General Manager

We're Alignr, a modern recruitment partner helping ambitious businesses hire smarter and faster.

This time we're partnering exclusively with an established, highly respected South Australian manufacturing and distribution business, a market leader in the Tank Industry for over 35 years.

This is a genuine opportunity to step into a General Manager role at a profitable, well-run business and lead it into its next chapter. Over the past two and a half years the business has been transformed, systems rebuilt, the right people in the right seats, a proper digital strategy, and strong foundations laid. The current GM is moving on to independent interests, and is committed to a genuine, structured handover to set the next leader up for success.

Your job is to lead it both up and down, and to unlock the significant growth opportunity that is sitting right there.

Are you looking for...

• A genuine General Manager role where you lead an established, profitable business, with plenty of opportunity to take it further?
• A real soft landing, with the outgoing GM staying on to hand over properly rather than throwing you in the deep end?
• An owner who invests in your development, including a premium executive coaching program?
• Genuine autonomy to lead, with a clear, untapped growth lever to pull?

What's in it for you

• Attractive Salary: $132,000 Base + Super + Fully maintained company vehicle + Performance Bonus
• Executive Leadership Coaching Program (Vistage) included (~$1,200/month value), monthly peer meetings plus one-on-one mentoring from a highly awarded chair, plus a national and international leadership network
• A genuine soft landing, the outgoing GM stays through to end of October (or until you're comfortable) for a proper handover
• Monthly RDO, birthday leave, onsite parking, laptop and mobile
• Hybrid working - There is no set poilicy they are more focused on outcomes but the early stages would require you to be onsite in order to ramp up as quickly as possible. 
• Based in Beulah Park
• The chance to lead a respected 35-year business and genuinely shape its future

The business.
An established, profitable South Australian manufacturing and distribution business, a recognised market leader for more than 35 years and known as the premium, best-engineered product in its category. The business serves rural, regional, commercial and industrial customers across the state.

Some hard yards have been done. Over the past two and a half years the systems have been rebuilt into a single modern platform, advertising has moved to a genuine digital strategy that is delivering results, installation has been brought in-house, and the team and culture have been strengthened. The business is stable, profitable and ready for its next phase of growth.

That growth is real and identifiable. There is a significant, under-exploited opportunity on the commercial and industrial side of the business that represents the next major profit lever, alongside building the internal resilience and capability to scale sustainably.

The team & the role
You'll report directly to the owner and lead a capable team across finance, commercial sales and operations. The team knows how to sell, they have the technical and operational expertise, and they work well together in a relaxed, collaborative culture.

What they need is leadership. This is a role for a genuine leader, not a manager, someone who develops people, encourages ideas, holds the team accountable, and builds trust up and down the business. Getting the leadership right is the single most important thing. Everything else can be learned.

What you'll focus on

Leadership & culture

• Lead, coach and develop the team across finance, commercial sales and operations
• Build a high-performing, accountable culture with clear rhythms and real accountability
• Encourage new ideas and give the team the space and clarity to deliver

Commercial growth

• Unlock the commercial and industrial opportunity, the biggest profit lever in the business
• Drive sustainable, profitable growth while protecting the premium market position
• Full P&L accountability, margin discipline and sound commercial judgement

Resilience & operations

• Build internal capacity, cross-training and systems to scale and cover leave sustainably
• Maintain the strong supplier, network and stakeholder relationships already in place

Stakeholder management

• Manage the relationship with the owner with emotional intelligence and resilience
• Build genuine relationships with everyone from farmers to tier-one builders

Who we're looking for

• A genuine leader with high emotional intelligence, someone people want to follow
• Proven ability to lead and develop a multidisciplinary team
• The ability to build genuine relationships and earn trust with anyone, from a farmer to a chairman
• Commercial and financial acumen, and the discipline to hold a team accountable to real numbers
• Resilience and maturity to manage senior relationships without being knocked off course
• Business development instinct to unlock new commercial opportunities
• A practical, no-BS, get-it-done style, strategy plus real execution
• Humility and curiosity, willing to listen and learn before changing anything

Who this isn't for
❌ Managers rather than leaders, this role is about leading and developing people
❌ Anyone who lacks the EQ or resilience to manage people
❌ Indecisive leaders who struggle to make a call
❌ Anyone who blames others or avoids accountability

Must-haves

• Proven leadership of a multidisciplinary team in a commercial business, preferably within the heavier technical industries (Logistics, Tanks, Construction, Manufacturing, Packaging etc) 
• Strong commercial and financial acumen
• High emotional intelligence and the resilience to manage up effectively
• Genuine relationship-building and trust-earning ability
• Based in or willing to relocate to Adelaide, South Australia (onsite role)
• Proven experience of turning the dial in previous roles.

Nice to haves

• Experience in the tank industry would be amazing but not a must. Or manufacturing, distribution, construction, industrial or agricultural sectors
• Business development and commercial growth track record
• Previous General Manager experience (not essential; we're open to leaders ready to step up)

Hiring process

• Step 1: Apply and complete short screening questions
• Step 2: Alignment call with Alignr
• Step 3: Behavioural interview against the role
• Step 4: Leadership and commercial assessment and psychometric assessment
• Step 5: Informal meeting with the owner, references and offer

Apply now and complete the short screening questions to get started.
Got questions? Reach out to Alex at ****@alignr.com.au or 0480 808 ***.