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The Durban manufacturing market
KwaZulu-Natal plants are often older and heavier, which puts maintenance and reliability at the centre of most searches. Candidates who can lift plant availability on ageing assets are consistently in demand.
About the works or site leader role
Works and site leadership roles sit above the plant management line. They set direction for one or more sites and answer to the group for the result.
Key responsibilities
- Set the operating strategy for the site or group of sites
- Lead the senior management team across all functions
- Own the manufacturing result reported to the group
- Sponsor capital investment and expansion projects
- Manage union, community and regulator relationships
Experience and background we look for
- Twelve or more years in manufacturing with senior site leadership
- Responsibility for a full manufacturing profit and loss
- An engineering or commerce degree, usually with postgraduate study
- A record of restructuring, expanding or turning around an operation
Core skills and competencies
- Operational strategy
- Executive leadership
- Financial management
- Labour relations at senior level
- Capital allocation
- Group reporting
Regulatory and compliance context
Manufacturing appointments carry duties under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, including appointments in terms of section 16.2 and the General Machinery Regulations. We verify trade tests, engineering qualifications and safety appointments, and we check B-BBEE and employment equity requirements with the client before searching.
How Morton Moore Industrial runs this search in Durban
We keep an exclusive client list, so on every accepted works or site leader mandate a far wider part of the Durban manufacturing market stays open to direct approach. We map the employers in the area, contact people who are not applying for jobs, test the detail behind each claim on a CV and present a short, honest list. Our fee is 12.5 percent and every placement carries a three month guarantee period.
Frequently asked questions
- Who are the top works and site leadership recruiters in Durban?
- Morton Moore recruits works and site leadership in Durban on a selective basis. We take on a limited number of clients in each industry so that we can approach the widest possible pool of manufacturing professionals for every brief we accept.
- How long does it take to fill a works or site leader role in Durban?
- Most searches at this level produce a shortlist within two to three weeks of a full brief. The final timeline depends on notice periods, which in Durban are usually one calendar month and sometimes longer for senior appointments.
- What does Morton Moore charge?
- Our agency fee is 12.5 percent of the annual package and every placement carries a three month guarantee period. There are no separate advertising or shortlisting charges.
- Do you recruit works and site leadership outside Durban?
- Yes. We work from offices serving the Garden Route, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, and we place works and site leadership across South Africa. We also recruit into Supply Chain & Logistics and FMCG for clients who need cover beyond manufacturing.
- Can candidates register with you directly?
- Yes. Candidates can view current opportunities and apply through our own site. Applications stay with Morton Moore and are never shared with a client without permission.
Hiring a works or site leader in Durban?
We take on a limited number of clients so that the widest possible part of the market stays open for every mandate. Apply for a client partnership and we will tell you honestly whether we can act on the brief.