General Manager – Manufacturing & Operations

Zenith HR; Appin; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Baines Masonry is seeking a General Manager of Manufacturing & Operations to lead a long-established Australian manufacturing operation. You will drive operational performance, profitability and growth, combining practical manufacturing expertise with commercial discipline and a hands-on leadership style.

You will shape strategy into clear priorities, manage capital investments and oversee procurement, supply chain and customer relationships to deliver sustainable margins.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in an operational manufacturing environment.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in engineering, manufacturing engineering or related discipline.
• Strong financial acumen with budgets, P&L, cash flow and capital investment.
• Experience with production planning, maintenance, procurement, inventory and supply-chain management.
• Ability to lead managers and drive accountability for performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead safe, efficient and reliable manufacturing performance.
• Own business performance: revenue, margins, Opex, EBITDA, cash flow.
• Improve productivity, reliability, quality and on-time delivery.
• Identify opportunities to reduce waste, downtime and costs.
• Lead annual business planning and translate strategy into priorities.
• Oversee capital investment and ensure ROI on projects.
• Strengthen procurement and supplier relationships.
• Provide leadership for sales, customer relationships and margin growth.
• Develop and coach leadership team to a performance-focused culture.
• Ensure WHS, quality, environmental compliance and Chain of Responsibility.

Skills

Senior leadership

Engineering degree

Financial acumen

Production planning

Supply chain management

WHS knowledge

Lean manufacturing

ERP familiarity

Communication skills

Education

Engineering degree

Manufacturing engineering

Tools

ERP systems

ISO management systems

Job description

General Manager - Manufacturing & Operations

As General Manager, you will lead an established Australian manufacturing operation with full accountability for operational performance, profitability and growth. This is a hands-on leadership role reporting directly to the Directors, combining practical manufacturing expertise with commercial acumen. You will lead the manufacturing operation while strengthening systems, capability, accountability and commercial discipline across the organisation.

Key responsibilities

Lead the safe, efficient and reliable performance of the manufacturing operation

Take ownership of business performance, including revenue, margins, operating expenditure, EBITDA, cash flow and working capital

Improve productivity, plant reliability, production planning, quality and on-time delivery

Identify and implement opportunities to reduce waste, rework, downtime and operating costs

Lead annual business planning and translate strategy into clear operational priorities and measurable outcomes

Oversee capital investment and improvement projects, ensuring expenditure delivers the intended operational and commercial return

Strengthen procurement, inventory management, supply-chain performance and key supplier relationships

Provide leadership and oversight of sales performance, customer relationships and sustainable margin growth

Build a capable, accountable and collaborative leadership team and coach leaders to establish clear expectations and create a performance-focused workplace culture

Ensure strong standards across WHS, quality, environmental compliance and Chain of Responsibility

About you

Substantial senior leadership experience within an operational manufacturing environment

Relevant tertiary qualifications in engineering, manufacturing engineering or a closely related technical discipline

Demonstrated experience leading manufacturing operations and improving productivity, reliability, quality and cost performance

Strong financial acumen, including responsibility for budgets, P&L, cost control, cash flow, working capital and capital investment

Practical experience with production planning, maintenance, procurement, inventory and supply-chain management

The ability to identify operational issues, establish priorities and convert improvement opportunities into measurable results

Experience leading, developing and holding managers and teams accountable for performance

Strong working knowledge of WHS, environmental and quality management requirements

The ability to work effectively with the Directors and translate strategic direction into operational execution

Clear, credible and confident communication skills and a practical, visible and solutions-focused leadership style

Experience in masonry, concrete products, construction materials or another capital intensive manufacturing environment will be highly regarded. Exposure to Lean manufacturing, ISO management systems and ERP platforms would also be advantageous.

About us

Baines Masonry is a family-owned business that supplies and manufactures concrete masonry products. Baines has a long and proud history of manufacturing, has operated within the building and construction industry for over 40 years, and has established a strong reputation for high-quality products and service.