Packaging Area Manager

About the role

The Packaging Area Manager is accountable for the overall performance of the packaging line, ensuring safety, quality, environmental compliance, and financial results. Reporting to senior leadership, the role drives production planning, efficiency, waste reduction, and continuous improvement across all shifts.

Key responsibilities

• Lead daily, weekly and monthly line performance reviews, monitoring KPIs, resource allocation and prioritisation.
• Define escalation triggers (KPI thresholds, breakdown frequency, quality incidents) and coordinate rapid response with Reliability and Continuous Improvement teams.
• Own the line’s long‑term strategy, Dream, associated KPIs and execution roadmap.
• Deploy and sustain VPO pillars, MCRS checklists, autonomous team structures and visual management tools.
• Oversee maintenance backlog, validate priorities with Maintenance and Reliability, and ensure quality execution of work orders.
• Coordinate production windows and preventive maintenance schedules with Logistics and Technical Planners.
• Drive team engagement, promote high‑value activities and integrate new equipment, technologies and processes in line with Management of Change requirements.

Required profile

• Executive‑level leadership with proven experience in industrial or packaging environments.
• Strong track record of driving operational excellence, continuous improvement and cultural transformation.
• Ability to manage cross‑functional teams, engage front‑line managers and foster accountability.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills using structured methods such as 5 Whys, PDCA cycles and anomaly reporting.

Required skills

• Production planning and change‑over strategy implementation
• Maintenance backlog management and preventive maintenance scheduling
• Reliability engineering and continuous improvement methodologies (5 Whys, PDCA)
• VPO (Visual Production Operations) tools and visual management systems
• MCRS execution and autonomous team deployment
• SOP development and operational standards maintenance