Location(s):
South AfricaCity/Cities:
JohannesburgTravel Required:
26% - 50%Relocation Provided:
NoJob Posting End Date:
March 19, 2026Shift:
Job Description Summary:
Role title: ROUTE TO MARKET SAFETY DIRECTOR
Geographies responsible: Africa OU
Function: OU Technical, Innovation & Supply Chain (Ti&SC)
Reports to: OU Safety and RISK Director
KEY WORKING PARAMETERS
Scope & Impact:
The scope of the role is: OU Route to Market (RTM) Safety leadership and ensuring execution of fundamental safety program in RTM space: the Coca-Cola Operating Requirements (KORE), Life Saving Rules, Road Safety programs.
The role has direct impact and influence over the development of the most optimum OU RTM Safety strategy and implementation plan in line with the global strategy and TCCS commitments to protect our people and enhance our OU and regional reputation.
The strategic footprint of the role spans from OU operations connecting end-to-end the design, and partner pillars, set regional goals and roadmap for achieving RTM Safety goals and culture in collaboration as “One Safety LT” vision.
The role is responsible for the OU RTM Safety OPEX/CAPEX decisions.
Focus Areas:
The RTM Safety Lead will operate and lead as an indispensable member of the OU QSE leadership team as the RTM Safety leader role reporting directly to OU Safety and Risk Senior Director. The RTM Safety Lead will have clear accountability to coordinate the RTM Safety agenda cross functionally across OU, with Technical Operations, Customer & Commercial and PACS. The following areas define the key focus of the role:
RTM Safety and Health strategy: As a key member of the OU QSE leadership team, ensure within the global occupational Safety and health strategy and commitments the most optimum and accelerated implementation of the OU occupational Safety strategy. Define and steward the RTM Safety strategy, OU and Regional commitments, initiatives and prioritization to implement the global RTM Safety agenda. Ensure accelerated progress of the RTM Safety systems and programs while ensuring best-in-class leadership through partnership, governance and innovation across the supply chains. In collaboration with Corporate, TI&SC functional heads, Customer & Commercial, Franchise Bottlers, Occupational Safety Lead influences the OU and regional RTM Safety agenda and investments.
Governance, and fundamental RTM programs implementation: Ensure all license to operate and KORE RTM safety requirements, OU governance are in place in line with the global governance framework requirements.
Innovation: Ensure occupational RTM Safety innovation initiatives. Lead the implementation support for all RTM Safety aspects that protects our people and enhances our regional and corporate reputation.
OU Safety and Health network orchestration: Drive organizational alignment on operational RTM Safety across Regions, Bottling partners and Corporate S&E. Active contributor in the Global S&E Council. Champion KO RTM Safety and overall Culture and Strategies in the Regions to enable execution and culture development. Bring the external view in, drive external engagement and benchmarking, ensure leadership presence in industry associations.
RTM Safety culture and performance excellence: Lead the RTM Safety culture transformation to ensure excellence is a core value embedded in everything we do across the system. The RTM Safety Lead will direct the overall OU RTM Safety culture transformation to build and manage the excellence performance enablement systems and programs. Responsible to improve performance that accelerates business results and demonstrates a high capacity to manage risk as evaluated by our Global Audit Organisation (GAO) and our OU processes.
Capability: The RTM Safety Lead will be instrumental in developing and enhancing safety capabilities within bottling partners to support the effective implementation of RTM Safety systems and standards. This includes orchestrating and facilitating training programs, providing technical guidance, establishing capability action plans in the regions, and ensuring the alignment of bottler operational RTM Safety capability programs with the global framework.
KEY SUCCESS PARAMETERS
Work Focus
Support the long-term OU RTM Safety strategy, drive engagement with the system partners and lead OU RTM Safety planning to achieve goals.
Establish the Regional RTM Safety strategy, create governance and controls to implement the strategy, monitor the internal and external trends. Within the global RTM Safety framework lead the development of a fit for purpose, risk focused and culture maturity-oriented RTM Safety technical governance in the OU. Determine the OU RTM Safety framework and priorities, work with business to drive RTM Safety assessments and monitor RTM Safety risks
Develop, implement and continuously improve the relevant performance models and systems to track risks and mitigation plans. In line with the corporate RTM Safety metrics define and implement OU/Regional RTM Safety metrics and best-in-class trend analytics used for continuous improvement
Implement all global RTM Safety methodology, standards, IT tools and requirements for E2E OU activities, including production centers, distribution and marketplace
Provide technical guidance on establishing action plans in the Regions
Contribute to define RTM Safety OU/regional governance and drive partners/business development initiatives
Identify and communicate trends and challenges that impact our business performance and collaborate with corporate to ensure governance models remain relevant. Work in partnership with key stakeholders to anticipate new taxes that can impact the business.
Provide franchise leadership with key stakeholders to ensure necessary investments are planned to ensure governance requirements are met. Influence and shape RTM Safety investment plans including complex analysis of cost, infrastructure and culture developments, strategic partnerships. Close collaboration with key stakeholders such as Technical Operations, Supply Chain, Customer & Commercial, PACS, OU- and Franchise System leadership teams.
Connect strategically with external and internal networks and stakeholders to drive performance and benchmarking efforts, shape forward looking strategies and transform people and organizational capabilities accordingly.
Lead OU/Regional RTM Safety people and capabilities agenda:
Set operational RTM Safety strategy, connected with global vision, that empowers, motivates, connects and inspires large teams.
Lead the OU RTM Safety knowledge sharing center of excellence. Ensure effective communication and training of technical governance to bottling partners and other value chain stakeholders (suppliers, customers)
Ensure key people are in key operational RTM Safety positions in place.
Provide leadership in RTM Safety Incident Management and Crisis Resolution (IMCR) at OU level and ensure lessons learned are captured proactively across the entire global RTM Safety networked organization. Provide technical guidance on establishing root cause analysis and RTM Safety IMCR resolution in markets
Lead M&A RTM Safety due diligence and post-transaction integration as per business model
Communication Focus
Work with internal and external networks: TI&SC functional heads (Technical Operations, Supply Chain), Customer & Commercial, PACS, OU- and Franchise System leadership teams and Industry stakeholders.
Define and communicate across the OU and TCCS networked organization an RTM Safety culture with "Zero is possible" mindset.
Deal predominately with situations where other parties have shared interests or opposing interests related to operational RTM Safety digital agenda development and implementation plans.
Think outside-in and is well connected, involve a broader set of stakeholders in decision making.
Communication, negotiation and engagement with multiple key stakeholders to influence and gain alignment on the short- and the long- term operational RTM Safety strategies and investments.
Represent OU QSE Dir on external stakeholder forums and industry associations.
Experience
Experience in leading large-scale transformation programs, change management. Proven successful track record in leading and influencing diverse teams.
12- 15 years of experience in RTM Safety.
Skills:
Chemistry, Communication, Continual Improvement Process, Data Compilation, Environmental Science, Food Safety and Sanitation, Food Sciences, Food Technology, Green Solutions, Laboratory Testing, Leadership, Microbiological Test, Product Development, Quality Control (QC), Researching, Sensory Testing, Sustainability, Waterfall ModelOur Purpose and Growth Culture:
We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.