Technical Director - Cement Production

About the role

Adexen, acting on behalf of a leading industrial group, is recruiting an experienced Technical Director of Production for its pan-African operations, based in Lagos, Nigeria. The role provides group-wide technical leadership and strategic direction for production across multiple manufacturing plants, focusing on manufacturing performance, process standardization, operational efficiency, sustainability and digital transformation.

Key responsibilities

• Define and implement group-wide production strategies aligned with growth and profitability objectives.
• Provide technical oversight of clinker and cement plants across several countries and act as the highest technical authority on cement manufacturing.
• Standardize operating frameworks, KPIs and benchmarks, and lead root cause analysis of critical issues.
• Optimize heat, fuel and power consumption and develop fuel mix strategies including coal, gas, LPFO and alternative fuels.
• Deploy advanced process control systems, AI-driven optimization, predictive analytics and real-time monitoring, and support smart, data-driven operations.
• Lead plant expansion, upgrades and commissioning, including kilns, grinding units and auxiliary systems.
• Ensure product quality standards, work with QA/QC and maintenance teams, and champion health, safety and sustainability, including CO2 reduction.
• Build and develop technical teams, drive succession planning, and report production performance to executive management.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical or Process Engineering or a related discipline; MBA or advanced qualification an advantage.
• 25 to 30+ years in cement manufacturing or heavy industry, with at least 12 to 15 years in senior technical or production leadership.
• Proven experience managing multi-plant, multi-country operations and large integrated industrial plants.
• Preferred: strong exposure to African markets and deep expertise in cement process engineering and pyroprocessing.

Required skills

• Familiarity with DCS, APC and digital manufacturing systems.
• Strong project execution, commissioning and performance management capabilities.
• Leadership, resilience and adaptability across diverse geographies.