SUMMARY:
Country General Manager – Automotive Retail (East Africa)
Lead execution and drive performance within a high-growth, high-pressure automotive environment.
A leading automotive group is seeking to appoint a
Country General Manager to oversee its retail operations in an East African market. This role is suited to a commercially strong and operationally hands-on leader who thrives in demanding environments and is highly effective at
executing strategy, driving performance, and delivering results under pressure.
This is a
CEO-led business, where strategic direction, key decisions, and initiatives are driven at executive level. The successful candidate will be responsible for
implementing and executing approved strategies, ensuring operational excellence, commercial performance, and alignment across all business functions.
POSITION INFO:
The Country General Manager will hold full responsibility for the day-to-day performance and execution of the business, with oversight of sales, aftersales, marketing, operations and compliance.
This role requires a leader who is:
- Highly disciplined and execution-focused
- Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
- Able to translate direction into measurable outcomes
- Strong in managing people, processes and performance
Qualifications, skills and experience required:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management, Automotive Engineering or a related field
- MBA or postgraduate qualification advantageous
- 6–10 years’ senior leadership experience within automotive retail (e.g. General Manager, Regional Manager)
- Proven track record of delivering results in high-performance, demanding environments
- Strong operational and commercial understanding of automotive dealership networks
- Demonstrated experience managing multi-department operations (sales, aftersales, service, parts, etc.)
- Solid financial acumen with experience managing budgets, forecasts and cost control
- Experience working in emerging markets or across Africa is advantageous
- Resilient, adaptable and able to operate under pressure with strong attention to execution
Key Responsibilities:
- Drive the execution of business strategies and directives as set by executive leadership
- Take full accountability for the operational performance of the business, ensuring targets are met
- Oversee all core functions including sales, aftersales, marketing, operations and compliance
- Translate strategic direction into practical, measurable action plans
- Manage and drive performance across management teams, ensuring accountability and results
- Monitor financial performance, including budget adherence, cost control and revenue targets
- Ensure compliance with local regulations, OEM standards and internal governance frameworks
- Maintain effective relationships with OEMs, suppliers and key stakeholders
- Provide accurate and timely reporting to executive leadership on performance, risks and operational challenges
Working Environment:
- Fast-paced, high-performance and high-pressure environment
- Strong executive oversight, with key decisions and initiatives requiring CEO approval
- Requires a hands-on, resilient and execution-driven leadership style
- Not suited to individuals seeking high levels of autonomy in strategic decision-making
Additional Information:
- This is a full-time, on-site role based in East Africa
- This is not a rotational expatriate position
This opportunity is best suited to a candidate who:
- Thrives in structured, performance-driven environments
- Is comfortable working within clear leadership direction and governance
- Is highly effective at execution, delivery and accountability
- Has the resilience and mindset to succeed in a demanding, fast-moving business
If you have not heard from us within two weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful. Thank you for your interest in this opportunity and for taking the time to apply.
