Plant Operator

Job objective

• AAA Growers – Pure Harvest is a division within our AAA Group that deals with avocadoes for exports. We produce a variety of avocados known as Hass avocado. The growing started in 2018 in Simba Farm as a small scale and continued to grow. Demand by our clients led to addition of the production volume that AAA exports and this has created a need for us to expand our orchard to be able to cater for the large volume of orders coming in.
• As the Plant Operator, you will be responsible for ensuring that the system at the packhouse is running and maintained properly ensuring the basic safety checks are in place. You will also oversee the machine operation and perform general machine housekeeping and maintenance.

Your tasks and responsibilities

• Manage and oversee the machine operation and to ensure the machine is kept up to the best standard possible in terms of GMP and general maintenance.
• Ensure plant adheres to safety and environmental rules.
• Ensuring provided PPE is maintained and used as prescribed.
• Control further processing of products until conditions likely to cause non-conformities are addressed.
• Calibrating the machine to ensure required productivity levels and adherence to quality measures and standards are met.
• Manage weekly and monthly production schedules, maintenance reports and daily production reports.
• Coordinate with the maintenance manager on repair and servicing of production equipment to ensure prudent operations and maintain an updated Planned Preventative maintenance schedule for the unit. Ensure the businesses maintenance SOP is adhered to at all times.
• Reporting defective machines and/or parts to the production in charge/manager and ensure full hygiene handover is completed after any maintenance activity.
• Ensuring ripening SOP is followed to the latter.
• Communicate to immediate manager in-case of any deviations on ripening process.
• Ensuring a timely communication on each ripening process. Follow agreed format on communication.
• Ensure raw material with correct quality attributes for ripening is used i.e., correct dry matter content, correct size profile etc. in liaison with the QA manager.
• Ensure stocks for ripening consumables e.g., ethylene is adequate. Observe a re-order level for the consumables.
• Liaise with maintenance manager to ensure scheduled maintenance plan for the ripening chambers is followed.
• Maintain and updated ripening unit Planned Preventative maintenance data.

Your profile

• Degree in Mechatronic engineering/ electrical/ electronic engineering.
• Over 2 years of direct hands-on experience in a fruit/veg sorting machine.
• Good command of the English language, both verbal and written.
• High moral standing with impeccable integrity.
• Proficient Computer skills in MS Office applications, particularly with Excel.
• Report writing skills.
• Excellent Leadership skills and management skills
• Analytical mindset, excellent interpersonal and communication skills and team player facilitating cross-functional collaboration.
• Added advantage for someone who has handled fruit sorting lines preferably avocado.