Role Overview

A leading and well-established specialist engineering and geotechnical construction company is seeking to appoint a highly experienced General Manager to lead its multi-entity operations.

The organisation delivers complex foundation and ground engineering solutions to major infrastructure and industrial projects. With a strong market presence and ambitious expansion plans, the Board is seeking a commercially astute and operationally disciplined executive to drive the next phase of strategic growth.

This role represents a rare opportunity to lead a profitable, regionally recognised engineering group with significant growth potential.

The General Manager will serve as the most senior executive within the organisation, holding full accountability for performance, profitability, governance, and sustainable expansion.

Key Responsibilities

Group Executive Leadership

• Full executive responsibility for the performance of companies across East Africa
• Lead and execute the regional strategy and growth plans
• Ensure strong corporate governance across all entities
• Report regularly to the Board on performance, strategy, and risk

Business Development

• Develop new markets, clients, and sectors across Africa
• Define strategy for business development and introduction of new foundation solutions to the market
• Build long-term relationships with key developers, consultants, contractors and financiers
• Oversee development of tender designs, drawings and technical proposals
• Preparation and submission of tender documents, quotations and commercial proposals
• Lead major tenders and contract negotiations

Operational & Project Management

• Oversee all geotechnical projects from tender stage through execution and close-out
• Prepare project budgets and cash flow forecasts
• Ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and to specification whilst maintaining good relationships with all clients
• Implement best-practice project controls, planning, and reporting systems
• Drive productivity, plant utilisation, and operational efficiency across all countries
• Ensure consistency of standards, procedures, and reporting across the organisation
• Review and analyse project reports and records for continuous improvement
• Ensure progress of projects in accordance with contract timelines
• Ensure financial progress of projects in accordance with the contract
• Manage contractual and commercial risks
• Ensure technical compliance of operations on site as per contract specifications
• Enforce strict adherence to health and safety policies and procedures

Financial, Commercial & Administrative Management

• Full responsibility for financial performance
• Prepare and manage company budgets, forecasts, and business plans to improve profitability
• Control project margins, cashflow, and working capital
• Oversee all accounting, payroll, tax, external audits, legal, insurance, and statutory compliance
• Ensure robust financial controls and reporting systems across all countries
• In collaboration with the Finance Manager, ensure the compliance, accuracy and efficiency of company accounts, procurement and storekeeping
• Scrutinise purchase orders and payment requests
• Create detailed budgets for active projects and company operations
• Serve as an authorised signatory for purchase orders and payments
• Review weekly financial statements and cash flow forecasts to monitor financial performance against objectives

Procurement, Stores & Supply Chain

• Oversee procurement strategy and supplier management
• Manage all stores, materials control, and logistics functions
• Ensure cost-effective sourcing of materials, fuel, consumables, and spares
• Implement strong inventory control and plant spares management systems

Plant, Equipment & Maintenance

• Alongside the Plant and Equipment Manager, full responsibility for the maintenance of company rigs, cranes, compressors, generators, and support fleet
• Define and implement strategies to minimise plant downtime
• Drive plant availability, reliability, and lifecycle cost control
• Lead plant investment and replacement strategy

Health, Safety, Environment & Quality (HSEQ)

• Champion a strong safety-first culture across all sites and offices
• Ensure compliance with local regulations and international best practice
• Maintain ISO-aligned HSEQ systems and reporting (ISO 9001, 45001 and 14001)
• Drive continuous improvement in safety performance

People & Organisational Leadership

• Lead and develop senior management teams in all operating countries
• Build a high-performance team to drive toward the company vision
• Promote a strong culture of discipline, integrity, and ownership
• Set performance objectives and carry out staff appraisals and evaluations
• Promote a positive and results-focused work environment

Candidate Requirements

Qualifications

• Degree in Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Construction Management or similar
• MBA or senior management qualification (advantageous)

Experience

• Background in geotechnical projects with at least 10–15 years' experience
• At least 5 years in a senior executive, general management, or country/regional director role
• Proven track record managing multi-country operations
• Experience operating in East Africa or similar emerging markets preferred

Technical, Commercial & Leadership Skills

• Deep understanding of geotechnical construction methods
• Strong commercial, contractual and financial management capability
• Experience with FIDIC and major construction contracts
• Strong understanding of plant management and maintenance operations
• Ability to manage complex, multi-country stakeholder environments

Personal Attributes

• Strategic, decisive and results-driven leader
• Hands-on executive with strong operational discipline
• Excellent communicator and negotiator
• Entrepreneurial mindset with strong business development instincts
• High integrity and strong governance standards

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Group revenue growth and improved profitability
• Project delivery performance (time, cost, quality and safety)
• Plant utilisation and investment
• Business development, expansion into new markets and client satisfaction

• Full executive responsibility for the performance of companies across East Africa
• Lead and execute the regional strategy and growth plans
• Ensure strong corporate governance across all entities
• Report regularly to the Board on performance, strategy, and risk
• Develop new markets, clients, and sectors across Africa
• Define strategy for business development and introduction of new foundation solutions to the market
• Build long-term relationships with key developers, consultants, contractors and financiers
• Oversee development of tender designs, drawings and technical proposals
• Preparation and submission of tender documents, quotations and commercial proposals
• Lead major tenders and contract negotiations
• Oversee all geotechnical projects from tender stage through execution and close-out
• Prepare project budgets and cash flow forecasts
• Ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and to specification whilst maintaining good relationships with all clients
• Implement best-practice project controls, planning, and reporting systems
• Drive productivity, plant utilisation, and operational efficiency across all countries
• Ensure consistency of standards, procedures, and reporting across the organisation
• Review and analyse project reports and records for continuous improvement
• Ensure progress of projects in accordance with contract timelines
• Ensure financial progress of projects in accordance with the contract
• Manage contractual and commercial risks
• Ensure technical compliance of operations on site as per contract specifications
• Enforce strict adherence to health and safety policies and procedures
• Full responsibility for financial performance
• Prepare and manage company budgets, forecasts, and business plans to improve profitability
• Control project margins, cashflow, and working capital
• Oversee all accounting, payroll, tax, external audits, legal, insurance, and statutory compliance
• Ensure robust financial controls and reporting systems across all countries
• In collaboration with the Finance Manager, ensure the compliance, accuracy and efficiency of company accounts, procurement and storekeeping
• Scrutinise purchase orders and payment requests
• Create detailed budgets for active projects and company operations
• Serve as an authorised signatory for purchase orders and payments
• Review weekly financial statements and cash flow forecasts to monitor financial performance against objectives
• Oversee procurement strategy and supplier management
• Manage all stores, materials control, and logistics functions
• Ensure cost-effective sourcing of materials, fuel, consumables, and spares
• Implement strong inventory control and plant spares management systems
• Alongside the Plant and Equipment Manager, full responsibility for the maintenance of company rigs, cranes, compressors, generators, and support fleet
• Define and implement strategies to minimise plant downtime
• Drive plant availability, reliability, and lifecycle cost control
• Lead plant investment and replacement strategy
• Champion a strong safety-first culture across all sites and offices
• Ensure compliance with local regulations and international best practice
• Maintain ISO-aligned HSEQ systems and reporting (ISO 9001, 45001 and 14001)
• Drive continuous improvement in safety performance
• Lead and develop senior management teams in all operating countries
• Build a high-performance team to drive toward the company vision
• Promote a strong culture of discipline, integrity, and ownership
• Set performance objectives and carry out staff appraisals and evaluations
• Promote a positive and results-focused work environment

• Deep understanding of geotechnical construction methods
• Strong commercial, contractual and financial management capability
• Experience with FIDIC and major construction contracts
• Strong understanding of plant management and maintenance operations
• Ability to manage complex, multi-country stakeholder environments
• Strategic, decisive and results-driven leader
• Hands-on executive with strong operational discipline
• Excellent communicator and negotiator
• Entrepreneurial mindset with strong business development instincts
• High integrity and strong governance standards

• Degree in Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Construction Management or similar
• MBA or senior management qualification (advantageous)