Technical Director - Production (Cement)

Adexen has been mandated by a leading industrial group to recruit an experienced Technical Director – Production for its pan-African operations. The position is based in Lagos / Nigeria

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.
• Strong integrity and compliance mindset.

We thank all applicants however only those selected will be contacted.