Operator

Dreaming big is in our DNA. It’s who we are as a company. It’s our culture. It’s our heritage. And more than ever, it’s our future. A future where we’re always looking forward. Always serving up new ways to meet life’s moments. A future where we keep dreaming bigger. We look for people with passion, talent, and curiosity, and provide them with the teammates, resources and opportunities to unleash their full potential. The power we create together – when we combine your strengths with ours – is unstoppable. Are you ready to join a team that dreams as big as you do?

The Key Purpose of this role is to Safely operate and control brewing process equipment on a shift basis to achieve production, quality, cost, and safety targets in line with VPO standards, while supporting plant reliability, problem solving, and continuous improvement across the brewing value chain.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

Operating and Process Control

• Operate manual equipment in brewing process areas in accordance with approved work instructions
• Support the plant control system under instruction of the Brewing Team Leader
• Continuously review process performance against targets and record short stops
• Identify deviations, negative trends, or improvement opportunities and initiate corrective action
• Record waste, losses, and product movement on approved documentation and information systems
• Respond rapidly to upstream or downstream triggers that could impact quality or production
• Apply approved problem-solving approaches as defined in work practices
• Perform housekeeping tasks, applying 4S principles and safe work practices
• Identify and correct unsafe work practices
• Support fellow team members in the execution of shift tasks

Maintenance of Plant and Equipment

• Perform in-depth cleaning, lubrication, and inspection of equipment in line with work instructions and autonomous maintenance schedules
• Execute simple autonomous maintenance tasks (e.g. replacement of basic valves) as per maintenance standards
• Identify defective plant and escalate issues to the Process Artisan or Team Leader
• Support the Process Artisan with running repairs where required

Quality Control and Analysis

• Perform required quality checks and analyses as defined in quality control work practices
• Accurately record quality results on approved information systems
• Apply 5 Whys and quick fix routines to resolve quality deviations

Communication

• Actively participate in shift meetings, asking questions to confirm understanding and contributing improvement ideas
• Use gap lists to record issues, problems, and improvement opportunities
• Understand team goals and participate in team goal review sessions
• Use communication tools (e.g. shift logbooks) to stay informed and inform others
• Complete effective handovers to incoming shifts, communicating plant performance, quality, and maintenance issues

Problem Solving

• Apply 5 Whys and quick fix routines to identify root causes of process issues
• Escalate unresolved issues to the Process Artisan and/or Team Leader
• Provide accurate information to teams conducting problem solving or FFAs

Continuous Improvement

• Identify sources of waste and inefficiency
• Report improvement opportunities to the Team Leader and support implementation actions

Key Attributes & Competencies:

• Strong application of core brewing and process control competencies
• Team-oriented mindset with willingness to communicate, listen, and assist
• High levels of initiative and energy
• Strong achievement drive with a focus on continuous improvement
• Ability to apply structured problem-solving techniques
• Commitment to safety, quality, and operational excellence
• Mechanical aptitude
• Process understanding of the Brewing Value Chain from raw material transfer to BBT, including E&F and Packaging (advantageous)

Minimum Requirements:

• Grade 12: Literacy & Numeracy Level 4
• Completed brewing learnership
• Machine-specific experience
• CAP and/or SKAP completed and summatively assessed within 12 months
• 2–5 years’ experience in a brewing environment or​ experience in a process-controlled manufacturing environment, preferably FMCG or food manufacturing
• Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) Certificate (advantageous)
• Relevant prior AB InBev experience (advantageous)
• PC literacy (Microsoft and SAP)