Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Luxury Marine Manufacturing

Are you a visionary operational leader with a passion for precision engineering and large-scale manufacturing?

We are seeking a high-calibre Chief Operating Officer to take executive responsibility for the full operational lifecycle of a premier marine manufacturing facility. This is a pivotal role designed for a leader who can bridge the gap between complex maritime craftsmanship and world-class industrial efficiency.

The Mission

Your central mandate is to evolve a sophisticated, phase-based yacht build architecture into a stable, takt-regulated series production environment. You will be the architect of operational maturity, embedding rigorous quality gates and repeatable new-product industrialization (NPI) capabilities.

Core Responsibilities

• End-to-End Leadership: Oversee all manufacturing performance, from composite moulding and sub-assembly to final commissioning and delivery.
• Operational Excellence: Drive production planning, capacity management, and takt adherence to ensure consistent on-time delivery.
• Strategic Integration: Direct procurement, supply chain, and facilities management to ensure uninterrupted phase flow.
• Governance & Quality: Entrench formal quality standards (QC hold-points) and safe systems of work across the yard.
• Continuous Improvement: Embed Lean methodologies to optimize throughput, cycle times, and working capital effectiveness.
• Stakeholder Partnership: Work in close alignment with Group Finance and HR to ensure workforce planning and sustainable growth.

What Were Looking For

• Senior Executive Experience: A proven track record in large-scale marine manufacturing or advanced composite production.
• Scale Expertise: Experience managing complex production environments with a workforce of 200+ employees.
• Technical Rigor: Deep knowledge of phase-based or line-flow production systems and Lean/Operational Excellence frameworks.
• Educational Foundation: A Degree in Industrial Engineering paired with a commercial postgraduate qualification (MBA, MCom, or BCom).
• Why This Role?

This is a rare opportunity to lead the industrialization of a high-value, luxury product in a high-growth sector. If you have the "people leadership" to unify multiple departments and the "technical grit" to refine production discipline, we want to hear from you.

#Hiring #COO #ExecutiveLeadership #MarineManufacturing #IndustrialEngineering #OperationsManagement #BoatBuilding #CompositeEngineering #SupplyChain #LeanManufacturing #SouthAfricaJobs #ManufacturingExcellence