Location: Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Company: RCL Foods (Rainbow Chicken Division)
Job Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Posted: 13 October 2026
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
About the Company
RCL Foods is one of South Africa’s largest FMCG food manufacturers, producing a wide array of household brands across poultry, groceries, baking, and animal feed. Its Rainbow Chicken poultry division operates state-of-the-art primary processing facilities, added-value plants, and distribution hubs across KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa, supplying retail, quick-service restaurant (QSR), and commercial food channels nationwide.
The workplace culture at RCL Foods is fast-paced, target-driven, safety-first, and highly collaborative. Plant leadership teams operate within unionized manufacturing environments, emphasizing operational excellence, lean production, yield optimization, and strict food safety compliance. Joining RCL Foods at the Hammarsdale Added Value Plant connects you with an industry giant committed to sustainable food production, talent development, and operational innovation.
Company Summary
- Industry: FMCG, Poultry Processing & Food Manufacturing
- Company Size: National Enterprise Leader (RCL Foods Network)
- Work Culture: Performance-Driven, Safety-First, Unionized, Yield-Focused
- Location: Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Available Opportunities
RCL Foods is recruiting a Processing Manager (Added Value Plant) on a full-time, permanent basis at their Hammarsdale facility in KwaZulu-Natal. Reporting to senior plant executive management, you will lead daily processing operations, maximize plant line efficiency, control input costs and yield factors, maintain food safety/ISO standards, and foster positive union and employee relations.
Core Responsibilities:
- Operational Strategy Execution: Translating company business strategy into actionable plant objectives, monitoring weekly processing KPIs against budget, and adjusting production lines based on bird size variations and throughput demands.
- Yield, Downtime & Efficiency Management: Tracking processing yield factors, analyzing root causes of downtime, executing loss-reduction plans, and continuously aligning staffing and equipment availability with changing master production schedules.
- Safety, Health, Risk & Quality (SHERQ) Oversight: Enforcing compliance with food safety legislative standards, chairing safety meetings, driving ISO 22000/14000/18000 Total Integrated Management Systems (TIMS), and overseeing environmental sustainability practices (water, gas, electricity conservation).
- Cross-Functional & Maintenance Alignment: Collaborating closely with Planning, New Product Development (NPD), and Engineering teams to schedule maintenance priorities, prepare for customer/statutory audits, and conduct new product trials smoothly.
- Financial & Contractor Governance: Authorizing operating expenses within delegation limits, driving cost-containment initiatives, and overseeing specialized contractors or outsourced plant service providers against service-level agreements.
- Workforce & Labor Relations Leadership: Managing plant teams through talent pipelines, succession planning, and Employment Equity (EE) targets, while maintaining a sound employee relations climate in partnership with organized trade unions.
Key Objectives
Your success as a Processing Manager at the Hammarsdale Added Value Plant will be evaluated by plant line efficiency, yield recovery percentages, SHERQ audit compliance, budget adherence, and labor productivity. Within your first 90 days, you will be expected to:
- Optimize Line Yields & Downtime Performance: Implement immediate corrective action plans to minimize processing giveaways, reduce equipment downtime, and meet weekly volume targets.
- Audit & Refine TIMS / ISO Compliance: Ensure 100% operational adherence to ISO 22000 food safety standards, hygiene protocols, and statutory health regulations across all processing shift rosters.
- Strengthen Cross-Departmental Workflows: Establish regular alignment routines with Engineering, NPD, and Planning to ensure continuous maintenance response and trial execution.
- Maintain Stable Labor Relations: Establish active communication channels with shop stewards and union representatives to foster a productive, conflict-free workplace environment.
What You Will Learn
Stepping into a processing management role within RCL Foods’ Hammarsdale operations provides advanced leadership exposure in industrial food manufacturing. In this position, you will build expertise in:
- Added-Value Poultry Operations: Advanced processing workflows, portioning technologies, marination/further processing machinery, and cold-chain logistics.
- Total Integrated Quality & Environmental Systems: Practical implementation and auditing of ISO 22000, ISO 14000, and ISO 18000 frameworks within high-volume food plants.
- Ammonia Refrigeration & Plant Utilities Safety: Operating principles and risk oversight of industrial ammonia freezing and cooling systems.
- Industrial Unionized Labor Governance: Advanced employee relations, collective bargaining frameworks, CCMA/labor legislation compliance, and proactive conflict resolution.
What You Gain
Joining RCL Foods on a permanent basis brings strong corporate stability, executive-level benefits, and clear manufacturing leadership progression:
- Permanent Executive Appointment: Senior operational leadership position within a premier South African FMCG manufacturer.
- Competitive Remuneration & Executive Benefits: Market-related executive salary package accompanied by performance bonuses, vehicle/travel allowances, medical aid, and pension contributions.
- Enterprise Career Advancement: Opportunities to progress into Factory Manager, Regional Operations Executive, or Supply Chain Director roles within the broader RCL Foods Group.
- Strategic Impact: Direct influence over high-volume national poultry production, food security, and regional employment in KwaZulu-Natal.
Experience & Qualifications
Essential Minimum Requirements:
- Option A: Grade 12 / Matric qualification PLUS a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in a food processing plant (preferably unionized), including at least 2 years in a management capacity.OR
- Option B: National Diploma or Degree in Production Management, Industrial Engineering, Food Technology, or a related field PLUS 3 years of relevant operational experience.
- Proven experience managing production operations, yield factors, labor scheduling, and operational budgets.
- Practical understanding of food safety management systems, health and safety legislation, and quality compliance.
- Strong leadership, communication, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities within high-pressure environments.
- Willingness and availability to oversee shift operations, plant emergency call-outs, and flexible manufacturing schedules.
Advantageous Criteria:
- Abattoir hygiene or meat inspection qualification.
- Direct poultry processing or further added-value processing experience.
- Working knowledge of industrial Ammonia refrigeration plant operations.
- Experience with Total Quality Management Systems (TQMS) or ISO standards.
Interview Questions to Prepare For
Candidates applying on applyretail.co.za should prepare to answer the following interview questions during the selection process:
- “How do you manage variances between incoming raw material sizes and target production plans without sacrificing line yield or efficiency?”
- Tip: Discuss real-time monitoring of bird sizing, recalibrating processing equipment parameters promptly, reallocating labor across packing lines, and coordinating with planning to adjust line speeds.
- “Can you share your approach to maintaining strict ISO 22000 food safety standards during peak production pushes?”
- Tip: Emphasize that quality and safety are non-negotiable, detailing daily pre-op checks, routine in-line quality auditing, empowering line supervisors to halt non-compliant lines, and maintaining complete documentation.
- “How do you maintain a positive, productive working relationship with trade union representatives in a high-demand processing plant?”
- Tip: Highlight proactive communication, holding regular joint consultative meetings, addressing grievances promptly in line with labor legislation, and treating union leadership as collaborative operational partners.
- “Why do you want to lead the Added Value Processing team at RCL Foods Hammarsdale?”
- Tip: Express your passion for food manufacturing excellence, admiration for RCL Foods’ market standing, and commitment to driving yield and safety performance in KZN.
Career Advice for Applicants
To ensure your application stands out on applyretail.co.za:
- Highlight Production Leadership & Qualifications: Clearly feature your Production/Engineering degree or Grade 12 qualification, years of food plant experience, and supervisory achievements at the top of your CV.
- Emphasize SHERQ & Union Experience: Detail your hands-on experience with ISO standards, HACCP/TQMS, safety committees, and managing unionized workforces.
- Confirm Hammarsdale / KZN Commute: Verify that living in or commuting to Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal, for regular plant management rosters is practical for you.
- Submit Complete Documentation: Upload your updated CV, certified qualifications, ID document, and contactable references when applying.
How to Apply
- Click the “Apply Now” button below on applyretail.co.za.
- Upload your CV, Grade 12 / Tertiary qualification certificates, ID document, and contactable references.
- Complete the online RCL Foods application form for the Processing Manager position in Hammarsdale.
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