Safety, Health, Environmental & Risk (SHER) Manager

About the role

We are seeking a highly skilled SHER (Safety, Health, Environmental & Risk) Manager to lead safety and risk initiatives at our high‑volume meat processing facility in Oudtshoorn. The role focuses on protecting employees, ensuring regulatory compliance, and managing environmental impacts of abattoir operations.

Key responsibilities

• Lead facility‑wide Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments (HIRA) and implement preventative measures for high‑risk areas.
• Ensure compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, COIDA and other relevant legislation.
• Oversee risk management and emergency evacuation protocols for industrial refrigeration, boiler units and other high‑risk equipment.
• Drive improvements in biological, chemical and ergonomic safety, including wash‑down controls, repetitive work and heavy lifting.
• Manage environmental and waste initiatives such as effluent treatment, organic waste disposal and water conservation.
• Lead incident and near‑miss investigations, conduct root‑cause analysis and report to management and regulators.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree or National Diploma (NQF Level 6/7) in Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental Management, Risk Management or Food Science.
• 5–8 years of progressive health and safety experience, with at least 3 years in a management role within an abattoir, meat processing or large‑scale FMCG food manufacturing environment.
• Completed SAMTRAC or NEBOSH International General Certificate/Diploma and formal training in advanced HIRA and incident investigation.

Required skills

• Working knowledge or certification in ISO 45001 and ISO 14001.
• Familiarity with HACCP or FSSC 22000 standards.
• Strong executive‑level report writing and presentation abilities.
• Decisive crisis‑management and emergency‑response leadership.

What we offer

• Market‑related salary package.
• Medical aid, pension fund and risk benefits.