The posting
Job Title: Production Supervisor - Beverage Production Department: Production, Beverage Location: Kiambu County Reporting To: Lead / Deputy Lead 2. Job Purpose The Production Supervisor is responsible for leading and coordinating production activities within the assigned beverage manufacturing area to ensure the safe, efficient, cost-effective, and timely delivery of approved production plans. The role provides frontline leadership to production teams and ensures that people, machinery, materials, and production processes are effectively coordinated to achieve output, quality, equipment reliability, cost, food safety, and productivity targets. The position is accountable for maintaining compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices, food safety requirements, Safety, Health, Environment and Quality standards, approved operating procedures, and the company policies. The role also drives continuous improvement, waste reduction, employee development, and operational discipline across the assigned production area. Direct experience with high-speed beverage production and packaging lines such as Krones, Sidel, KHS, SACMI, SIPA, KOSME or comparable equipment is mandatory. 3. Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities 3.1 Production Planning and Execution • Implement production plans and shift targets. • Coordinate manpower, equipment, materials, and utilities. • Monitor output and address production variances. • Ensure timely production and effective shift handovers. • Maintain accurate production records and escalate operational challenges. 3.2 Quality Assurance and Food Safety • Ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP, and quality standards. • Monitor product specifications and production processes. • Ensure proper handling and traceability of materials and products. • Address quality deviations and non-conformities. • Support audits and corrective actions. 3.3 Equipment and Operational Reliability • Coordinate equipment inspections and preventive maintenance. • Monitor breakdowns, downtime, and equipment performance. • Support root cause analysis and corrective actions. • Ensure proper changeovers, cleaning, and sanitation. • Drive equipment reliability and OEE improvement. 3.4 Cost Management and Resource Optimization • Monitor material, labour, and utility consumption. • Control production waste, rejects, and losses. • Investigate variances and implement corrective actions. • Drive cost reduction, productivity, and yield improvement. 3.5 Leadership and People Management • Supervise, coach, and manage production employees. • Allocate duties and communicate shift targets. • Monitor performance, attendance, and discipline. • Identify training needs and promote teamwork and accountability. 3.6 Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Compliance • Enforce SHEQ policies, procedures, and legal requirements. • Ensure proper use of PPE and safe equipment operation. • Conduct safety inspections and address workplace hazards. • Promote hygiene, housekeeping, and environmental compliance. 3.7 Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence • Implement Lean, Kaizen, and 5S initiatives. • Analyse production performance and identify improvement opportunities. • Apply root cause analysis and monitor corrective actions. • Promote efficiency and continuous improvement. 3.8 Stakeholder Management and Communication • Collaborate with Quality, Engineering, Planning, and Supply Chain teams. • Communicate production priorities, challenges, and progress. • Coordinate timely material availability and production support. 3.9 Records, Reporting and Compliance • Maintain accurate production and shift records. • Report output, downtime, waste, quality, and safety performance. • Ensure compliance with documentation and reporting requirements. 3.10 Additional Responsibilities • Support product trials, equipment commissioning, and emergency activities. • Undertake other relevant duties assigned by the supervisor. Requirements 4. Academic Qualifications • Bachelor’s Degree or Diploma in Food Science or Food Technology; Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering; Manufacturing Technology; Production or Operations Management; Industrial Engineering; or a related technical or manufacturing discipline. 5. Professional Qualifications and Training The following qualifications or training will be an added advantage: • Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) • Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) • ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Systems • Food Safety System Certification requirements • Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma • Total Productive Maintenance • Occupational Safety and Health • Root Cause Analysis and structured problem-solving • First Aid or emergency response training • Supervisory and people-management development 6. Experience • A minimum of four to six years of relevant experience in an FMCG, beverage, food processing, or manufacturing environment. • Demonstrated experience supervising production employees and coordinating shift operations. • Practical experience in production planning, line performance monitoring, food safety, quality compliance, and manufacturing documentation. • Experience working with automated or semi-automated beverage processing, filling, packaging, or utility systems is desirable. • Direct experience with high-speed beverage production and packaging lines such as Krones, Sidel, KHS, SACMI, SIPA, KOSME or comparable equipment is mandatory. • Experience in loss reduction, continuous improvement, equipment reliability, or operational excellence initiatives is an added advantage. 7. Technical Competencies • Production planning and scheduling • Beverage manufacturing operations • Good Manufacturing Practices and food safety controls • Process and product quality control • Equipment performance and reliability monitoring • Cleaning-in-Place and sanitation processes • Material usage and production reconciliation • Waste, yield, and productivity management • Standard operating procedures and work instructions • Root cause analysis and corrective action management • Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kaizen, and continuous improvement • Production data analysis and performance reporting • SHEQ compliance • Microsoft Excel, production reporting tools, and relevant manufacturing systems 8. Behavioural and Leadership Competencies • Results orientation • Frontline leadership • Planning and organizing • Decision-making • Problem-solving and analytical thinking • Accountability and ownership • Team development and coaching • Effective communication • Collaboration and stakeholder management • Conflict resolution • Attention to detail • Integrity and professional conduct • Safety and quality consciousness • Adaptability and resilience • Ability to perform effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment Recommended Supporting Performance Measures • Production plan attainment • Overall Equipment Effectiveness • Waste and yield variance • Unplanned downtime • Changeover duration • Right-first-time production • Product rejection and rework rate • GMP and food safety audit compliance • Preventive maintenance schedule adherence • Safety incident and near-miss performance • Corrective action closure rate • Employee attendance and training completion • Housekeeping and 5S audit scores 9. Working Conditions • The role is based within a beverage manufacturing environment. • The position may require working rotational shifts, weekends, public holidays, overtime, or extended hours depending on production requirements. • The job holder may be exposed to production noise, moving machinery, cleaning chemicals, wet areas, temperature variations, and other controlled manufacturing conditions. • Strict compliance with personal protective equipment, hygiene, food safety, and workplace safety requirements is mandatory. • The role requires regular movement across production areas and may involve prolonged periods of standing. 10. Role Authority The Production Supervisor is authorized, within approved company procedures, to: • Allocate shift duties and production resources. • Adjust operational activities to address production, safety, quality, or equipment concerns. • Stop production where there is an immediate safety, food safety, quality, or equipment-integrity risk. • Isolate or recommend the isolation of non-conforming products and materials. • Initiate first-level corrective actions for performance, attendance, conduct, and procedural non-compliance. • Escalate critical operational risks and recommend corrective or improvement actions. • Recommend employee training, recognition, development, and performance interventions.
