General Manager (Factory & Infrastructure)

Client of Guildhall; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Guildhall is assisting a confidential search to appoint a General Manager to run an established UAE-based manufacturer and infrastructure contractor. The role combines factory and contracting leadership with full P&L authority and board exposure.

You will own commercial and operational performance, lead both factory and field teams, and manage relationships with municipalities and government clients, reporting to the Executive Director and CFO.

Qualifications

• Engineering background with leadership in manufacturing or factory operations.
• Experience leading infrastructure or contracting operations alongside a factory environment.
• Fluent Arabic speaker and capable of leading Arabic-speaking teams.
• Strong track record managing senior engineering and operations teams.
• UAE market knowledge, preferably Abu Dhabi, with government or municipality experience.

Responsibilities

• Own commercial and operational performance across manufacturing and infrastructure contracting.
• Lead factory and field operations as General Manager.
• Directly manage relationships with municipalities and government clients.
• Sit on the board alongside the Executive Director and CFO.
• Drive pricing, commercial development, and profitability across the group.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Infrastructure contracting

Arabic language

Arabic workforce leadership

Senior management

P&L ownership

Abu Dhabi market

Job description

About the Role

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 amp L authority over a dual factory-and-contracting business with direct access to government and municipal clients.

Roles & 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

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 amp L ownership
• UAE market knowledge ideally Abu Dhabi with government or municipality experience

What s on offer

• Board-level General Manager role reporting to the Executive Director and board
• Full authority across a group with circa 1 500 employees and AED 300m turnover
• Established policies procedures and an authority matrix already in place
• Performance-linked annual bonus and a discretionary net-profit share