TECHNOLOGIST/ REGIONAL MANAGER DUAL ROLE: BUTCHERY AND SEAFOOD COUNTERS (DURBAN, KZN based role)
Listing reference: woolw_001120
Listing status: Under Review
Apply by: 25 March 2025
Position summary
Industry: FMCG & Supply Management
Job category: FMCG, Retail, Wholesale and Supply Chain
Location: Kwazulu Natal
Contract: Permanent
Remuneration: MARKET RELATED
EE position: No
Introduction
To ensure the production and selling of safe, innovative and excellent product at a competitive price for the Woolworths customer sold through the in-store butchery and seafood counters.
To manage our Joint Venture partners who run our service counters being Butchery Counters & Seafood Counters to ensure a world class butchery & seafood product offering with exceptional customer service in our Woolworths stores.
To provide leadership and direction to maximize sales and minimize losses through outstanding customer care (including technical product knowledge) within designated departments, while contributing to the overall performance of our Protein Counters, ensuring chain store image and disciplines are adhered to in the KZN Region.
Job description
- Identify and effectively manage Food Safety risks on the Counters, mainly focusing on KZN Counters
- Assess the quality of products and processes to maintain the quality of products for the customer and to safeguard the reputation of WW
- Implement business and technical strategy
- Ensure compliance and adherence to Woolworths technical policies within the supply base in accordance with legal requirements and international best practice
- Effectively manage supplier performance with respect to food safety and quality
- Effectively manage counter performance with respect to food safety, quality, cutting and presentation standards
- Ensure continuous professional development
- Excellent personal attributes that underscore team integration and execution
- Effective representative of the protein technical & commercial teams in stores
- Drive sales and ensure product availability by working with internal and external parties
- Identify lost opportunities & implement strategies for continuous improvement
- Be able to travel as required between KZN, Gauteng & Cape Town Regions to benchmark protein service counters & improve ways of working with stores & Joint Venture partners
- Assist and resolve all issues being experienced by our Joint Venture partners in running the Butchery & Seafood service departments
- Co-ordinate all service counter in-store promotions
- Ensure the right product reaches the right stores timeously
- Liaise with prepacked Meat & Seafood departments on the planning and implementation of like-for-like matching promotions between counters and prepacked product ranges
- Lead the opening of all new service counters
- Develop relationships with store management to ensure integration between Woolworths & Joint Venture partners
- Develop regional store structure for the butchery and seafood service counters
- Monitor and report via Comp Shops on competitors’ activities on price of products, ranges etc.
- Regular travel to outlying WW stores (like Nelspruit ; possible future expansions in PE, Garden Route etc.)
- Develop Service Level Agreements with our Joint Venture partners
- Update and maintain operational manuals
Minimum requirements
- BSc Food Science / BTEC Food Technology
- Minimum of 3-5 years relevant experience or equivalent programs in the retail or production environment
- Essential hands-on experience of butchery cutting standards and methodologies and / or seafood processing
- Knowledge of meat cuts and / or fish species will be an advantage
- Knowledge of the cooking of meat and seafood will be an advantage
- Knowledge of Meat & Seafood legislation.
- Knowledge of supply chain and supplier principles & processes
- Relevant industry understanding of retail and meat production
- Knowledge of store operations, customer profiles, locations and competitors will be an advantage
- Ability to set and improve quality standards within supply base
- Ability to drive technical and product compliance
- Ability to negotiate and communicate at all levels (both written and verbal)
- Disciplined and self-driven individual
- Proven commercial aptitude with ability to understand and use financial indicators (cost optimization, data analysis & trend spotting, forecasting etc.)
- Proven analytical and process ability
- Good problem-solving skills
- Good understanding of risk assessment and management of food safety
- High energy level and positive attitude with a passion for Food
- Strong leadership & project driving skills to lead WW Regional Managers & Joint Venture Suppliers & WW Divisional & WW Stores teams to execute our strategy
- Strong Networking, presentation and integration skills
- Quality & Innovation / continuous improvement mindset
- Must be computer literate with excellent working knowledge of Office and the web
- Must be in possession of a valid driver’s license
