Managing Director
Closing Date: 30.09.14
Requirements
OVERVIEW OF AVENG MANUFACTURING
Our client aims to be a leading supplier of products, services and solutions to the mining, construction, water, power and rail sectors across the value chain locally and International. This is delivered through six operating companies:

The client manufactures and supplies a diverse range of products and services in the geotechnical, civil engineering and tunnelling industries; they manufacture and supply concrete mainline railway sleepers, turnout sleepers, universal sleepers, mine sleepers, pipes, culverts, building and landscape products. Mine roof support products. Rail maintenance machine build, rail track construction, rehabilitation and mechanised track maintenance. Supply of valves for mineral processing and water. Supply and installation of Emerson control solutions (oil and gas), supply and refurbishment of Fischer control valves, supply and maintenance of tank level gauging, flow measurement, temperature, and pressure control systems. Supply of asset management systems, fire and gas detection systems. Supply and installation of building facades.

OVERVIEW OF AVENG MANUFACTURING DURASET

Aveng Manufacturing Duraset is a well-diversified supplier of engineered support solutions to the mining and geotechnical industries. With very well established research and development facilities, manufacturing plants and commercial services for each of our market focused divisions; Aveng Manufacturing Duraset has positioned itself over time as a well branded and leading supplier of safety critical products to the mining industry.

A comprehensive range of steel rock reinforcement tendons (roofbolts), cable anchors and stand-up support products are produced by Aveng Manufacturing Duraset's ISO 9001:2000, Nosa 5 Star factories. Strata control products are supplied to the gold, platinum, coal and copper industries, including export to 22 countries; Africa, Europe, Russia, Chile and Canada among others.

While some of our products are for niche application, others are standard items throughout the South African mining industry and our bigger customers include almost all the majors operating in the country. We have a proud longstanding relationship with several high profile blue chip companies with whom we've enjoyed many decades of high level strategic co-operation on cost-effective mining solutions.

Aveng Manufacturing Duraset maintains a very strong research and development effort focused on improving mine safety and reducing total cost of ownership. This ongoing programme is strongly rooted in the practicalities of mining and is carried out in conjunction with mining groups, ensuring that solutions address root causes which facilitate subsequent transfer of technology.

Aveng Manufacturing Duraset's strong culture and values ensure a very stable workforce, consisting of well qualified mining, civil and mechanical engineers and commercial staff; creating a strong base for future growth.

Aveng Manufacturing Duraset continuously strives to establish steadfast partnerships. For more information on the operation go to ***url***.

We are looking for a highly capable business leader who will inspire and mobilise the team to achieve extraordinary results in the short and longer term.

Our aspiration for this business is to:-

- Double the current revenue by signing up new clients, expanding our geographic footprint of distribution, and broadening the current product-line.
- Aligned to the growth agenda, the right margins of profit needs is required to deliver shareholder value and to fund the growth agenda. Crucial to achieving this, the MD must focus on product costing, analysis of the entire product portfolio and be commercially savvy to run a commercially competitive business in a highly competitive market.
- Outcompete our competitors with customer aligned products and services that are delivered on-time and consistently to specification.
- Continuously improve our business processes to eliminate waste, maximise efficiency through the inspiration of his/her team and by implementing appropriate technology and automation solutions.
- Maintain and enhance our outstanding customer relationships by regular business visits for site inspection and contact with the relevant technical experts and supply chain procurements professionals of our clients.
- Enabling and inspiring our team to the highest levels of productivity by having a clear people agenda with a very specific focus on Safety, Health and Environmental aspects.
- Enhancing our supplier relationships to understand market trends of commodities such as steel, and their delivery capabilities to enable optimum planning and cost effective stock management.
- Supporting the spirit and requirements of the Mining Charter to empower local communities and our own staff to get more involved in delivering our products and services.
- It is also of critical importance to deliver business results within the required operating and governance framework of the Aveng Group.


Job Specification...
JOB SUMMARY STATEMENT: (The ideal candidate for this position)

Highly strategic, client focused and business savvy, the MD of Aveng Manufacturing Duraset will proactively lead his company to the next level of operating success. Building and motivating a professional team that is responsive to the business' needs and committed to integrity and excellence. S/He will be the key architect and executor of the business strategy, which aligns with and supports the Aveng Manufacturing and Aveng Group business strategies. The successful candidate will also develop and maintain key stakeholder relationships with client and other relevant external and internal stakeholders. Enhanced team spirit and a renewed sense of drive and purpose will be key deliverables for the incoming candidate.

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS (DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES):
• Develop and implement a business strategy and program that continuously and proactively identifies analyses, interprets, manages and communicates clear objectives to the Duraset team, while offering concrete, pragmatic and commercially impactful products and services to clients. A good understanding of Mining will be essential to be successful in this role.
• Influence and shape the cultural and behavioural requirements of the Aveng DNA program that ensures optimal client satisfaction levels with a highly energised team meeting every delivery target to specification profitably.
• Provide on-going strategic direction, including operational policies, procedures and protocols, as well as compliance with the same.
• Ensure an on-going review and improvement of technology and business processes to enhance growth, efficiency and profitability.
• Assess, on a continuous basis, changing economic or market conditions, aligning the products and services to deliver a profitable suit of products in line with customer needs (specifically ensuring Products are Predictable, Reliable and Safe), making adjustments as needed.
• Develop and oversee appropriate intelligence networks, including potential strategic alliances, joint ventures or outsourced partnerships, to deliver on the short and long term business strategy.
• Track and manage business performance using relevant scorecards and visual aids to make informed business decisions and to direct the entire team to excel - ‘real-time performance management'.
• Raise the bar for the transformation which includes empowering of communities in which we operate by developing and appointing highly capable people to deliver the business agenda.
• Mitigate business risk through thoughtful governance and accountability processes to ensure the triple bottom line is well managed.
• Focus on Engineering-excellence: Customers are Engineers and Specialists, while competitors are highly technical with industry leading engineers.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS / EDUCATION:
• Business Tertiary Qualification/ Bachelor's Degree/ B Engineering
• A post Graduate Qualification e.g. Master's Degree will be an added advantage
• A proven record of accomplishment with relevant accomplishment and upward progression throughout his/her career.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE / (The successful candidate will):
• Minimum of 5 - 10 years of relevant experience most likely gained in a manufacturing industry, with mining clients.
• Proven business leadership and general management skills in these environments are essential, especially having managed a business Profit and Loss account.
• The successful candidate will be particularly skillful with project and people management, strategic and business planning, and alliance-building.
• He/She will be capable of handling multiple priorities simultaneously and will remain clear-headed even when under pressure.
• The successful candidate will have a demonstrable track record of accomplishment including foreseeing and addressing issues before they become significant issues, isolating and prioritizing specific challenges for the team, and guiding the development and implementation of top level-strategic solutions as well as requisite day-to-day actions.
• He/SHe will be a hands-on pragmatist as well as a visionary, multi-dimensional thinker and business builder, unafraid to move beyond the status quo to build a platform and culture for success.
• Able to provide a point of view especially relating to solving business challenges, but also to take counsel as the situation warrants, the successful candidate will be an obvious and natural leader who speaks with the voice of authority and experience.
• Able to strike an appropriate balance between delegation and hands-on involvement, s/he will rally others around a vision, champion ideas and accept disagreement with maturity and with the good of the business at heart.
• Fluency in English, both written and oral is essential.
BEHAIVOURAL COMPETENCIES / Personal Characteristics:
• Skilled influencer, constantly looking for new opportunities, able to inspire, engage and motivate others.
• Pragmatic, commercial and action-oriented.
• Hungry for excellence and achievement, whilst allowing the right level of autonomy to drive the right performance through team members.
• Adaptable and accustomed to working with multi-functional, multi-cultural teams.
• Team-oriented and collaborative, inspiring individuals to reach their potential.
• Have courage-under-fire, infuse creativity in finding solutions.
• Analytical and clear-minded, with strong negotiation, critical reasoning and problem-solving skills.
• Innovative, lateral thinker who anticipates problems and focuses on solutions.
• Enthusiastic, positive and hands-on with a bias for accomplishing things through others.
• Customer-centric, responsive and dependable, with a clear sense of urgency.
• Comfortable and compelling communicator for large and small audiences, both verbally and in writing.
• Dynamic, energetic and attracted to a fast-paced environment.
• Credible, thoughtful, and insightful, with the gravitas and confidence to establish credibility easily.
• Seasoned traveller, with an ability and appetite for significant travel to maintain and enhance customer relationship and to build the business into new markets.
• Embrace the ability of the team who is technically and engineering focused with several pockets of specialization in Mechanical Engineering, and Rock Mechanics, as well as civil construction.