Commercial Manager: Operations (Animal Feed) October 2024

Hammarsdale, Kwa Zulu Natal

Role Purpose:

To provide commercial support relating to all operational aspects of the feed business.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

B.Com or CIMA
4 to 5 years management accounting experience, including commercial costing, people management and some exposure to processing or manufacturing environments

Key Responsibilities:

Product Costing
Maintaining a close working relationship with Mill based Management Accounting,
Procurement and Technical teams to ensure that the standard cost of various feed products are accurately maintained on the system.
Continuously analyzing and auditing of the standard costs of products to ensure that they are accurately maintained and that they reflect the cost of the production processes.
Monthly analysis of variance reports of actual cost vs. standard cost and highlighting of variances to mill management in order to initiate actions which would correct potential inefficiencies.
Quarterly review of product routings to ensure that products are allocated the correct production costs.
Overseeing the working relationship between the mill-based managements accountants and the regional sales team highlighting cost changes in order for them to proactively take corrective action to optimize margins.

Management Reporting

Reporting of key performance indicators on a daily/weekly/monthly basis.
Monthly reporting of financial performance of the mill in the agreed format which will include commentary on key performance areas.

Business Plan and Forecasting

Supporting the annual business plan and quarterly forecasting processes for all the mills in accordance with the national time scheduling and guidelines.
Expense budgeting for the service functions of the mill in line with national guidelines and economic indicators.
Overseeing the expense budgeting of the mill operation by working closely with line management ensuring that budgets are in line with guidelines and economic indicators.
Calculation of return on investment for proposed budgeted capital projects in order to assist management with prioritization of Capex, and ensuring that capital budgets are aligned with group allocation of funds.
Reporting of the budgets and forecasts according to the formats supplied by National Office.

Interpretation of the final outcome of the budgets and forecasts ensuring that it reflects the strategic objectives of the business and initiating changes where necessary.

Cost Control Capex

Monthly analysis of costs against budget/forecast and investigating variances.
Continuously consider cost saving opportunities or areas where waste/inefficiencies could be eliminated and influence corrective action by line management.
Overall responsibility for the Capex process and adherence to the relevant Limits of Authority for the Division.
Identification of Capex opportunities to unlock profit of the operations within the context of group Capex requirements and strategy.
Prepare and follow up on Capex motivations.
Prepare post Capex reviews.
Review Capex application and ensure ROI requirements are met.
Compliance with Capex application and procure to payment process (payments must comply with approved bill of works).

Stock Control

Investigate stock variances and take corrective action.
Assess the stock control procedures on a continuous basis ensuring proper internal controls.

Governance

Ensure that Rainbow Chicken ethical standards and the requirements of the RPM are adhered to.
Report and or escalate any areas of non- compliance appropriately.

Information and Data Management

Ensure team members accurately and regularly captures data onto the information system to enable access to reliable data and reporting for trend analysis and decision making.
Share relevant data with management teams to enable reliable business decision making.
Ensure profitability system is utilized to perform financial management function, especially variance reporting and budgeting and forecasting.

Contribute to Functional Strategy into Action

Communicate operational capacity required across both the medium term and plan required asset utilisation and Capex requirements for processing and service functions accordingly.
Work closely with the Management team to ensure the delivery of an integrated supply chain benefit.
Suggest improvements to annual functional Strategy into Action plan and participate in the compilation of the regional finance teams' contribution to the plan.
Ensure that the agreed SIA is implemented through team targets and that these targets align cross functionally within area of responsibility.

Provide Team Leadership

Leads team towards meeting strategy and targets - through regular communication and utilization of full organizational talent management tool set.
Manage and deliver on succession plans to enable the development of a future generation of leaders and specialists and ensure optimal turnover and retention levels are maintained.
Drives Employment Equity within the team to ensure that diversity is achieved at all levels and that statutory targets and requirements are met.
Champions training and development of team utilizing available training opportunities or contributing to the development of new training solutions in collaboration with regional and national training specialists.
Conduct regular performance appraisals with subordinates and ensure that the process is cascaded throughout the regional team.
Develops and manage high performance multidisciplinary teams in order to solve problems within the commercial arena.
Encourages skills workshops between multidisciplinary teams and across regional team to attain skills transfer.
Conducts regular meetings and ensures that records are kept and shared across the team and that action plans agreed to within team meetings are delivered upon.
Manage employee relations climate and ensure corrective action is taken where required in line with relevant legislation and company policy.
Manage the activities of team, and ensure internal customer service requirements are met.
Manage leave and general time management issues in line with organizational deliverables.
Coach and support team members where necessary to achieve objectives.
Building a high energy team to deliver accurate financial reporting and a culture of corporate governance compliance.

Closing date for this vacancy is Friday, 18th October 2024