General Manager

Guildhall | The #1 Ranked Executive Search & Recruitment Agency in Dubai, UAE; Dubai; On-site; AED 893,000 - 1,116,000; Full time

Job summary

Guildhall is conducting a confidential search for a General Manager to lead an established manufacturer and infrastructure contractor in the UAE. This role carries full P&L authority over a dual factory-and-contracting business, with direct access to government clients and a position on the board alongside the CFO.

You will own commercial and operational performance across manufacturing and infrastructure contracting, leading engineering, factory and field operations while driving pricing and

Qualifications

• Engineering background with hands-on leadership in manufacturing or factory operations.
• Experience leading infrastructure or contracting operations alongside a factory environment.
• Fluent Arabic speaker, comfortable leading a majority Arabic-speaking engineering workforce.
• Track record managing engineering and operational teams at senior level.
• Strong commercial and operational management experience, ideally with P&L ownership.
• UAE market knowledge, ideally Abu Dhabi, with government or municipality experience.

Responsibilities

• Own commercial and operational performance across manufacturing and infrastructure contracting.
• Lead factory operations, field operations and engineering teams as one General Manager.
• Manage relationships directly with municipalities and government clients.
• Sit on the board, working alongside the Executive Director and a strong CFO.
• Hold significant authority over banking, purchasing and operational decisions.
• Drive pricing, commercial development and profitability across the group.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Manufacturing ops

Infrastructure contracting

P&L ownership

Arabic language

Government/municipality experience

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

Job Description:

Guildhall is running a confidential search for a General Manager to lead an established manufacturer and infrastructure contractor in the UAE. This person will own commercial and operational performance across both factory and field operations, sitting on the board alongside a strong CFO. The business is well capitalised and well organised, but the board believes performance has fallen short of what the brand and investment justify, and wants an operator who can convert that platform into stronger commercial results. It is a rare seat: full P&L authority over a dual factory-and-contracting business, with direct access to government and municipal clients.

AED 80,000–100,000 per month plus benefits and a discretionary annual performance bonus.

The role

• Own commercial and operational performance across manufacturing and infrastructure contracting
• Lead factory operations, field operations and engineering teams as one General Manager
• Manage relationships directly with municipalities and government clients
• Sit on the board, working alongside the Executive Director and a strong CFO
• Hold significant authority over banking, purchasing and operational decisions
• Drive pricing, commercial development and profitability across the group

What you'll bring

• Engineering background with hands-on leadership in manufacturing or factory operations
• Experience leading infrastructure or contracting operations alongside a factory environment
• Fluent Arabic speaker, comfortable leading a majority Arabic-speaking engineering workforce
• Track record managing engineering and operational teams at senior level
• Strong commercial and operational management experience, ideally with P&L ownership
• UAE market knowledge, ideally Abu Dhabi, with government or municipality experience

Requirements: