Plantation Industries Limited is a leading Cocoa Processing Factory in Nigeria based in Akure, Ondo State right in the heart of Nigeria’s cocoa growing belt. Plantation Industries Limited is an offshoot of Agro Traders Limited one of the Nigeria’s largest exporters of cocoa beans. With emphasis on meticulous quality control of raw cocoa that feed our plant, Plantation Industries Limited has successfully earned itself a market wide reputation for the responsible and reliable supply of high quality cocoa products to the international market.
After a huge investment of capital, expertise, and energy Plantation Industries began processing of Nigerian raw cocoa beans into cocoa products in October 2011. And within a short period of time the company is reputed for high standard of operation. Our mission is to produce and deliver cocoa products that exceed international specifications in quality to our clients.Overall Purpose of the Job
The Production Manager oversees the entire production value chain from cocoa bean intake to finished products—cocoa liquor, butter, cake, and powder—ensuring efficient, safe, and compliant operations while meeting international regulatory standards (EU, U.S. FDA) and customer specifications.
Key Responsibilities & Tasks
Production Planning & Coordination
Develop daily, weekly, and monthly production plans.
Coordinate workflows and resources across all production stages.
Monitor progress and adjust schedules to reduce downtime.
Process Operations & Control
Enforce SOPs and critical operating parameters.
Monitor SCADA trends and process deviations.
Control liquor temperature, roasting curves, grinding fineness, and press performance.
Equipment, Machinery & Maintenance Integration
Support predictive, preventive, and condition-based maintenance.
Collaborate with E&I and mechanical teams to reduce breakdowns.
Approve maintenance shutdown and startup procedures.
Quality, Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance
Ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP, PRP, OPRP, CCP.
Meet EU and U.S. FDA standards and customer specifications.
Support QA in achieving audit readiness.
Yield, Efficiency & Cost Optimization
Reduce processing losses and energy consumption.
Improve butter yield and powder conversion ratio.
Enhance Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
People Management & Training
Lead supervisors, operators, and shift leaders.
Conduct SOP, GMP, HACCP, and safety training.
Build productive, disciplined, and motivated teams.
Reporting & Documentation
Maintain accurate production, downtime, and yield records.
Submit daily, weekly, and monthly reports.
Document RCA and CAPA actions.
Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)
Enforce PPE, LOTO, heat, dust, and noise controls.
Promote zero-incident culture.
Continuous Improvement & Projects
Implement Lean/Kaizen projects.
Support installation and commissioning of new systems (presses, mills, SCADA upgrades).
Qualifications, Skills & Experience
Educational Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, Chemical, Industrial Engineering, or Food Technology.
Master’s degree or Lean/Six Sigma certification preferred.
Training in GMP, HACCP, FSSC 22000 desirable.
Experience:
8–12 years in manufacturing or cocoa processing with leadership responsibilities.
Strong experience in automated systems (PLC, SCADA, DCS).
Track record in yield improvement and downtime reduction.
Technical Skills:
Knowledge of cocoa-processing machinery (roasters, winnowers, grinders, presses, pin mills, ACM mills).
Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills.
Understanding of predictive and preventive maintenance.
Behavioral Competencies:
Leadership, communication, problem-solving.
High discipline, integrity, and teamwork orientation.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Production Performance
≥95% achievement of production targets.
OEE ≥ 85%.
≥70% cake-to-powder conversion ratio.
Efficiency & Yield
3–5% annual yield improvement.
≤1% total process loss.
Downtime & Maintenance Integration
Unplanned downtime ≤ 5%.
100% preventive maintenance compliance.
Quality & Compliance
Zero export rejections.
Zero critical GMP/HACCP deviations.
Energy & Cost Control
3–5% annual energy reduction per MT.
Production cost within approved budget.
People & Safety
95% staff trained and certified.
Zero major safety incidents.
Reporting
100% timely, accurate production reporting.