Plant Operator Job at Kivu Choice Ltd Rwanda – Apply by 30 September 2026

Kivu Choice Ltd is recruiting a Plant Operator (Processing) to oversee the day-to-day operations of its fish processing plant in Kigali. The position is full-time, on-site and shift-based, and focuses on production, machinery, maintenance, food safety, cold-chain management and shift-team supervision.

Job Details

About Kivu Choice Ltd

Kivu Choice is an aquaculture company in Rwanda and a sister company to Victory Farms, an aquaculture platform based in Kenya.

The company operates a vertically integrated model covering hatchery operations, cage-based fish production, processing, distribution and sales. According to the vacancy, Kivu Choice has more than 700 employees and plans to expand its workforce as it scales its operations.

The company states that its long-term goal is to become a major sustainable protein producer, with plans to produce and distribute up to 30,000 tons of fish annually for Rwanda and regional markets.

About the Plant Operator Position

The Plant Operator will be responsible for the daily operation of the fish processing plant, ensuring that machinery-heavy production lines operate safely and efficiently.

The position will also oversee process control, preventive and corrective maintenance, quality and food safety compliance, cold-chain operations and shift teams.

The role is particularly important in maintaining production throughput, yield and product quality from raw-material intake through cold storage and dispatch.

Key Responsibilities

1. Production and Process Control

The Plant Operator will:

• Plan and run daily production according to volume, yield and quality targets.
• Set, monitor and adjust processing parameters such as line speeds, temperatures and processing times.
• Develop and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Identify production bottlenecks and lead continuous improvement initiatives.
• Coordinate with harvest, logistics and sales teams to match raw-material intake with plant capacity and customer orders.

2. Preventive and Corrective Maintenance

Responsibilities include:

• Develop and implement preventive maintenance schedules for plant machinery, refrigeration and utilities.
• Troubleshoot equipment problems and coordinate corrective repairs.
• Minimize unplanned equipment downtime.
• Maintain equipment history and maintenance records.
• Maintain critical spare-parts inventories.
• Manage external technicians and specialized service providers.
• Provide input on equipment upgrades, new installations and plant expansion.

3. Quality Control and Food Safety

The successful candidate will:

• Implement food safety systems based on HACCP, GMP and ISO 22000 principles.
• Monitor critical control points.
• Ensure corrective actions are taken and documented when limits are exceeded.
• Enforce hygiene, sanitation and cleaning-in-place standards.
• Prepare the plant for internal, customer and regulatory audits.
• Support the closure of audit findings.
• Maintain product traceability from raw-material intake to finished products.

4. Cold Chain and Product Integrity

The Plant Operator will oversee:

• Chilling operations
• Freezing operations
• Cold storage
• Temperature monitoring and recording
• Loading and dispatch processes
• Coordination with logistics to maintain cold-chain integrity

5. Shift Leadership and People Management

The role also involves:

• Leading and scheduling shift supervisors, machine operators and line workers.
• Training operators on equipment safety, SOPs, hygiene and food safety.
• Setting performance expectations.
• Providing feedback and contributing to performance reviews.
• Enforcing occupational health and safety standards.
• Supporting incident investigations.

6. Production Reporting and KPIs

The successful candidate will:

• Track daily, weekly and monthly production KPIs.
• Monitor throughput, downtime, yield and waste.
• Analyze performance trends.
• Identify root causes and propose corrective actions.
• Maintain production, maintenance and quality records.
• Support budgeting for plant operations, maintenance and spare parts.

Qualifications and Experience

Applicants should have:

• A Bachelor’s degree or Advanced Diploma in:
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electromechanical Engineering
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Food Process Engineering
  • Food Science
  • Or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in a processing plant.
• Experience in food, beverage, dairy, meat, poultry or fish processing is preferred.
• Hands-on experience supervising machinery-heavy production lines.
• Strong process-control skills.
• Experience running preventive and corrective maintenance programmes.
• Knowledge of food safety and quality standards such as HACCP, GMP or ISO 22000.
• Cold-chain or perishable-product experience is an advantage.
• Experience leading shift teams and production operators.
• Ability to work with production KPIs such as throughput, downtime and yield.
• Good working knowledge of Excel.
• Strong problem-solving and equipment-diagnosis skills.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Rwandan nationality or existing authorization to work in Rwanda.
• Fluency in English and Kinyarwanda.
• French or Swahili is an advantage.

Important: The vacancy states that Kivu Choice cannot sponsor a work permit for this position.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should prepare:

1. Job application letter
2. Updated CV
3. Copy of degree and other academic qualifications
4. Copy of National ID

Send all required documents to:

Email: recruiting@kivuchoice.com

Email subject: Plant Operator

Application Deadline

30 September 2026

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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