Job Description

Roles & Responsibilities

The General Manager – Operations is responsible for providing executive leadership and strategic direction across all manufacturing and operational functions of the organization. This role carries full accountability for operational performance, manufacturing excellence, financial results, workforce leadership, safety, quality, customer satisfaction, and long-term business growth. The position is responsible for leading a large-scale manufacturing operation by developing and executing operational strategies that maximize productivity, improve profitability, optimize assets, and enhance customer service while maintaining world-class standards in quality, safety, and operational excellence. The successful candidate will be an accomplished manufacturing executive with extensive experience leading complex industrial operations, driving transformational change, and developing high-performing teams within a continuous manufacturing environment.
The General Manager – Operations is accountable for the overall management and performance of the manufacturing facility, ensuring alignment with the organization's strategic objectives while achieving operational excellence across all business functions.

The role oversees Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Planning, Procurement, Supply Chain, Warehousing, Quality, Health & Safety, and other operational support functions to ensure the efficient delivery of business objectives.

The position is expected to drive continuous improvement initiatives, optimize operational efficiency, lead capital investment projects, implement digital transformation initiatives, and build a high-performance organizational culture that supports sustainable business growth.

Key Responsibilities

1. Executive Leadership

The General Manager – Operations shall:

• Develop and implement the overall operational strategy in alignment with corporate objectives.

• Provide executive leadership across all manufacturing and operational functions.

• Establish annual operational objectives and monitor business performance.

• Drive a culture of operational excellence, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

• Ensure alignment between operational priorities and long-term business strategy.

• Lead organizational transformation initiatives to improve competitiveness and sustainable growth.

• Build and maintain a high-performing leadership team.

• Represent the company with customers, suppliers, government authorities, and strategic stakeholders.

2. Manufacturing Operations

The General Manager is responsible for ensuring the safe, efficient, and profitable operation of the manufacturing facility by:

• Leading daily manufacturing operations to achieve production targets.

• Maximizing plant productivity while maintaining world-class quality standards.

• Ensuring manufacturing resources are effectively utilized.

• Eliminating operational bottlenecks.

• Monitoring Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).

• Driving Lean Manufacturing initiatives across all production areas.

• Improving manufacturing efficiency through operational excellence programs.

• Supporting business expansion through increased production capacity.

• Monitoring plant performance using operational KPIs.

• Ensuring uninterrupted production through effective cross-functional coordination.

Success Measures

• Production Target Achievement

• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

• Manufacturing Cost per Unit

• On-Time Delivery

• Production Efficiency

• Material Yield Improvement

• Scrap Reduction

3. Production Excellence

The role will:

• Ensure manufacturing processes consistently achieve customer specifications.

• Optimize production scheduling and resource allocation.

• Improve manufacturing flexibility to meet changing customer demands.

• Reduce production losses through continuous improvement initiatives.

• Drive process standardization across production operations.

• Promote operational discipline and best manufacturing practices.

• Monitor production performance and implement corrective actions where necessary.

• Ensure product quality remains a key operational priority.
  4. Engineering & Maintenance Leadership

  The General Manager shall provide strategic leadership for Engineering and Maintenance functions by:

  • Developing long-term asset management strategies.

  • Ensuring maximum equipment availability and reliability.

  • Supporting preventive, predictive, and reliability-centered maintenance programs.

  • Driving Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) initiatives.

  • Managing capital replacement and equipment modernization plans.

  • Improving plant reliability through engineering innovation.

  • Supporting automation and process optimization initiatives.

  • Ensuring engineering projects are completed safely, on schedule, and within budget.

  Success Measures

  • Equipment Availability

  • MTBF

  • MTTR

  • Preventive Maintenance Compliance

  • Reduction in Unplanned Downtime

  • Engineering Project Delivery

  5. Supply Chain, Procurement & Logistics

  The General Manager is responsible for ensuring an integrated and efficient supply chain that supports uninterrupted manufacturing operations while optimizing cost, inventory, and supplier performance.

  Key Responsibilities

  • Develop and oversee the organization's supply chain strategy.

  • Ensure timely procurement of raw materials, spare parts, consumables, and services.

  • Lead strategic sourcing initiatives to optimize procurement costs and supplier performance.

  • Ensure effective inventory planning and warehouse management.

  • Monitor inbound and outbound logistics to support production and customer requirements.

  • Develop strong relationships with strategic suppliers and business partners.

  • Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies and governance requirements.

  • Drive continuous improvement across procurement, logistics, and inventory management processes.

  Success Measures

  • Supplier On-Time Delivery

  • Procurement Cost Savings

  • Inventory Accuracy

  • Inventory Turnover

  • Logistics Performance

  • Stock Availability
    
    6. Quality & Operational Excellence

    The General Manager shall ensure that the organization consistently delivers products that meet customer expectations and international quality standards while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

    Key Responsibilities

    • Promote a company-wide quality culture.

    • Ensure compliance with customer specifications and international standards.

    • Support Quality Management Systems (ISO and other applicable standards).

    • Lead continuous improvement initiatives across all operational areas.

    • Monitor quality performance and customer feedback.

    • Drive corrective and preventive action programs.

    • Promote Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, and Operational Excellence methodologies.

    Success Measures

    • Customer Satisfaction

    • Internal Rejection Rate

    • Customer Complaints

    • Cost of Poor Quality

    • First Pass Yield

    • Audit Compliance

      
      

      
      

Desired Candidate Profile

Candidate Profile

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, or a related discipline.

• MBA or Master's Degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Engineering Management, or a related field is highly preferred.

Experience

• Minimum 20 years of progressive experience within large-scale manufacturing or heavy industrial environments.

• Minimum 10 years in a senior executive leadership role.

• Proven experience managing multi-functional manufacturing operations.

• Experience in cable manufacturing, aluminium, copper, metals, mining, smelters, or other continuous process industries is highly preferred.

• Strong experience leading large, multicultural teams.

• Demonstrated success in driving operational transformation, productivity improvement, and business growth.

Core Competencies

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Leadership

• Business Acumen

• Change Management

• Decision Making

• Financial Management

• Stakeholder Management

• People Development

• Risk Management

• Coaching & Mentoring

• Executive Communication

Technical Competencies

• Manufacturing Operations

• Lean Manufacturing

• Six Sigma

• Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)

• Total Quality Management (TQM)

• Production Planning

• Supply Chain Management

• Asset Reliability

• Operational Excellence

• ERP Systems (Oracle, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics or equivalent)

• Budget & Cost Management

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Plant Productivity

• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)

• Production Target Achievement

• Manufacturing Cost per Unit

• EBITDA

• On-Time Delivery (OTD)

• Customer Satisfaction

• Equipment Availability

• Inventory Accuracy

• Procurement Cost Savings

• Employee Engagement

• Safety Performance (LTIFR / TRIR)

• Capital Project Delivery

• ERP Adoption

• Continuous Improvement Savings