General Manager – In-House Training Academy

Flink Recruitment; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Flink Recruitment is seeking a General Manager to scale SETA funding, lead a lean team, and market the academy to the public and corporate sectors while directly feeding the talent pipeline of the parent furniture manufacturing group.

You will ensure FP&M SETA accreditation, manage budgets and grants, and drive revenue through private student programs and short courses, with a focus on compliance and stakeholder collaboration.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years in a management role within a SETA-accredited training environment.
• Strong knowledge of the Skills Development Act, SAQA, QCTO and SETA landscapes.
• Experience managing budgets and claiming grants.
• FP&M SETA experience is highly advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations of the training facility, ensuring a safe, productive learning environment.
• Lead and develop a lean site team across admin, training, and instructors.
• Maintain full accreditation status with FP&M SETA for all registered qualifications.
• Ensure compliance of materials, assessments and moderation with standards.
• Prepare for external verification visits by FP&M SETA quality partners.
• Maximise financial returns by optimizing SETA, UIF LAP and other grants.
• Submit the WSP and ATR annually.
• Brand and market the academy to the public and corporate sectors.
• Drive B2C and B2B marketing to attract students and training partners.
• Develop pricing models and maximise facility utilisation.

Skills

Compliance Expertise

Operational Execution

Stakeholder Management

Financial Acumen

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Education, or related field

Job description

Roles and Responsibilities

Position Overview: We are looking for an entrepreneurial, compliance-savvy General Manager to scale our SETA funding, lead our lean team, and aggressively market our academy to the public and corporate sectors while also directly feeding the talent pipeline of the parent manufacturing company. Reporting To: HR Executive Direct Reports: Facilitators, Assessors, Moderators, and Academy administration

Experience Level

Management 5+ Year
Parent Industry: Furniture Manufacturing / Skills Development

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations of the training facility, ensuring an optimal, safe, and productive learning environment.
• Team Management: Direct, mentor, and performance-manage the lean site team (1 Admin, 1 Training Manager, 3 Facilitators, 1 Supervisor & 25 skilled employees).
• Maintain full accreditation status with the FP&M SETA for all registered qualifications.
• Ensure all learning materials, assessments, and moderation processes comply strictly with QCTO and SETA standards.
• Lead the preparation for external verification site visits conducted by FP&M SETA quality assurance quality partners.
• Maximise financial returns by optimizing SETA, UIF LAP and Department of Social Development discretionary grants
• Submit the Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR) timeously each year.
• Brand Strategy: Position and advertise the academy to the general public as a premier vocational training facility.
• B2C Marketing: Execute digital, social media, and local campaigns to attract private, self-funding students for full qualifications and short courses.
• B2B Business Development: Pitch accredited training solutions to external furniture manufacturers, interior design firms, and retailers to utilize their skills development levies.
• Revenue Generation: Develop profitable pricing models for private students and maximize facility utilisation (e.g., evening or weekend workshops).

Qualifications & Experience

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Education, or a related technical field.

Experience

Minimum of 5+ years in a management role within a SETA-accredited training environment (FP&M SETA experience is highly advantageous).

Key Competencies & Skills

• Compliance Expertise: Deep working knowledge of the Skills Development Act, SAQA, QCTO, and SETA landscapes.
• Operational Execution: Proven ability to manage a production-adjacent training facility or technical vocational academy.
• Stakeholder Management: Exceptional skills in navigating relationships between factory floor managers, corporate executives, and SETA representatives.
• Financial Acumen: Experience managing budgets and claiming grants.

What we offer

Salary: a competitive basic salary + incentive bonusses.