Manufacturing Manager – Wodonga

Location: Shepparton & Goulburn Valley
Company: DERWENT
Full Time

This privately-owned company has a proud history and is recognised as a leader in its field in Australasia. It is a leading specialist in the delivery of solutions where organisations are increasingly turning to their specialist skills to meet technical, safety and environmental challenges. From their two manufacturing sites in Australia, they deliver solutions to a wide variety of heavy and light industries and customers around the world. They complement their products with a range of quality support services in Australia and overseas, provided by their specialist people, partnerships and joint ventures. The underlying values of the company are centred around: Customer Focus; Valuing People; Integrity; Innovation; and Unity. 

Reporting to the General Manager and managing a total manufacturing and operations team of c.200, the Manufacturing Manager is a key member of the Management Team and will interact with other department heads on a daily basis. Whist this is a senior leadership role of a sizeable team, it is not a ‘command and control environment’ – the successful incumbent will be a ‘hands-on’ leader who spends time on the factory floor as opposed to being behind their desk. The primary mandate of the role is threefold:
Firstly – to lead, coach and manage a high-performance multidisciplinary manufacturing team to deliver high quality product on time and according to plan;
Secondly – Build and instil a workplace culture around the prevention of all safety injuries and understand the link between leadership behaviours and the reduction of safety incidents within the business; and
Thirdly – to establish and drive a continuous improvement program across the manufacturing areas.
 
The Manufacturing Manager will be accountable for safety, people, plant, facilities, product quality, delivery, and cost for the Manufacturing operations of the Distribution Transformer Business Unit. Key focus areas will include:

• Providing a safe workplace for employees and contractors;
• Ensuring management and improvement strategies are aligned with the business plan;
• Managing and improving processes and systems to optimise quality, cost, and delivery;
• Developing employees, providing leadership, and promoting decision making;
• Strategically managing plant and facilities ensuring optimal performance and operational utilisation; and
• Executing CAPEX projects on time and on budget.

 
The successful candidate will be a highly experienced manufacturing and operations manager with a track record of managing a large multidisciplinary team. This position is responsible for managing and leading the site, with a particular focus on safety, environmental, quality, and budgetary requirements, as well as strategy development for resourcing, manufacturing, innovation, continuous improvement and production performance.
This role will drive a positive safety behaviour culture, whilst driving for continued performance improvements and uptime targets. The manufactured product will be a mix of repetition and jobbing (not a new concept every time) and will be suited to someone who can think laterally, adding value by ‘tweaking’ and thinking outside the box – as opposed to recreating the wheel. Critical skills, attributes and experience include:
 

• An effective and logical decision maker
• Energetic with a focus on delivering results aligned with the business plan;
• Commercially astute and the ability to exercise mature judgment;
• Able to think logically, develop and deliver practical solutions to complex business problems;
• Able to clearly articulate ideas and opportunities and not be afraid to champion these ideas or to speak their mind;
• Knowledgeable and have experience in financial management, gained within a sizeable manufacturing organisation;
• A people manager with proven ability to support the development of high performing work teams;
• Mechanical and/or Electrical aptitude;
• Strong negotiation and communication skills;
• Proven experience in plant and equipment management;
• Creates accountability, builds strong teams and develops people; and
• Working knowledge of AS4801, ISO9001, AS14001.

Suitable candidates will demonstrate extensive experience in small-medium volume ‘job-shop’ type manufacturing environment – as opposed to a high-volume production. Whilst LEAN or Six Sigma will be highly regarded, of greater importance is an understanding of continuous flow. An engineering degree will be highly regarded but not essential. If your experience is commensurate with the above criteria and the prospect of making a ‘tree-change’ to a culturally vibrant regional location holds appeal, please call Mathew Newman on 0407 798 228 for a confidential discussion.

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