experience in FMCG or mining industry

Soft Skills:

Self-motivated and interdependent
Ambitious, Result Orientation
Sound Judgment and Decision Making
Drives Performance and Holds People Accountable
Plans, Coordinates and Executes well
Problem Solver
Change Leader
Innovation
Concern for Safety, Health and the Environment
Develops others (Building resources in terms of people, succession planning)
Teamwork & Collaboration

Preferred Skills

Asset Management

Ensure that assets are managed to maximize value and mitigate risk to the business
Develop and evaluate contracts and contractors for critical services such as compressed air, water gas and raw materials)

Oversee defect elimination according to an agreed standard
Ensure the basic principles and best practices for chemical, mechanical and electrical principles are followed
Ensure that department heads have a full understanding of opportunity cost, time value of money and how it affects decision-making
Explain and quantify the value of an improvement when necessary
Evaluate and plan asset replacement based on the assets’ life cycle costs
Manage capital projects within budget
Develop and implement asset care plan
Ensure that the processes for maintenance shutdown are followed in line with best practices
Ensure that work areas are compliant with Company standards
Interpret and forecast demand patterns in line with sales orders

SHE Risk Management

Integrates Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) risk management into all support and process activities to ensure optimal business performance
Pro-actively identifies, assesses, prioritises and mitigates against potential risks
Continuously identifies opportunities to enhance SHE performance to protect employees, contractors, customers and company assets.
Effectively embeds leading SHE management practices, identifies areas for improvement and recommends actions to address gaps