General Manager

A leading automotive aftermarket and retail company is looking for an experienced General Manager with strong experience in automotive parts, retail operations, sales, stock management and commercial business development to join their team in Kimberley. The successful candidate will take overall responsibility for the day-to-day management and commercial performance of the business, leading a team of approximately 10 employees while driving sales, profitability, customer service and operational efficiency.

Responsibilities:

• Take overall responsibility for the daily operation of the business.
• Manage and lead a team of approximately 10 employees.
• Maintain a strong and visible management presence on the retail floor.
• Drive sales, gross profit and overall profitability.
• Develop a proactive sales culture and establish appropriate sales targets.
• Monitor daily, weekly and monthly sales performance.
• Hold employees accountable for individual and departmental performance.
• Improve customer-service standards and reduce customer waiting times.
• Identify and remove operational bottlenecks.
• Develop new commercial and account customers.
• Grow business from workshops, fleets, mechanics, mines, municipalities, government departments, farms, security companies, transport companies and other commercial customers.
• Reactivate dormant or lost commercial accounts and build long-term customer relationships.
• Oversee the buying and procurement function.
• Ensure purchasing decisions align with customer demand, sales trends and stock movement.
• Monitor fast-moving, slow-moving and obsolete inventory.
• Improve stock accuracy and stock-control procedures.
• Investigate stock discrepancies and shrinkage.
• Supervise cycle counts and stocktakes.
• Improve stock receiving, labelling, shelving, returns and supplier-return processes.
• Monitor supplier performance and assist with negotiations.
• Identify additional suppliers and product opportunities.
• Manage margins and prevent unnecessary discounting.
• Review gross-profit performance and monitor refunds, credit notes, price overrides and stock adjustments.
• Establish and enforce internal operating procedures.
• Manage staff attendance, punctuality, productivity and performance.
• Address poor performance and misconduct and participate in disciplinary processes where required.
• Participate in recruitment, selection, training and development of employees.
• Identify future supervisors and management potential within the team.
• Oversee the accounts/debtors function and remain aware of material overdue accounts and customer credit issues.
• Resolve escalated customer complaints.
• Monitor competitor activity, pricing and relevant market developments.
• Identify opportunities for promotions and new product categories.
• Assist with marketing and sales initiatives.
• Monitor operational expenditure and control unnecessary costs.
• Identify fraud, theft, stock losses and other operational risks.
• Ensure appropriate security and loss-prevention controls are followed.
• Provide management reporting covering sales, profitability, staff performance, stock, buying, suppliers, customer issues, operational challenges and business-development opportunities.
• Continuously identify opportunities to make the business more efficient, profitable and less dependent on owner involvement.

Requirements:

• Matric / Grade 12.
• Minimum 5 years' relevant management experience.
• 5-10+ years' experience within retail, automotive aftermarket, automotive parts, wholesale/distribution or a comparable high-volume trading environment.
• At least 3-5 years' experience in a branch, store, operations or general management position.
• Demonstrated experience managing employees and sales targets.
• Strong stock-management experience.
• Buying/procurement exposure.
• Experience working with margins and profitability.
• B2B/commercial sales experience.
• Automotive aftermarket / motor-parts experience is strongly preferred.
• Strong computer literacy.
• Ability to work confidently with POS, ERP, inventory and management-reporting systems.
• A relevant diploma or degree in Business Management, Retail Management, Operations Management, Sales Management, Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Finance or Accounting is preferred.
• Strong commercial and sales orientation.
• Profit-focused and hands-on approach.
• Strong people-management and decision-making skills.
• Comfortable working with numbers, margins and profitability.
• Process-driven and highly organised.
• Customer-focused and proactive.
• Ability to develop new business and manage commercial customer relationships.
• Comfortable negotiating with suppliers.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of operational matters.
• Trustworthy and able to demonstrate high integrity.
• Comfortable being measured against agreed KPIs and commercial results.
• Valid driver's licence.

Benefits:

• Salary: negotiable.

Contact Hire Resolve for your next career-changing move.

Apply for this role today, contact Abigail King at Hire Resolve or on LinkedIn.

You can also visit the Hire Resolve website: hireresolve.us or email us your CV: [email protected]

We will contact you telephonically in 3 days should you be suitable for this vacancy. If you are not suitable, we will put your CV on file and contact you regarding any future vacancies that arise.