Head of Operations M/F

	Head of Operations M/F

General informations

  With the group’s expertise of more than 50 years of experience and a continuous presence on the African continent, Africa Global Logistics South Africa provides end-to-end solutions with in-depth knowledge of the legal and cultural diversities specific to each country. Our powerful integrated global network and sustainable solutions enable innovative and flexible designs in their execution.

AGL South Africa is your gateway throughout Africa, facilitating freight forwarding, customs clearance, warehousing and distribution activities for many multinational companies.

Job description

Mission Description                      

Job Purpose:
The Head of Operations is responsible for the full operational, administrative, and financial management of the Johannesburg Transport Department. This includes overseeing day to day fleet operations, driver management, customer delivery performance, workshop coordination, cost control, and compliance.
The role ensures safe, efficient, and profitable utilisation of the fleet, while driving continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Job Function:

Fleet & Operations Management
• Oversee all daily transport operations for the dedicated fleet
• Ensure optimal fleet utilisation, routing efficiency, turnaround time, and load planning.
• Monitor and manage truck movements to ensure on time delivery, alignment with SOPs, and compliance with client requirements.
• Ensure proactive breakdown management, recovery processes, and coordination with workshops and suppliers.
• Implement performance dashboards for fleet KPIs (OTIF, utilisation %, idle time, cost per km, fuel efficiency).

Driver & Workforce Management
• Lead and manage all drivers, including recruitment, onboarding, training, performance assessment, and disciplinary processes.
• Ensure compliance with driver hours, safety standards, SA regulations, and fatigue management.
• Manage driver scheduling, leave cycles, and rotations.
• Promote a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Workshop, Maintenance & Asset Control
• Oversee workshop operations (internal or external), ensuring fleet maintenance plans are adhered to.
• Validate maintenance costs, parts usage, and job cards.
• Implement preventative maintenance schedules to reduce downtime and extend asset lifecycle.

 

Profile

Customer Service & Stakeholder Coordination
• Serve as the operational escalation point for all clients served by the fleet.
• Maintain strong working relationships with internal teams (Commercial, Finance, QHSE) and external partners.
• Ensure service delivery consistency aligned with customer expectations and company standards.

Financial & Cost Control
• Manage operational budget, cost allocation, and P&L inputs related to fleet operations.
• Monitor fuel spend, tyre expenditure, maintenance costs, and subcontractor expenses.
• Implement cost saving initiatives without compromising safety or service quality.
• Support budgeting and forecasting processes for fleet expansion

Compliance, Safety & Quality
• Ensure all operations comply with both internal AGL procedures and statutory transport regulations
• Enforce HSE policies, incident reporting, and risk controls.
• Ensure vehicle and driver documentation is always valid and up to date
• Conduct operational audits and enforce corrective actions.

Strategic Development & Continuous Improvement
• Drive operational optimisation initiatives, digital adoption (TMS), and efficiency projects.
• Support expansion strategy for the superlink fleet
• Develop SOPs, performance scorecards, and long term operational structure planning.
• Lead change management processes across the operations team.

Minimum Education, Experience Requirements & Core Competencies:
• Bachelor's Degree in Logistics / Supply Chain / Transport Management (preferred)
• Minimum 8–10 years' experience in transport operations, with at least 3–5 years in a senior operational leadership role
• Strong knowledge of transport legislation, route planning, cross border regulations, HSE and compliance.
• Advanced proficiency in TMS, telematics, fuel management systems, MS Office.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and client liaison skills