General Manager – Growing SME Manufacturer

OI Partners; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

OI Partners in Melbourne is seeking a General Manager to step into the leadership role as the founder gradually steps back, with a planned 12‑month transition and an Advisory Board in place.

You will partner with the board to develop and execute a data‑driven 5‑year strategy, install leadership, scale operations, embed the ERP system, and build the management capability required to pursue a future CEO pathway while honoring the family‑owned culture.

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering or related field.
• Experience leading SME manufacturing with growth.
• ERP systems experience and capability to drive digitalisation.
• Lean principles and continuous improvement mindset.
• Strong leadership and governance capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the business with the founder stepping back and report to an Advisory Board.
• Develop and execute a data-informed 5-year strategy with the board.
• Embed ERP, improve operational efficiency and margins, and scale processes.
• Build leadership capability and prepare the organisation for a future CEO pathway.

Skills

Leadership

Lean methodologies

Strategic thinking

Change management

Data-driven decision making

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

• Founder and Managing Director stepping back, with a planned transition
• Report to an Advisory Board
• Pathway to CEO

As the founder prepares to step back, take the reins of this growing Australian manufacturing success story.

With almost 40 years of innovation, our client is an established Australian manufacturer employing approximately 80 people. Punching well above its weight division, its specialist industrial products and bespoke engineering solutions serve Mining, Defence, Agriculture and Industrial markets, with large clients including the Department of Defence and Rio Tinto amongst others.

The only Australian manufacturer of its product range, the business competes on the international stage. Significant recent investment in genuine engineering and manufacturing capability, together with recent major contract wins, has positioned it for further growth, targeting approximately $50 million in revenue within 5 years. Indeed, equipped with full design and drawings capability its leading technology allows for a logistics solution to clients very few competitors can match, opening considerable opportunities in the sectors they support.

The Opportunity

The proud founder and Managing Director intends to step back from day-to-day operations, establish an Advisory Board and appoint a General Manager to lead the business. Importantly, the company is not being sold. The intention is to retain it for future generations.

The company is in a critical stage of its evolution, and the General Manager will assume running the business, building leadership capability, systems and structure that the business needs in order to scale.

Working with the founder and Board, you’ll help develop a data-informed 5-year strategy and take responsibility for bringing it to life!

Key priorities include:

• Improving operational efficiency, margins, profitability and working capital
• Strengthening leadership capability, accountability and business processes
• Embedding the recently implemented ERP system to improve decision-making
• Improving supply chain, warehousing and inventory management
• Reducing waste, introducing greater operational rigor and supporting sales conversion

Supply chain and warehousing present particular opportunities. While delivery commitments are consistently met, greater structure and process will improve efficiency. Indeed, there is huge opportunity, with approximately 9,000 m² under roof, the business has considerable manufacturing capacity waiting to be unlocked!

A planned 12-month transition will allow you to develop your appreciation for the business, establish trust and progressively assume responsibility as the founder steps back.

About you

Degree qualified, potentially in Engineering, you are a leader of leaders with a capacity for critical thinking and problem solving. An advocate for continuous improvement and lean methodologies, we suspect you have experience in a SME sized manufacturing concern and chartered an organisation for growth in a general management capacity. We’re keen to leverage your ERP systems experience and knowledge of supply chain operations.

So, that’s the experience part, but now the secret sauce!

This is a successful family-owned business with a proud history and established culture. You’ll respect what has made it successful while confidently driving the changes needed for its future.

You’ll also appreciate that a founder stepping back requires trust, patience and sound judgement. Managing the boundaries between family and business, while establishing clear accountability, will be critical.

What comes next

This is an outstanding opportunity to lead a substantial Australian manufacturing business through its next stage of growth, with a genuine pathway to CEO.

If you have the experience, commercial capability and leadership approach to take on this challenge, I’d welcome a confidential discussion.