Rail Operations Manager
Listing reference: grind_000719
Listing status: Online
Apply by: 13 November 2026
Position summary
Industry: Distribution, Transport & Logistics
Job category: Operations Management
Location: Pretoria
Contract: Permanent
Remuneration: Market Related
EE position: No
Introduction
To manage operations in order to standardize procedures, ensure operational performance, develop and implement operational plans/tactics and ensure cost effective and profitable results.
Job description
Operational Planning and Reporting
- Drive and implement operational strategy to meet customer demands.
- Drive adherence to business policies, procedures, processes and standard operating procedures.
- Effective management of communication between Rail operations, Commercial Teams and other relevant stakeholders.
- Responsible for providing foresight and translating volume requirements into operational plans on an annual, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily level along with the team.
- Ensure adequate availability of resources to fulfill customer demand.
- Drive a high-performance culture through analyzing service delivery trends and capacity against requirements.
- Drive safety excellence culture, by ensuring compliance to all statutory regulations and legislations.
- Ensure key delivery priorities are identified and outcomes managed through continuous assessment, intervention and adjustment to operational plans.
- Monitor performances on key KPIs to ensure operations are executed as per plan.
- Drive a continuous improvement culture.
Procesures/System Controls and Project Management
- Implement procedures, systems and controls to regulate specific work sequences associated with functionality.
- Maintain operational spaces and provide conducive work environment.
- Ensure quality standards, driving the efficiency and effectiveness of the function are complied with and deviations identified and rectified minimizing adverse effects.
- Responsible for the ongoing training and development of all operational staff, and encourage service excellence through customer care and site best practice.
- Leading expansion and development projects.
- Tactical planning on logistics daily. Inform appropriate people of potential and or actual problems.
- Build relationships with clients and services their needs.
- Ensures delivery meets client expectations.
- Tactical planning, risk profiling and logistics planning.
HR and Productivity
- Monitor outcomes associated with utilization, productivity and performance of personnel within the respective sectors.
- Defining/ adjusting the key performance indicators, job design and role boundaries of personnel against service delivery requirements.
- Identifying skills gap within the operations space and initiates developmental plans for personnel.
- Monitoring the adequacy of current training interventions supporting personnel development and analyzing workplace impact post training and/ or the need for changes to plans.
- Implementing Human Resources policies and procedures to control/ regulate workplace conflict and/ or institute corrective measures and consultation processes to address deviations from standards.
- Ensure a climate conducive to promoting and sustaining motivational levels, productivity, performance and improving the quality of work-life is cultivated and maintained enabling the company to meet its service delivery objectives.
Compliance
- Adhere to Occupational Health and Safety legislation, labour law and all other relevant legislation and correlating regulations.
- Drive risk management.
Minimum requirements
Qualification / s
- Grade 12/ Matric
- Diploma/degree in Supply Chain Management/Logistics Management/Operations Management/Industrial Engineering or related.
Experience
- 10 years experience within a similar industry in a management position.
Skills & Competencies
- Technical Acumen: Must be able to demonstrate well founded insight into operational requirements and practical implementation, have a broad understanding of depot functioning and linkages.
- Work Organisation: Be able to prioritize work into short-term plans, incorporating actions around plan deviations to meet deadlines in a multitask environment.
- Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively at diverse levels.
- Leadership: Demonstrate the ability to command respect, to create a working environment that encourages performance while minimising conflict.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you have not received feedback from us within three (3) weeks after the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.