The posting
We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded General Manager – Timber Manufacturing Operations to lead a large-scale timber manufacturing operation on the East Rand.
The successful candidate will take overall responsibility for the performance of key production departments, including the Machine Shop, Joinery Department and Paint Line, while working closely with Engineering, Production Planning, the Drawing Office and Project Management teams.
This is a senior, hands-on operational leadership role requiring extensive experience in timber manufacturing, shopfitting, cabinetry, furniture production or retail fixture manufacturing. The General Manager will be responsible for ensuring production targets, quality standards, delivery deadlines, workforce performance and health and safety requirements are consistently achieved.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
- Lead and manage the day-to-day timber manufacturing operation across multiple production departments.
- Take overall responsibility for the performance of the Machine Shop, Joinery Department and Paint Line.
- Coordinate effectively with the Engineering and Steel Manufacturing departments where projects involve multiple manufacturing disciplines.
- Ensure production targets, customer deadlines and quality standards are consistently achieved.
- Monitor operational performance and implement corrective actions where required.
- Identify opportunities to improve productivity, throughput, efficiency and manufacturing performance.
- Drive continuous improvement and waste-reduction initiatives across the factory.
- Maintain appropriate stock levels of high-volume raw materials required to support production.
Production Planning & Workflow
- Oversee production planning, scheduling and resource allocation.
- Ensure effective workflow from the Machine Shop through Joinery and into the Paint Line.
- Coordinate production requirements with the Drawing Office, Production Planning Department and Site Project Managers.
- Ensure materials, labour, machinery and production capacity are aligned with project requirements.
- Identify production bottlenecks and implement practical solutions to protect deadlines.
- Monitor work-in-progress and ensure projects move efficiently between departments.
- Ensure manufacturing priorities are clearly communicated to department managers and supervisors.
People & Workforce Management
Provide leadership and operational oversight to manufacturing teams including approximately:
- Machine Shop: 25 employees
- Joinery Department: 40 employees
- Paint Line: 15 employees
Key responsibilities will include:
- Leading department managers, supervisors and production employees.
- Creating a culture of accountability, discipline, teamwork and high performance.
- Setting clear performance expectations and ensuring appropriate follow-through.
- Mentoring and developing supervisors and departmental leaders.
- Managing employee performance, attendance, productivity and conduct.
- Identifying training and development requirements.
- Ensuring appropriate labour utilisation across departments.
Quality Management
- Maintain consistently high workmanship and manufacturing quality standards.
- Implement and enforce effective quality-control processes throughout production.
- Ensure products are manufactured according to approved technical drawings, customer specifications and production standards.
- Conduct regular inspections and manufacturing audits.
- Identify recurring quality issues and implement preventative measures.
- Ensure defects, rework and material wastage are minimised.
- Establish clear quality-control checkpoints throughout the manufacturing process.
Technical & Manufacturing Oversight
- Read, interpret and review detailed manufacturing and technical drawings.
- Provide technical guidance to production managers and manufacturing teams.
- Ensure the correct manufacturing methods, substrates, materials and finishes are used.
- Maintain strong technical oversight of joinery, machining and finishing processes.
- Ensure manufacturing methods are appropriate for the required quality, cost and delivery expectations.
Health, Safety & Factory Standards
- Ensure compliance with occupational health and safety requirements.
- Promote a strong safety culture across all manufacturing departments.
- Ensure machinery, work areas and production practices meet appropriate safety standards.
- Maintain high standards of housekeeping, organisation and factory discipline.
- Work closely with relevant stakeholders to address operational health and safety risks.
Minimum Requirements
Qualifications
A relevant qualification in one or more of the following areas is preferred:
- Manufacturing Management
- Production Management
- Wood Technology
- Engineering
- Operations Management
- Similar technical or manufacturing discipline
Additional management or leadership qualifications will be advantageous.
Experience
- Minimum 10 years' experience within timber, joinery, cabinetry, furniture or related manufacturing environments.
- Proven experience operating at senior production, factory, operations or general management level.
- Demonstrated experience managing multiple production departments.
- Experience leading sizeable manufacturing teams.
- Strong exposure to production planning, manufacturing workflow and quality management.
- Previous experience within shopfitting, retail fixture manufacturing, cabinetry, furniture manufacturing or high-volume bespoke timber manufacturing will be highly advantageous.
Technical Knowledge
The successful candidate should demonstrate strong practical knowledge of:
- Cabinet making and joinery processes.
- CNC machinery and machine shop operations.
- Timber manufacturing processes and techniques.
- Spray finishing and paint-line operations.
- Board products and timber substrates.
- Laminates and veneers.
- Solid surfaces and specialist finishes.
- Raw-material management.
- Production planning and scheduling.
- Manufacturing quality-control processes.
- Production workflow and bottleneck management.
- Technical and manufacturing drawings.
The ability to confidently interpret detailed manufacturing drawings is essential.
Key Competencies
Leadership & People Management
- Strong leadership and people-management capability.
- Able to lead large and diverse operational teams.
- Comfortable managing through supervisors and department managers.
- Able to establish accountability and performance standards.
- Confident decision-maker.
- Strong coaching and mentoring ability.
Operational Management
- Excellent production planning and organisational skills.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing workflow.
- Able to manage competing priorities and demanding deadlines.
- Commercially aware and cost-conscious.
- Strong focus on productivity, efficiency and resource utilisation.
- Able to identify problems quickly and implement practical solutions.
Personal Attributes
- Hands-on and highly visible leadership style.
- High energy and comfortable working in a demanding factory environment.
- Resilient and capable of performing effectively under pressure.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Practical and solutions-oriented.
- Deadline-driven and accountable.
- Collaborative team player.
- Comfortable taking ownership of operational challenges.
- Flexible when production requirements require additional hours or management intervention.
Communication
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Able to communicate effectively with production employees, managers and executive leadership.
- Strong interpersonal and stakeholder-management skills.
- Able to collaborate effectively with technical, project management and support departments.
Remuneration & Benefits
A market-related CTC package will be offered, dependent on the candidate's experience, qualifications and technical manufacturing expertise.
Benefits may include:
- Pension Fund
- Medical Aid contribution
- 13th Cheque
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a seasoned manufacturing leader who has progressed through a timber, joinery, cabinetry or shopfitting production environment and understands both the technical and operational realities of running a large manufacturing facility.
They will combine strong production knowledge with the ability to lead people, manage workflow, maintain manufacturing discipline and deliver complex projects to demanding quality and deadline requirements.
This position will particularly suit someone who enjoys being on the factory floor, close to production and actively involved in solving operational challenges, rather than managing exclusively from an office.
