General Manager - Construction & Steel Industry

Summit Search Group; Hamilton; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Summit Search Group seeks a General Manager to lead its Ontario region, directing strategic, operational, and financial initiatives to drive growth, modernization, and long-term profitability. The role reports to the President and oversees diverse functions across multiple facilities in Ontario.

The GM will steer sales, estimating, project delivery, detailing, fabrication, logistics, and installation operations, building a high-performance culture focused on safety, accountability, and

Qualifications

• 10–15+ years of progressive experience in steel, fabrication, rebar operations, or construction with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, or related discipline preferred.
• Experience operating within unionized manufacturing and/or construction environments is considered an asset.

Responsibilities

• Own full P&L accountability for the Ontario region.
• Drive performance against key operational and financial metrics including safety, productivity, on-time delivery, labour efficiency, quality, profitability and working capital management.
• Develop and execute a strategic growth plan aligned with corporate objectives, including capital investments and market expansion.
• Establish commercial strategy for the division and align with senior leadership.
• Lead modernization, automation, and technology initiatives across fabrication, detailing, and logistics.
• Provide strategic direction to operations and project delivery to maximize on-time delivery and efficient resource use.
• Foster a culture of accountability, empowerment, and teamwork across all sites.
• Oversee budgeting and long-range forecasting with the executive team.

Skills

Strategic leadership

P&L management

Operations management

Team leadership

Negotiation

Education

Engineering or related discipline

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

The General Manager is responsible for the strategic, operational, and financial leadership of the company’s Ontario region. Reporting directly to the President, this executive role will lead the continued growth, modernization, and operational advancement of the business to support long-term profitability, scalability, and market leadership across Ontario.

The GM provides executive leadership and strategic coordination across all core business functions, including sales, estimating, project delivery, detailing, fabrication, logistics, and installation operations, supported through multiple facilities across the province. Through a team of senior functional leaders, the GM will drive a high-performance culture focused on safety, operational excellence, customer satisfaction, accountability, and continuous improvement, while ensuring the achievement of financial, strategic, and operational objectives.

Strategic & Financial Leadership

• Own full P&L accountability for the Ontario region, ensuring targets for revenue, margin, and cash flow are achieved.
• Drive performance against key operational and financial metrics including safety, productivity, on-time delivery, labour efficiency, quality, profitability and working capital management.
• Develop and execute a strategic growth plan aligned with corporate objectives, including capital investments, market expansion, and operational scalability.
• Establish commercial strategy for the division, gain alignment with senior leadership, and set objectives and milestones for personnel.
• Support identification and development of major capital expenditures, process improvements, and technology initiatives to modernize operations and sustain competitive advantage.
• Direct the annual budgeting and planning process and partner with the executive team to establish long-range forecasts.

Operational Excellence

• Champion a world-class safety culture, setting expectations and accountability for zero-injury performance across all facilities.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a team of operations and production leaders to deliver on key performance metrics for safety, quality, delivery, and cost.
• Provide strategic direction to the Director of Operations to oversee plant performance and production planning to ensure optimal utilization of resources, materials, and equipment.
• Provide strategic direction to the Director of Project Delivery to drive continuous improvements across the project lifecycle, ensuring seamless coordination between detailing workflows, fabrication schedules, and site logistics to maximize on-time delivery.
• Lead modernization, automation, and technology integration initiatives across fabrication, detailing, and logistics functions to improve safety, quality, productivity, and scalability.
• Strictly manage cost control and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Support the Vice President of Sales to build and maintain strong relationships with key clients, contractors, and design engineers to enhance the company’s reputation and drive repeat business.
• Actively engage in key strategic bid/tender reviews and contract negotiations as required.
• Anticipate customer needs and market trends to proactively adjust operational strategy and capacity planning.
• Ensure appropriate commercial, operational, and contractual risk assessment processes are implemented across major projects and strategic pursuits.

Leadership & People Development

• Foster a culture of accountability, empowerment, and teamwork across all operational sites.
• Define performance expectations and succession plans for direct reports and key operational leaders.
• Provide advice, guidance, mentoring and direction to the greater team toward their professional development.
• Drive talent acquisition, retention, and development strategies to support long-term organizational capability.

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, or a related discipline preferred.
• 10–15+ years of progressive experience in steel, fabrication, rebar operations, or the construction industry, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven record of P&L management, strategic planning, and operational transformation.
• Strong knowledge of rebar design, fabrication, and installation processes used in major infrastructure, bridge, and building projects preferred.
• Experience operating within unionized manufacturing and/or construction environments is considered an asset.

Core Competencies

• Strategic, results-driven, and operationally disciplined.
• Strong leadership, exceptional communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence across all levels of the organization.
• Analytical and decisive; skilled in problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Ability to multi-task and manage several competing priorities concurrently
• Demonstrates a strong sense of urgency, initiative, and execution discipline in driving operational and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborative, team-oriented leader who builds trust and drives accountability.
• High integrity, sound judgment, and strong business acumen.