Operations Manager: Fruit Cold Storage Facility in Gqeberha
MASA Outsourcing · Gqeberha, Eastern Cape
Overview
MASA Outsourcing is looking for a seasoned Operations Manager to run a fruit cold storage facility in Gqeberha. This senior role puts you in charge of cold storage, warehousing, stock control, dispatch, logistics, and staff management. It is a hands-on position for someone who can take ownership from day one and keep the operation running smoothly. If you have solid fruit cold storage experience and strong leadership skills, this could be your next big move.
About the role
As Operations Manager, you will oversee the daily operations of a fruit cold storage facility, making sure everything runs efficiently and meets quality and compliance standards. You will manage cold room operations, stock movements, and dispatch, while leading a team across intake, storage, loading, forklift operations, and scanning. The role requires a strong decision maker who can solve problems independently and step in without needing extensive training.
Key duties include:
- Managing cold room conditions, temperature control, and fruit storage procedures
- Coordinating container scheduling, loading, and logistics with transporters and agents
- Leading and motivating staff, managing performance, and ensuring discipline
- Overseeing quality control, PPECB inspections, and export documentation
- Monitoring operational KPIs and reporting to senior management
Please note: Experience in fruit cold storage is essential. Experience in milk, frozen products, general cold storage, packhouses, or similar fields will not be accepted as a substitute.
Requirements
- Proven experience as an Operations Manager within a fruit cold storage facility is essential
- Strong practical understanding of fruit cold storage operations, including intake, storage, stock movements, temperature control, and dispatch
- Demonstrable experience managing large operational teams in a fast-paced environment
- Knowledge of fruit handling procedures, pallet management, container loading, and dispatch coordination
- Experience with stock control systems, scanning processes, and operational reporting
- Knowledge of PPECB inspections and fruit export requirements will be advantageous
- Excellent leadership, planning, organisational, and problem solving skills
- Ability to make decisions independently and manage challenges with minimal supervision
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Hands on management approach with the ability to take immediate ownership
Responsibilities
- Oversee daily operations of the fruit cold storage facility, ensuring efficiency and compliance with operational standards
- Develop, implement, and monitor operational procedures to improve workflow and minimise delays
- Coordinate intake, storage, stock movements, order preparation, and dispatch activities
- Ensure customer orders are processed accurately and dispatched within required timeframes
- Identify operational bottlenecks and implement effective solutions
- Manage cold room operations and maintain appropriate storage conditions for different fruit varieties
- Monitor temperature control, fruit handling, stock rotation, and storage procedures
- Ensure pallets are correctly positioned, identified, scanned, and tracked
- Investigate and address stock discrepancies, damaged pallets, temperature deviations, and other irregularities
- Oversee container scheduling, loading operations, and coordination with transporters and forwarding agents
- Verify that the correct fruit, specifications, labels, and documentation accompany each consignment
- Lead, manage, and motivate operational teams across cold storage, intake, dispatch, loading, forklift operations, and scanning
- Allocate responsibilities, monitor productivity, attendance, performance, and adherence to SOPs
- Ensure compliance with fruit handling, cold storage, food safety, and quality control requirements
- Oversee preparations for PPECB inspections and re inspections, ensuring documentation and fruit are ready
- Monitor key operational performance indicators and review reports to identify improvement opportunities
- Liaise with senior management regarding operational performance, challenges, and improvement initiatives
Job details
- Organisation
- MASA Outsourcing
- Location
- Gqeberha, Eastern Cape
- Job type
- Full time
- Experience level
- Senior
- Category
- Logistics & Supply Chain
- Application Method
- Apply online
Success Guide
If you are applying for this operations manager role, make sure your CV clearly shows your hands on experience in a fruit cold storage facility. Highlight specific achievements like improving dispatch turnaround times, managing large teams, or handling PPECB inspections. In your cover letter, explain why you can take ownership from day one and give an example of a time you solved a tricky operational problem. Interviews for this kind of role often focus on real scenarios, so be ready to discuss how you handle temperature control, stock discrepancies, and staff performance. Also, double check that your contact details are correct and that your application is submitted before the closing date. Good luck!
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