SUMMARY:
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
The General Manager will have overall responsibility for the effective management and coordination of the operations of both companies, with a strong primary focus on project management and project delivery.
The role is responsible for ensuring that projects move efficiently from initial enquiry and quotation through design, costing, procurement, production, quality control, logistics, installation and final completion.
The General Manager will provide high-level oversight and coordination across all projects and operational departments, ensuring that projects are properly planned, resourced, cost-controlled and delivered on time, to the required quality standards and within budget.
The role will also have overall responsibility for production, quality, operational systems, procurement, stock, logistics, OHS and related compliance, and will oversee the on-site installation and maintenance division.
The General Manager will not ordinarily be required to perform physical on-site installation or maintenance work but will be responsible for ensuring that the division is properly managed and that all site projects are successfully executed.
This is a senior management role requiring a highly organised, analytical and proactive individual who is capable of seeing the overall picture of a project and the businesses as a whole, identifying potential problems before they arise and driving the team towards successful project completion.
The position would be particularly suited to a qualified engineer or person with a similar technical or project-management qualification and experience. Experience in the fibreglass/composites manufacturing industry would be advantageous.
POSITION INFO:
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Project Management - Primary Responsibility Take overall responsibility for the planning, coordination and successful delivery of all projects and major customer orders across both companies. Manage projects from initial quotation and order acceptance through design, procurement, production, quality control, transport, installation and final handover. Develop and maintain clear project plans, programmes, timelines and priorities. Coordinate the activities of design, sales, procurement, production, logistics and installation teams to ensure that all departments are working towards the same project objectives. Monitor project progress against agreed timelines, budgets and deliverables. Identify potential delays, resource constraints, technical issues, cost overruns and other project risks and take proactive corrective action. Maintain clear project status reporting and communicate progress, risks and required decisions to management. Ensure that customer requirements and project specifications are clearly understood and communicated to the relevant departments. Review and interpret technical drawings, manufacturing drawings, layouts, specifications and project documentation, and ensure that the relevant teams understand the requirements. Work closely with the design and engineering team to ensure that designs are practical, manufacturable and aligned with project requirements. Ensure that project requirements are correctly translated from drawings and specifications into procurement, manufacturing and installation requirements. Coordinate project changes, variations and additional requirements and ensure that their cost and impact on the programme are properly assessed. Ensure that project documentation is complete, accurate and maintained throughout the project lifecycle. Ensure that projects are properly closed out, including outstanding work, quality issues, documentation, invoicing and customer handover. On-Site Project Management and Client Coordination Have a strong understanding of and experience in all facets of on-site project execution, including site preparation, access, deliveries, logistics, installation sequencing, coordination of trades, commissioning, snagging, handover and project close-out. Oversee all on-site installation and maintenance projects and ensure that they are properly integrated into the overall project programme. Coordinate effectively with the various role players within the client's project team, including project managers, site managers, engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, contractors, subcontractors, consultants and other relevant stakeholders. Understand the respective responsibilities, dependencies and requirements of the various parties involved in a project and ensure these are properly coordinated with the company's project, production and installation teams. Act as a key point of coordination between the company and the client's project team, ensuring that technical, programme, commercial, quality and site-related matters are communicated and addressed efficiently. Identify and proactively manage potential interface issues between the company's scope of work and the work of other contractors, subcontractors and trades. Understand the practical realities and challenges of working within an active construction or installation environment, including site conditions, access restrictions, sequencing, other trades and the client's overall programme. Ensure that the installation team has the required drawings, materials, equipment, information and site readiness before attending site. Monitor site progress against agreed programmes and ensure that delays, variations, technical issues and other site-related matters are escalated and addressed promptly. Ensure effective communication between the site team, client representatives and internal departments. The General Manager is not required to perform routine on-site installation or maintenance work, but may attend sites where reasonably required for project management, technical, customer or operational purposes. Costing, Commercial and Project Controls Assist with and oversee the preparation of project costing and quotations where required. Ensure that project costs are properly budgeted, monitored and controlled. Monitor actual project expenditure against budgets and identify variances. Provide regular project cost and progress reporting to management. Ensure that changes to project scope are identified and appropriately costed. Work with the Financial Director and relevant departments to ensure that project profitability is monitored and protected. Production and Manufacturing Oversight Have overall responsibility for ensuring that production is effectively planned and coordinated to meet project and customer delivery requirements. Work closely with the production management team to ensure that manufacturing programmes support the overall project programme. Monitor production throughput, capacity, productivity and efficiency. Identify production constraints and ensure that appropriate action is taken to prevent project delays. Ensure that production priorities are aligned with project deadlines and customer commitments. Drive continuous improvement in manufacturing processes, productivity and efficiency. Oversee the effective use of labour, materials, equipment and factory resources. Quality Management Have overall responsibility for the implementation and maintenance of an effective Quality Management System across the businesses. Ensure that quality requirements are clearly defined and incorporated into project and production processes. Monitor product and manufacturing quality and ensure that non-conformances are identified, investigated and resolved. Establish and maintain appropriate quality control and inspection processes. Drive continuous improvement in product quality and manufacturing standards. Ensure that quality issues affecting projects are escalated and resolved promptly. Procurement, Stock and Materials Oversee procurement planning to ensure that materials are available when required for production and projects. Ensure that procurement is aligned with project programmes and production requirements. Oversee raw material usage, stock control and stock optimisation. Ensure effective stock issuing, stock-taking and variance investigation processes. Monitor material usage and identify areas of excessive wastage or inefficiency. Work with suppliers to ensure appropriate quality, pricing and delivery performance. Operational Management and Systems Develop, implement and maintain effective systems and processes across the businesses. Identify operational inefficiencies and implement improvements. Ensure effective coordination between the various departments and divisions. Establish clear responsibilities, procedures, reporting structures and performance expectations. Monitor key operational performance indicators and report to management. Ensure that the businesses have appropriate systems to support continued growth. OHS, Labour and Regulatory Compliance Have overall oversight of occupational health and safety requirements across both businesses. Lead and support the OHS committee and ensure that required OHS systems and processes are maintained. Ensure that factory operations comply with applicable health and safety requirements. Oversee labour and Department of Employment and Labour compliance in conjunction with the relevant management and administrative personnel. Ensure appropriate environmental, waste-management and other operational compliance. Identify operational risks and ensure that appropriate preventative and corrective measures are implemented. Team Leadership and Management Provide strong leadership across the operational and project teams. Closely manage, support and guide departmental managers and key personnel. Establish clear priorities and ensure that teams remain focused on project and business objectives. Hold relevant managers and team members accountable for agreed deliverables and deadlines. Encourage a culture of accountability, teamwork, problem-solving and continuous improvement. Work closely with the business owners and directors on strategic and operational matters. Ensure effective communication between management, employees, customers and suppliers. REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE The successful candidate should demonstrate: A tertiary qualification in engineering, project management, operations management or a related technical field, with an engineering qualification being advantageous. Strong project management experience, preferably involving complex manufacturing, engineering, construction or technical projects. Demonstrated experience managing projects through all stages of on-site execution. Experience coordinating multiple projects simultaneously and prioritising competing deadlines. Experience working with and coordinating multiple client-side and project stakeholders, including project managers, site managers, engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, main contractors, subcontractors and consultants. The ability to confidently engage with technical and project personnel at a senior level and represent the company professionally in project meetings and discussions. Strong analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills. The ability to understand and interpret technical drawings, manufacturing drawings, layouts, specifications and project documentation. The ability to understand the relationship between design, costing, procurement, manufacturing, logistics and installation within a project. A sound understanding of practical site requirements, project interfaces, programme dependencies, site constraints, variations, delays, snagging and handover. Strong commercial awareness and an understanding of project costing and profitability. Strong communication and interpersonal skills. The ability to manage and coordinate multiple departments and teams. Strong computer and project-management skills. A proactive approach, with the ability to identify problems and opportunities without requiring constant direction. The ability to work at both a high-level strategic\/project-management level and a practical operational level. The ability to take ownership of projects and drive them through to successful completion. Experience in the fibreglass\/composites manufacturing industry would be advantageous, particularly experience involving moulding, composite manufacturing, technical drawings, production and\/or waterslide manufacturing. Experience in a manufacturing, engineering or construction environment would be advantageous. PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES The position requires an individual who is: Highly organised and structured. Naturally inclined towards project planning, coordination and follow-through. Analytical and detail-conscious without losing sight of the bigger picture. Confident in dealing with technical, commercial and operational matters. Comfortable dealing with clients, consultants, contractors and other project stakeholders. Able to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities. Proactive and solutions-driven. Comfortable taking responsibility and making decisions. A strong communicator and team leader. Commercially aware. Able to build effective working relationships with customers, suppliers and employees. Committed to continuous improvement and the growth of the businesses. GENERAL The General Manager's role is central to the continued growth and development of both companies. The successful candidate will work closely with the business owners and directors and will be expected to take ownership of the overall project-management and operational function of the businesses. As the businesses continue to grow, the role and responsibilities may evolve, and the General Manager may be required to undertake other reasonable tasks and responsibilities as requested by management from time to time.
