General Manager - Food Distribution, Commercial Leadership & Strategic Growth

at; Österreich; Vor Ort; EUR 100 000 - 130 000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A distinguished food distribution business in Austria is seeking a General Manager to lead its strategic growth from $100M to $120-140M. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 5 years of senior management experience in food/FMCG, with proven P&L accountability. This role demands strong commercial and relationship management skills and requires an individual who can drive significant growth while maintaining service excellence.

Qualifikationen

• Minimum 5+ years senior management experience in food/FMCG.
• Proven P&L management responsibility of $60M+.
• Experience managing 60+ staff.

Aufgaben

• Implement comprehensive supplier agreements and MOUs.
• Establish QA protocols and recall procedures.
• Drive margin enhancement across all categories.

Kenntnisse

P&L management

Logistics expertise

Supplier negotiations

Relationship management

Strategic thinking

Jobbeschreibung

Overview

General Manager - Food Distribution, Commercial Leadership & Strategic Growth. Exceptional leadership opportunity to guide an established food distributor under $100M through strategic evolution to $120-140M. The role supports both strong commercial operations and relationship-driven growth, with the aim of building on an extraordinary foundation while adding the disciplines required for scale. The infrastructure is world-class, systems are operational, and customer relationships are exemplary.

The Company

Distinguished Sydney food distribution business with 20+ years market presence, operating from a state-of-the-art 10,000+sqm semi-automated facility. Serves Sydney\'s most prestigious restaurants, luxury hotels, and specialty retailers through a sophisticated dual-channel model: high-volume commodity distribution via national consortium membership plus exclusive premium product ranges.

Strong Foundation:

• Recent multi-million dollar automation and WMS implementation
• Digital customer platform and advanced BI systems are operational
• Industry-leading delivery operation with midnight starts
• Exclusive distribution agreements with sought-after producers
• Strong balance sheet with significant growth capacity

The Role

The business seeks an exceptional leader who reports to the owner as managing director with full autonomy. Whether you bring deep commercial expertise or exceptional relationship capabilities, you\'ll be supported by strong functional leaders across all areas.

Two Candidate Profiles We\'re Seeking

Path 1: Commercial Operations Leader

Your likely background:

• Branch Manager at Bidfood, PFD, or similar
• Regional Operations Director from major distributor
• State Manager FMCG with operational oversight
• Operations Director with transformation experience

What you bring:

• Deep understanding of warehouse operations, logistics, supply chain
• Full P&L management including labour, wastage, margins
• Expertise in procurement, rebates, supplier negotiations
• Track record implementing WMS and automation

Your focus:

• Implementing supplier agreements and commercial frameworks
• Building commercial disciplines and KPI frameworks
• Optimising technology investments and facility
• Driving margin improvement through procurement

Path 2: Sales & Relationship Leader

Your likely background:

• GM Sales or National Sales Manager from food distribution
• Head of Sales from premium food/beverage company
• Commercial Manager with artisan/specialty expertise
• Senior BDM who has scaled customer portfolios

What you bring:

• Exceptional ability building trust with premium suppliers/customers
• Revenue growth through relationship management
• Deep understanding of premium brand positioning
• Network within Sydney\'s hospitality sector

Your focus:

• Strengthening commercial documentation while preserving relationships
• Expanding premium supplier partnerships
• Growing share with top-tier hospitality
• Building artisan portfolio and market presence

Core Accountabilities (Both Paths)

• Implement comprehensive supplier agreements and MOUs
• Establish QA protocols and recall procedures with cost recovery
• Drive margin enhancement across all categories
• Optimise procurement through consortium leverage

Strategic & Financial

• Full P&L accountability to ownership
• Develop and execute growth strategy to $120-140M
• Balance dual-channel requirements (commodity/premium)
• Optimise working capital and inventory efficiency

Team Leadership

• Lead 100+ staff across multiple functions
• Build a performance culture, preserving service excellence
• Develop talent pipeline and succession planning

Essential Requirements

• Minimum 5+ years senior management food/FMCG
• Proven P&L management responsibility ($60M+ preferred)
• Track record of driving significant growth
• Experience managing 60+ staff
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management

Critical Attributes

• Strategic thinking with execution focus
• Cultural intelligence and change leadership
• Commercial acumen (whether primary strength or developing)
• Commitment to service excellence

All inquiries handled with absolute discretion. This is a rare opportunity to lead a successful business through a critical transformation. The company is open to different paths to success - what matters is your ability to drive growth while preserving what makes them special.