General Manager

JOB SUMMARY

Join one of the Caribbean’s leading beverage companies as it expands its presence in Guyana. Our client is strengthening its footprint through a dedicated local operating subsidiary responsible for the sales, distribution, marketing, and overall management of its brand portfolio within the Guyanese market.

A key requirement for this role is significant experience managing third-party distributors within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. The successful candidate will have a proven track record of developing high-performing distribution networks, driving product availability, enhancing execution excellence, and delivering sustainable commercial growth.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic & Operational Leadership

1. Develop and execute strategy aligned with SMJ’s regional growth objectives.
2. Lead annual budgets, P&L performance, and operational planning.
3. Oversee sales, marketing, logistics, warehousing, customer service, and finance interfaces.
4. Ensure a robust Business Continuity Plan to safeguard operations against disruptions.
5. Deliver timely and accurate reports to regional headquarters, highlighting achievements, challenges, and market insights.

Distributor & Market Execution Management

1. Build and optimize distributors to deliver superior service levels and market penetration.
2. Drive achievement of revenue, volume, and distribution targets across all channels.
3. Maintain competitive intelligence to adjust pricing and commercial strategies.

Organizational Leadership

1. Establish structures, processes, and KPIs to support growth and scalability.
2. Provide direct leadership to managers and supervisors, ensuring accountability and performance.
3. Partner with HR to drive recruitment, training, succession planning, and retention.
4. Foster a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision making.
5. Drive adoption of digital tools, data analytics, and ERP systems to enhance decision-making, forecasting, and operational efficiency.
6. Identify and mitigate operational, financial, and reputational risks while ensuring adherence to corporate governance standards.

Stakeholder & Group Alignment

1. Ensure compliance with Guyana’s statutory, regulatory, and labour requirements.
2. Build strong relationships with business partners, vendors, customers, and government authorities.
3. Collaborate with the company’s Corporate teams (Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Production, Customer Service) to align Guyana operations with group strategy.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree Business Administration, Management, Marketing, or related field.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of experience in FMCG, including strategic leadership roles.
• A minimum of five (5) years in a senior managerial role with direct responsibility for third-party distributor management.
• Demonstrated success driving commercial and operational performance in a consumer goods environment.
  

PREFERRED SKILLS

1. Strong analytical and data-driven mindset.
2. Proven leadership and team-building abilities.
3. Exceptional commercial acumen and execution discipline.
4. Extensive distributor management experience in FMCG.
5. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
6. Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, BI tools, and ERP systems.