Production Manager, Technical Manager, Production Engineer, Process Engineer (FMCG, Production, Chemical Process)

• Provide technical support when the product fails or does not meet quality specifications. I trouble-shoot process parameters when there are non-conformances. I have the authority to stop the production-line during my process investigation and, or authorise Line-Operators to continue running if the quality is acceptable (as per Internal & External customer specifications).
• Recommend process improvements where there are bottle-necks on the line, or process parameters that are slowing line-efficiency or affecting product quality. 
• Liaise with Maintenance Department to prevent and minimise production downtimes.
• Ensure Line-Operators are performing their duty as per standard-operating-procedures (SOP).
• Maintain good house-keeping and discipline in the plant.
• Assist in Quality & Customer audits as per ISO 14001 & ISO 9001 certification.
• Assist with monthly stock-takes. 
• Managing Operators' performance in the Leather Finishing Department, specifically Spraying and Milling.
• By checking the Line Plan and giving clear, measurable tasks to the shift, on a daily basis, to achieve the Line Plan objectives.
• Maintaining the Quality standards of the company by identifying production non-conformances as they occur, and provide support, knowledge and direction to production staff to resolve issues with minimal downtime to the department.
• Maintain good house-keeping and discipline in the Plant.
• Administrate leave-forms, cleaning and quality checklists, and overtime forms. Ensuring 100% compliance, before passing them onto HR.
• Assist in scheduled quality and customer audits and in monthly stock-take.  Preventing any recurrence of previous findings.
• Provide technical support when production failures occur, by investigating and trouble-shooting the Process.

• Provide hands-on direct technical support to Production Engineers during office hours, and stand-by telephonic support after hours and on week-ends.
• Trouble-shoot and resolve production failures and line-stoppages.
• Issue corrective actions via instruction-technical-tickets to authorise Production Engineers to proceed with production under conditions.
• Liaising with Maintenance, Laboratory, Quality & Logistics departments in performing root-cause analysis of production failures.
• To validate New Product Implementation by converting the chemist’s molecular ratio’s into a pilot-scaled production recipe. To batch the initial trial mix (washcoat) in a pilot-scaled drum, then coat the catalytic-convertors in a trial production run on the production line.
• To plan the validation in manageable steps across all departments concerned, namely:
• Schedule the validation on the production line-plan.
• Ensure the laboratory standards are in place for the analysis of the new product.
• Communicate with the Quality department so that the mean standard specifications are programmed into the PLC control system before the validation is run on the line.
• Prepare maintenance if new tooling is required on the production line should the dimensions of the new catalytic-convertor differ from standard tooling.
• Enter the exact quantities (in grams/piece) on the Bill of Materials (BOM’s).
• Compile a validation report documenting how the mix was batched and run on the line, providing detailed parameters and specifications that need to be followed, and processing problems experienced during the 1st run.
• Support the next 10 production batches of the new product, preparing and teaching Batching-Engineers & Line-Engineers on how to run the product. To include the data of the production batches into the validation report.
• Was trained as a facilitator to introduce Total Production Management (TPM) to Production Engineers and Operators as part of the company’s Continuous Improvement programme. I transferred the knowledge to production staff on lean manufacturing methods like Kaizens, 5 Whys Root Cause Analysis and best practises like the efficient use of water and chemicals, minimising wastage and containing our chemicals in a closed system – preventing them from entering the municipality drainage.

Process Engineer (Promotion from Production to Technical Services)

Production Support

• Providing technical support and sharing my expertise with Production during office hours, and stand-by telephonic support after hours and during week-ends
• By trouble-shooting and solving production non-conformances and giving support and assistance to Production Engineers and Operators during production downtimes.
• Minimising losses and rejects during downtimes and ensuring the Company's quality specification are maintained.
• Working collaboratively with other departments like the Laboratory, Maintenance, Logistics and Quality to keep production lines running

New Product Implementation

• Analyse technical reports from the Chemists, and come up with an appropriate plan to validate (run an initial, trial production batch) for a new product or new recipe.
• Apply a methodical approach and break down the validation into steps and manageable tasks.
• Communicate to management and the chemists, via written email and verbally on video-conference, providing regular feedback, using concise, clear language, and structuring my ideas clearly.
• Draft reports detailing the validation, illustrating parameters, specifications, setbacks, and successes. Provide methods on how future production batches need to be processed, highlighting process issues and how to resolve them.
• Liaise with the planning department, flagging future production batches so that I could provide 100% support to production staff, on how to batch for, and run the new product on the line.
• Continuous Improvement
•  I supported senior managements' strategy for Quality and Environmental best practises.
• On the production level, best practices were efficient use of water and chemicals, minimising wastage, and containing our products in a closed system, preventing them from entering municipality drainage.  
• Being alert to production staff not adhering to the policy and correcting their work habits.

Batching Engineer (Promotion from Production Engineer)

• Managing a team of Batching Operators' and Batching Engineers' performances on a shift basis. 
• Planning and prioritising their workload, and giving precise, clear measurable tasks for the shift, so that the production line-plan objectives were achieved.
• Batch process, producing chemical PGM (Precious Group Metals: Platinum, Palladium and Rhodium) washcoats from a recipe, within tight specifications, using SPC controlled tanks. (Statistical Process Control)
• Providing solutions, direction and support to staff when they encounter production downtimes, that prevent them completing their tasks.
• Working collaboratively with Maintenance, Logistics and the Laboratory departments during the shift to solve issues and ensure continuous and timeous production. 

Production Engineer 

• Running a FMCG production line, producing 650 Automotive Catalysts per hour, within measured specifications using PLC control systems. (Programmable Logic Controller)
• Managing a team of Operators, giving them precise, clear and measurable instructions. 
• Maintaining discipline and good house-keeping within the team. 
• Perform annual appraisals on individual team-members, discussing strengths and weaknesses, training requirements for the year, validating good performance and behaviour, and suggestions for improvements.

Batching Engineer (Production Batching Department – Johnson Matthey)
01 November 2001 to 31 March 2004

• Supervising a team of Batching Engineers & Batching Operators, for the production of chemical washcoats [i. e Precious Group Metals: Platinum, Palladium & Rhodium based mixes] on a shift basis, for supply to the Production Lines.
• Understanding fluid flow of chemicals in a drum with baffles, measuring 6-point viscosities to determine chemical reaction of the washcoat. Interpreting lab analysis of PGM concentrations to determine the homogeneity of the washcoat.
• Planning & prioritising their workload and giving precise, clear, measurable tasks to achieve production line-plan objectives.
• Re-organising resources as a result of unforeseen production downtimes/failures so that maximum efficiency is achieved on the shift.
• Monitor process parameters of the batching vessels/drums using SPC (Statistical Process Control).
• Maintain good house-keeping.
• Performance appraisals and administration of leave forms and disciplinary measures if required on Batching Operators.

Production Engineer (FMCG Production Line – Johnson Matthey)
01 August 2000 to 31 October 2009

• Running an extrusion type dosing process operating at -30kPA vacuum pressure at a line-speed of 650 parts per hour, keeping the PLC graph (Programmable Logic Controller) between upper and lower limits, for the catalytic convertors to pass customer specifications.
• Supervising a team of line operators to assist me running the line at the target line-speed and within quality standards.
• Using performance management principles by giving the team specific, clear and measurable tasks, whilst maintaining the self-esteem of the individual and the team, especially when there are non-conformances.

• Physically operating a semi-scaled reactor in a pilot-plant for the practical term required to complete my Diploma in Chemical Engineering.
• Recording temperatures, pressures and flow-rates along the length of the reactor for R&D purposes.
• Drawing wax and wax-condensate samples along the reactor, labelling them and logging them into the lab.
• Operating various valves and pumps on the reactor (Ball, Butterfly, Spindle, Gate & Globe Valves) (Centrifugal, Pneumatic & Positive Displacement Pumps).
• Controlling the reactor from the control-room using SPC (Statistical Process Control).
• Commissioning & de-commissioning the reactor as per a batch process.
• Operating a semi-scaled reactor in a Pilot Plant, a Fischer-Tropsch Slurry-Bed Wax Reactor, producing different grades of wax along the length of the column.
• Opening and closing valves (Ball, Butterfly, Spindle, Gate and Globe valves) along the reactor, operating  pumps (Centrifugal, Pneumatic, Peristaltic and Positive Displacement pumps), taking instructions from the Senior Process Controller.
• Drawing samples at different heights of the fractionation process, at regular intervals according to a detailed schedule drawn up by my manager and the R&D engineers. Labelling the samples for the analysis required, and logging them into the laboratory.
• Drawing samples at high pressures and temperatures, wearing PPE to protect myself from steam and hot wax.
• Recording temperatures, pressures and flowrates along the reactor, following a detailed schedule (hourly, daily and weekly readings).
• Commissioning and decommissioning the reactor as per a batch process.
• Controlling the reactor as a Senior Process Controller using a SPC operating system.