About the position
Summary
Milkor Integrated Systems is seeking an experienced production leader to take ownership of the M380 production environment. The Head of Production is responsible for leading and optimising the full production function, ensuring efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality output aligned to business requirements.
This role supports the conversion of product designs into manufacturable products and establishes production processes that are scalable and efficient, while driving day-to-day operational performance across the production facility.
The role operates within a specialised aerospace manufacturing environment, with responsibility for the production of the Milkor 380 UAV system and associated ground support equipment.
Key Responsibilities
1. Production & Manufacturing Leadership
- Lead and oversee the day-to-day operations of the production facility, ensuring delivery against production targets, quality standards, and timelines
- Take full accountability for production output, throughput, and overall operational performance
- Ensure workforce capacity, capability, and performance are aligned to production targets across production and related functional areas
- Remain hands-on and actively involved in production operations to drive performance, resolve issues, and support execution
- Monitor and drive production performance, identifying and resolving bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and operational risks
- Drive continuous improvement across manufacturing processes, efficiency, and output
- Ensure a safe, structured, and high-performing production environment
2. Industrialisation & Product Readiness
- Support the transition of product designs into manufacturable products, ensuring production readiness and processes that are scalable and efficient
- Provide input to ensure products meet manufacturability, quality, and production readiness standards
- Establish and maintain a structured interface between Development and Production to ensure effective handover and accountability
- Support the MRO function in the manufacture of spare parts, managing these alongside new production requirements
3. Planning, Stores, ERP and Reporting
- Oversee and drive production planning and scheduling to ensure optimal resource utilisation and on-time delivery
- Manage stores and inventory to ensure material availability, accuracy, and control
- Drive effective use and continuous improvement of ERP systems to support planning, tracking, and operational visibility
- Set up and maintain an effective reporting system based on ERP data to communicate key operational parameters to other departments, including Finance, Sales, and senior management
4. Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) & Delivery Readiness
- Oversee and ensure successful execution of Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT)
- Ensure all products are fully completed, tested, and compliant with required specifications prior to delivery
- Support a smooth handover to relevant functions for delivery, commissioning, and after-sales activities
5. Production Procurement
- Define production material requirements and priorities in line with schedules and operational needs
- Work with Procurement to support timely sourcing and alignment to production requirements
- Escalate and address supply risks impacting production through the Procurement function
6. Supply Chain Management
- Coordinate with Procurement, Planning, and Stores to ensure material flow supports production schedules, inventory targets, and continuity of material supply
- Monitor supply chain risks, critical shortages, and supplier performance impacts on production, escalating and mitigating issues through the formal Procurement function
- Provide operational input into stocking strategies, lead times, and material priorities to improve delivery reliability and working capital efficiency
7. Financial & Operational Performance
- Accountable for operational P&L performance, including cost control, efficiency, and delivery outcomes
- Monitor and manage production-related costs within budgetary requirements, identifying and implementing cost optimisation initiatives
8. Leadership & Team Development
- Lead and develop multidisciplinary teams across production, planning, and stores
- Build a high-performance culture focused on accountability, delivery, and continuous improvement
- Ensure appropriate team structure, capability, succession planning and workforce planning;
9. Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Development, Quality, Finance, Human Resources and other support functions to ensure alignment and operational performance
- Maintain clear functional boundaries while enabling effective collaboration across the business
- Collaborate with Business Development and broader commercial stakeholders to provide accurate timelines, production capacity insights, and delivery expectations
10. ISO 9001
- Ensure the production function operates in compliance with ISO 9001 requirements and supports the maintenance of the organisation's 'Quality Management System (QMS)'
- Drive adherence to documented processes, work instructions, and quality controls across production activities
- Support internal and external audits, corrective actions, and continuous improvement initiatives related to ISO 9001 compliance
- Ensure non-conformances are identified, investigated, and resolved with effective corrective and preventive actions
Key Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in engineering (BEng or BSc) or Commerce (BCom), or equivalent qualification
- Minimum 10+ years' experience in a manufacturing environment (essential), with proven experience leading production or manufacturing operations, preferably within a technical or complex engineering context
- Proven experience in a senior production or operations leadership role, with responsibility for managing production performance, including output, efficiency, and delivery targets
- Experience managing multi-disciplinary production environments, including planning, stores, material availability and supplier coordination
- Experience supporting product industrialisation and ensuring production readiness
- Experience working with ERP systems in a manufacturing environment
- Experience working within an ISO 9001-certified environment or maintaining a 'Quality Management System' (QMS) is preferred
- Exposure to regulated or high-compliance industries is advantageous
Key Competencies & Profile
- Commercially strong with a solid operational grounding in production
- Strong understanding of manufacturing systems, workflows, and production processes
- Proven ability to improve efficiency, delivery performance, and cost control in line with budgetary requirements
- Strong leadership capability with extensive experience managing various teams across various production areas and at various level of employee seniority ( junior, blue collar and senior)
- Ability to drive and manage employee performance in line with production KPIs
- Systems thinker with the ability to understand and optimise end-to-end operations
- Comfortable operating at both strategic and execution levels
- Able to work effectively within defined functional boundaries
- Results-driven with a strong ownership mindset
Why join us?
- Be part of a proudly South African company delivering advanced aerospace and defence technology on a global scale.
- Work in a fast-paced, engineering-driven environment where decisions are made quickly and innovation is encouraged.
- Join a highly skilled multidisciplinary team that values ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
