Managing Director (Wholesale Plumbing)

Kontak Recruitment; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 2 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading recruitment agency is seeking an experienced Managing Director for a dynamic role in Johannesburg, responsible for driving growth and transformation within a wholesale business. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, a deep understanding of commercial negotiation, and extensive experience in complex operational environments. Key responsibilities include defining strategic initiatives, leading negotiations with major customers, and ensuring operational efficiency. The position offers a competitive salary of R2.2 Million annually, plus additional benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years' experience at Managing Director, CEO, or senior executive level.
• Proven track record in leading growing organisations or divisions.
• Experience within wholesale, retail, manufacturing, or closely related industrial sectors.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead strategic agenda anticipating shifts in customer behaviour.
• Lead complex commercial negotiations with major retail chains.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic judgement

Commercial negotiation

Operations management

Stakeholder management

Financial acumen

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification in business, finance or engineering

MBA (advantageous)

Job description

Managing Director required in Kya Sands, Johannesburg.

This is a senior, hands‑on Managing Director role responsible for leading a profitable, established wholesale business through its next phase of relevance, scale, and resilience.

The role carries full accountability for protecting the core business while shaping and executing commercially sound initiatives in a privately owned, professionally governed environment.

Success requires a visible and decisive leader who balances strategic judgement with pragmatic execution and is comfortable operating in a competitive, import‑led business exposed to margin pressure, customer concentration risk, and structural industry change.

The business operates predominantly with imported product ranges, requiring active management of international suppliers, currency exposure, logistics lead times, and working‑capital cycles.

Salary: R2.2 Million inclusive of Car Allowance and Provident Fund + Profit Share Annually.

Minimum Requirements:

• Relevant tertiary qualification in business, finance, or engineering (e.g. CA (SA), AGA (SA), CIMA, Industrial or Mechanical Engineering, or other professional qualification)
• MBA advantageous but not essential
• Minimum 15 years’ progressive experience, currently operating at Managing Director, CEO, or senior executive level
• Proven track record leading organisations or divisions that have grown in complexity, scale, or business model
• Experience within wholesale, retail, manufacturing, or closely related industrial sectors
• Experience operating in unionised environments
• Experience managing complex stakeholder relationships and negotiations
• Exposure to acquisitions, integrations, or major strategic initiatives (advantageous)
• Exposure to import-driven or internationally sourced product businesses (advantageous but not a prerequisite)
• Demonstrated executive-level experience where strategic decisions carried material commercial, organisational, or capital consequences

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Strategy, Growth & Transformation
  • Define and lead a strategic agenda beyond optimisation of the existing wholesale model, anticipating structural shifts in customer behaviour, supplier dynamics, retail models, and trade supply chains.
  • Identify, evaluate, and execute step‑change growth opportunities including acquisitions, vertical or horizontal integration, manufacturing initiatives, or entry into adjacent sectors, with full accountability to the Board for strategic outcomes.
• Commercial Leadership & Customer Risk
  • Reduce customer concentration risk through diversification of customers, channels, and value propositions.
  • Lead complex commercial negotiations with major retail chains and strategic customers.
  • Strengthen pricing discipline, customer profitability, and trading‑term governance, positioning the business beyond pure price‑based competition.
• Operations, Scale & Execution
  • Lead an efficient, scalable operation across procurement, warehousing, logistics, and distribution.
  • Identify and address operational inefficiencies, driving continuous improvement, productivity gains, and structural change where required.
  • Ensure service excellence and disciplined working‑capital management through growth and transformation.
• Digital, Data & AI Enablement
  • Set strategic direction for the introduction of practical, commercially justified AI‑enabled tools.
  • Ensure technology investments are embedded into core business operations rather than treated as standalone initiatives.
• People Leadership & Labour Relations
  • Lead and inspire approximately 150 employees and external sales agencies, building a strong, accountable executive team with depth and succession capability.
  • Maintain a stable, performance‑driven culture while raising standards and expectations.
  • Lead annual wage negotiations in a unionised environment and retain full accountability for industrial relations.
  • Communicate business realities clearly to a workforce with limited formal commercial education.
  • Ensure compliance with labour legislation while maintaining clear management authority and the ability to execute change.
• Marketing, Brand & Market Positioning
  • Hold overall accountability for marketing and brand strategy, ensuring alignment with commercial objectives, customer diversification, value‑proposition differentiation, and long‑term positioning.
• Governance, Financial Stewardship & Compliance
  • Operate effectively in a family‑owned, Board‑governed environment with delegated authority and clear accountability.
  • Work closely with the Finance Director with overall accountability for financial performance, asset stewardship, profitability, and financial resilience.
  • Present and own the annual budget, monitor performance against agreed plans, and take corrective action where required.
  • Act as the designated Information Officer, ensuring compliance with information governance, data protection, and privacy legislation.
  • Provide leadership on employment equity and transformation priorities.
  • Ensure compliance with all legal, regulatory, and ethical standards.
  • Remain informed on industry trends, market dynamics, and emerging technologies, representing the business at industry events and key client engagements.