General Manager

Seaboard Overseas and Trading Group; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 750 000; Full time

Job summary

A multinational company is seeking a General Manager to oversee operations in Africa. The ideal candidate will have over 15 years of experience in managing commercial, industrial, or logistical operations, with at least 5 years in Africa. Critical skills include fluency in French and English, excellent organizational and communication skills, and a thorough understanding of financial operations. This role requires a commitment to health and safety and involves frequent travel to various production sites.

Qualifications

• 15+ years' experience managing commercial, industrial or logistical operations in Africa.
• Minimum 5 years' experience working in Africa.
• Experience working for a multinational company.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all aspects of the business and report to the Managing Director.
• Communicate regularly with head office and prepare strategic business plans.
• Responsible for the health and safety of all staff members.

Skills

Fluent in French

Fluent in English

Excellent communication skills

Excellent organizational skills

Job description

Overview

Job Title: General Manager

Location: Africa

Reports To: Managing Director

Job Type: Expatriate

General Purpose

The position of General Manager oversees all aspects of the business and reports to an externally based Managing Director. Deliver corporate performance daily in conjunction with all heads of department within the company.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities

• Daily reporting on all activities of the company.
• Communicate regularly with head office.
• Prepare and follow approved strategic business plan.
• Implement cost/profit centre budget targets.
• Monitoring and reporting of actual performance vs budget.
• Prepare end of year company projections for all aspects of the company.
• In coordination with Admin Manager – oversee labour negotiations and all employee relations.
• Responsible for the health and safety of all staff members.
• Oversee all company procurement procedures.
• In coordination with the Finance Manager oversee all financial aspects of the company.
• In coordination with Production Managers – oversee all aspects of production.
• Prepare proposals for new projects and capital expenditure and implement approved projects and capital expenditure.
• In coordination with Sales Manager – oversee all aspects of sales and distribution.
• Visit and develop relationships with key customers.
• In coordination with in house legal counsel and lawyers on retainer – follow up on all court cases in process. In addition to defensive action propose and implement approved offensive court cases.
• Maintain strict cost control over all aspects of the business – proposing improvements where applicable.
• Make sales suggestions for improvement and note achievements.
• Liaise with government contacts.
• Uphold, safeguard and promote the company’s values and philosophy relating particularly to ethics, integrity and corporate responsibility.
• The responsibilities outlined in this job description are not a comprehensive list; additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time.

Education & Experience

• 15+ years’ experience managing commercial, industrial or logistical operations in Africa
• Minimum 5 years’ experience working in Africa
• Experience working for a multinational company
• Fluent in French and English
• Must have a thorough understanding of financial operations
• Obtain excellent communication skills
• Obtain excellent organizational skills

Working Environment/Conditions

• Must be in good physical health due to physical remoteness of location and operations.
• Expatriate must be able to operate outside normal comfort zone at times.
• Travel regularly to the various points of production.