Production Supervisor

About the Company

Vert Ltd. is a Kenyan, locally owned business focused on growing and exporting fresh produce and dried fruits. The organization aims to become a leading horticultural exporter from Kenya, with a strong international brand and the ability to serve a wide, varied customer base.

About the Role

This position is for a practical, highly capable Production Supervisor who can oversee multiple production sections, make quick decisions on the floor, and take complete ownership of production operations. The role suits someone with strong leadership, solid experience in horticultural production, and a clear focus on productivity and food safety.

Key Responsibilities

Production Planning and Execution

• Run daily and weekly production plans across all production lines to meet sales orders and inventory needs.
• Assign labor, raw materials, and equipment efficiently.
• Identify production delays early and apply immediate corrective measures.
• Be fully responsible for delivering the production output targets assigned each day.

Team Supervision and Shift Coordination

• Oversee, guide, and develop section heads for the different production areas.
• Conduct daily pre-shift meetings to share priorities, assess progress, and resolve issues.
• Build a workplace culture centered on accountability, collaboration, and strong performance.

Quality, Food Safety, and Hygiene

• Implement GMP, SOPs, and sanitation procedures across all production sections.
• Work with the Quality Assurance team to ensure in-process checks are completed, recorded, and acted on when issues arise.
• Keep production areas audit-ready and compliant with daily hygiene expectations and external inspections.
• Promote a strong “quality first” approach and escalate any risk of unsafe or non-compliant product immediately.

Cost Management and Productivity

• Track production cost per kilogram and improve use of raw materials, labor efficiency, and waste control.
• Monitor key performance indicators such as yield, output, hygiene, sanitation, and equipment efficiency.
• Lead improvement initiatives that raise productivity and reduce operating costs.

Warehouse and Dispatch Oversight

• Supervise finished goods storage and dispatch activities.
• Ensure receipts, storage, and dispatch processes follow FIFO principles accurately.
• Protect cold chain conditions and make sure loading follows food safety requirements.

Maintenance and Safety

• Work with the Engineering team to schedule planned and unplanned maintenance with minimal disruption to operations.
• Ensure operators complete basic preventive maintenance checks.
• Drive a zero-incident safety culture and ensure accidents and near misses are reported, documented, and investigated.

Qualifications

• A Diploma or Degree in Production Management, Food Science, Horticulture, or a closely related discipline.
• At least 5 to 7 years of experience in food processing or FMCG, including a minimum of 3 years in production management across multiple teams or shifts.
• Hands-on experience in the horticultural sector is required; prior work in fresh produce, a packhouse, or a similar horticultural production setting is necessary.
• Strong leadership and people-management ability, with the confidence to direct section heads, enforce accountability, and maintain discipline on the shop floor.
• Good working knowledge of food safety systems such as BRCGS, GMP, HACCP, and FSSC.
• Experience using production KPIs including yield, throughput, efficiency, and waste reduction.
• Understanding of cold chain operations and FIFO warehouse practices.
• Strong communication, problem-solving, and conflict-handling skills.

Additional Information

Interested candidates should send their CV and cover letter to hr@vertltd.co.ke.