Adexen Recruitment Agency has been mandated by a leading industrial group to recruit a suitably qualified candidate for its pan-African operations in the capacity below:
Job Title: Technical Director-Production (Cement)
Location: Lagos
Employment Type: Full-time
Industry: Industry & Manufacturing
Job Seniority: Director
Job Category: Engineering and Production
Responsibilities
The position is responsible for providing group-wide technical leadership and strategic direction for production operations across multiple manufacturing plants.
The role focuses on driving world-class manufacturing performance, process standardization, operational efficiency, sustainability initiatives and digital transformation across all operations.
Define and implement group-wide production strategies aligned with operational growth and profitability objectives.
Provide technical oversight for clinker and cement production plants across multiple countries.
Establish standardized operating frameworks, KPIs and performance benchmarks across all sites.
Drive alignment of plant operations with centralized performance and operational excellence models.
Act as the highest technical authority on cement manufacturing processes within the organization.
Standardize best practices in pyroprocessing, kiln operations, grinding systems, raw mix design and material optimization.
Lead root cause analysis for critical production and process issues.
Reduce process variability and improve operational stability across all plants.
Drive initiatives to optimize heat consumption, fuel efficiency, power consumption and alternative fuel utilization.
Develop group-wide fuel mix optimization strategies including coal, gas, LPFO and alternative fuels.
Benchmark plant performance and enforce accountability for operational targets.
Lead deployment of advanced process control systems and digital manufacturing tools.
Drive adoption of AI-driven process optimization, predictive analytics and real-time monitoring systems.
Support the transition toward smart and data-driven industrial operations.
Provide technical leadership for plant expansion projects, upgrades and commissioning activities.
Oversee commissioning of kilns, grinding units and auxiliary systems to ensure execution within budget and schedule.
Ensure adherence to product quality standards across all operations.
Support development of specialty and low-carbon products.
Collaborate with QA/QC teams to maintain consistency despite raw material variations.
Work closely with maintenance teams to ensure high equipment reliability and plant availability.
Drive implementation of predictive and condition-based maintenance strategies.
Champion a strong health, safety and sustainability culture across all operations.
Lead initiatives related to CO₂ reduction, energy efficiency and alternative fuel adoption.
Build and develop high-performing technical and production teams across the organization.
Drive succession planning and capability development programs for key technical roles.
Monitor and report production performance to executive management.
Lead performance review meetings and ensure corrective action implementation across plants.
Desired Skills and Experience
Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering or related discipline.
MBA or advanced technical/management qualification would be an advantage.
25 to 30+ years of experience in cement manufacturing or heavy industrial operations.
Minimum of 12 to 15 years in senior technical or production leadership positions.
Proven experience managing multi-plant and multi-country operations.
Strong exposure to African markets or emerging economies is preferred.
Experience with large integrated industrial plants is essential.
Deep expertise in cement process engineering and pyroprocessing.
Strong knowledge of energy optimization, fuels and alternative fuel usage.
Familiarity with DCS, APC and digital manufacturing systems.
Strong project execution and commissioning expertise.
Strong leadership, execution and performance management capabilities.
Ability to operate in high-growth and operationally demanding environments.
High resilience and adaptability across diverse geographies and operational contexts.