Cold Storage & Ripening Operations Manager

COMPANY OVERVIEWRoyal Fruits Company is a Jeddah-based subsidiary of Kahelan Al Arab Holding Company (KAG), specializing in temperature-controlled storage for fruits and vegetables. Its operations cover receiving, cold storage, ripening, handling, and dispatch, with a strong focus on product integrity, food safety, operational reliability, and customer service.ROLE OVERVIEWThe role leads the full operating cycle of the cold-storage facility, including receiving, room allocation, temperature and humidity control, fruit ripening, handling, inventory care, and dispatch. The successful candidate will improve service reliability, energy efficiency, capacity utilization, product quality, and operating discipline while reducing spoilage and downtime.KEY RESPONSIBILITIESLead daily receiving, storage, cooling, ripening, handling, loading, and dispatch operations.Maintain approved temperature, humidity, ripening, hygiene, food-safety, and traceability controls.Track capacity utilization, spoilage, turnaround time, energy consumption, equipment downtime, and customer-service performance.Coordinate preventive maintenance, refrigeration alarms, emergency response, and business-continuity measures with the maintenance team.Plan staffing and shifts, supervise operating teams, enforce SOPs, and develop frontline capability.Investigate product loss, temperature excursions, customer claims, and operational incidents; implement corrective actions.Prepare operating plans, budgets, forecasts, and management reports for the facility.QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCEBachelor's degree or diploma in Operations, Logistics, Engineering, Food Science, or a related discipline.At least 7 years of relevant experience in cold storage, fresh produce, food logistics, or temperature-controlled warehousing, including 3 years in a leadership role.Practical knowledge of industrial refrigeration, ripening rooms, preventive maintenance, food safety, and warehouse controls.Strong command of operational KPIs, root-cause analysis, workforce planning, and cost control.Proficiency in ERP/WMS tools, Microsoft Excel, and operational reporting.Working proficiency in Arabic and English, with availability for shift-related escalation when required.