General Manager – In-House Training Academy

SUMMARY:
Our client is looking for a General Manager to join their growing team.

POSITION INFO:
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 utilization (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.