General Manager

Key Requirements

• 15+ years’ senior management experience within FMCG, edible oils, food production, or manufacturing.
• Minimum 5–7 years’ experience at GM, Country Head, CEO, or equivalent executive level.
• Proven full P&L ownership across revenue, gross margin, EBITDA, net profit, and cash flow.
• Extensive experience managing multiple manufacturing plants and large-scale operations.
• Proven success driving revenue growth, profitability, market share, and business expansion.
• Strong sales, distribution, route-to-market, pricing, and trade spend management experience.
• Strong supply chain, procurement, inventory, logistics, and working capital expertise.
• Demonstrated ability to improve EBITDA, cash generation, margins, productivity, and return on capital.
• Experience managing capital projects, operational budgets, and cost optimisation initiatives.
• Proven experience leading large, multi-functional teams and senior leadership structures.
• Experience operating in African or emerging markets, preferably Zambia.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, quality, HSE, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
• Proven experience strengthening governance, internal controls, audit readiness, and risk management.
• Strong ability to translate group strategy into measurable country-level execution plans.
• Ability to operate effectively in complex, fast-paced, and commercially demanding environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Take full accountability for country P&L performance, including revenue, margins, EBITDA, profitability, and cash generation.
• Develop and execute annual business plans covering growth, cost, margin, working capital, and cash targets.
• Lead multiple manufacturing plants and drive improvements in production output, capacity utilisation, yield, quality, and efficiency.
• Reduce manufacturing costs through waste reduction, maintenance optimisation, productivity improvements, and process efficiencies.
• Drive sales growth and market share across general trade, modern trade, wholesale, and institutional channels.
• Strengthen distribution coverage, route-to-market effectiveness, sales productivity, order fulfilment, and customer service.
• Develop pricing, product mix, promotional, and commercial strategies to protect and grow margins.
• Lead procurement and supply chain optimisation, including supplier negotiations, inventory management, and logistics efficiency.
• Improve working capital, inventory turns, receivables, payables, and overall cash conversion.
• Oversee financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, profitability analysis, and performance reporting.
• Build and lead a high-performing executive and functional leadership team.
• Establish KPI-driven performance management, accountability, succession planning, and talent development.
• Drive strategic initiatives, capital projects, business transformation, and continuous improvement.
• Maintain strong relationships with customers, suppliers, regulators, authorities, and other key stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, food safety, HSE, environmental, and industry requirements.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate financial, operational, commercial, and strategic risks.
• Provide regular performance updates, forecasts, variance analysis, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.

Key Skills

• Full P&L ownership and business leadership.
• FMCG commercial and manufacturing management.
• Multi-site and multi-plant operations.
• Revenue growth and market expansion.
• Sales, distribution, and route-to-market strategy.
• Supply chain, procurement, and logistics management.
• Working capital and cash-flow optimisation.
• EBITDA, margin, and cost management.
• Budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis.
• Operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Strategic planning and execution.
• Capital project and asset management.
• Leadership and organisational development.
• KPI and performance management.
• Negotiation and stakeholder management.
• Risk, governance, and compliance management.
• Strong commercial and analytical judgement.
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving.
• Change management and business transformation.
• High integrity, accountability, and results orientation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Food Technology, Agriculture, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification.
• Relevant management, manufacturing, FMCG, supply chain, or operations qualifications.
• Additional training in financial management, strategic leadership, or business transformation.

How to Apply

Apply using the following link: https://www.recruitmentmattersafrica.com/careers/?job_id=z5G7h3l6a1kMvyS65NP3c1XqY1H6cA7S-SqbM9-pQRc=