Managing Director | Heavy Engineering, Steel Fabrication

SUMMARY:
A well-established heavy industrial engineering and manufacturing business is seeking an exceptional Managing Director to lead the company through its next phase of performance, stability and growth.

POSITION INFO:

Managing Director | Heavy Engineering, Steel Fabrication & Industrial Manufacturing

A well-established industrial engineering and manufacturing business is seeking an exceptional Managing Director to lead the company through its next phase of performance, stability and growth.

This is a pivotal leadership opportunity for a commercially astute, operationally strong and highly hands-on executive with deep exposure to steel fabrication, heavy engineering, industrial manufacturing and factory-based operations.

The business is looking for a leader who can combine shopfloor credibility, strategic judgment, financial discipline and strong people leadership. This role requires someone who can identify opportunity, strengthen execution, improve cohesion across teams, and help shape a high-performance culture without losing the entrepreneurial energy that already exists in the business.

The role

The successful candidate will be responsible for the overall leadership and performance of the business, with full responsibility across:

• strategy execution
• factory and operational leadership
• commercial and financial performance
• project and contract delivery
• stakeholder management
• people, culture and accountability
• systems, process improvement and operational scalability

This is a role for a leader who is comfortable both in the boardroom and on the shopfloor. The ideal individual will understand the realities of fabrication, engineering, design, production planning, cost control, contract delivery and customer expectations in a technically demanding environment.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the business with full accountability for operational performance, profitability and sustainable growth
• Oversee end-to-end manufacturing and fabrication operations, with a clear understanding of design, draughting, build, production, delivery and customer requirements
• Identify opportunities to improve performance, efficiency, profitability and customer value
• Strengthen collaboration across functions and reduce silo-driven ways of working
• Lead Exco and senior management in a way that drives alignment, ownership and execution
• Ensure strong cost management, margin discipline, working capital oversight and sound cash flow management
• Support robust contract execution and customer delivery against agreed SLAs
• Assess where automation, innovation, systems or process improvements can enhance performance without disrupting what is already working
• Build trust and buy-in across teams in a business that has gone through leadership and organisational change
• Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, communication and practical problem-solving at all levels of the organisation
• Engage confidently with the Board, customers, suppliers, partners and other key stakeholders

Ideal candidate profile

We are looking for a proven industrial leader with strong exposure to:

• heavy engineering
• steel fabrication
• machining, manufacturing and workshop-led operations
• project-driven industrial environments
• end-to-end factory or plant leadership
• commercial and financial oversight
• stakeholder and contract management
• continuous improvement and operational discipline

The successful candidate is likely to have held roles such as:

• Managing Director
• COO
• General Manager
• Operations Director
• Manufacturing Director
• Production Director

Key requirements

• Degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline preferred
• MBA or relevant postgraduate business qualification advantageous
• Proven senior leadership experience in heavy engineering, steel fabrication, metal manufacturing or a closely related industrial environment
• Strong understanding of fabrication and the end-to-end manufacturing cycle, ideally including exposure to design, draughting, fabrication, build and delivery
• Full P&L leadership experience
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, margin management and cash flow oversight
• Experience in project management, contract delivery and customer-facing operations
• Ability to assess make-versus-buy decisions and evaluate operational and engineering investment decisions
• Strong leadership, communication, influencing and change management capability
• Ability to build culture, improve morale and align teams during or after periods of organisational change
• Exposure to lean, 5S, continuous improvement, automation or related operational excellence methodologies

If you are a grounded, execution-led industrial leader who thrives in complex manufacturing environments and enjoys building performance through people, systems and practical action, we would welcome your application.

To apply, please submit your CV and a brief summary of your suitability for the role via email to info(at)sapientis.co.za (Ref: MDFb_GP) or contact us for a more confidential discussion.