Position Overview / Scope of Role:

The General Manager is the chief executive of Yekatit Paper Converting PLC and is fully accountable for the strategic leadership, operational excellence, commercial success, and financial performance of the Company. The position provides end-to-end leadership of the Company's paper converting and packaging business while ensuring operational stability, profitability, customer satisfaction, institutional strengthening, and sustainable growth.

The role is responsible for directing all business functions including production, technical operations, engineering, maintenance, quality assurance, supply chain, finance, sales, marketing, human resources, administration, and customer service. The General Manager ensures that every function operates with discipline, efficiency, accountability, and alignment to the Company's strategic objectives.

As the leader of one of Ethiopia's pioneering paper converting manufacturers, the General Manager is expected to modernize operations, improve manufacturing productivity, strengthen financial performance, optimize costs, enhance product quality, expand markets, and build a high-performance organizational culture capable of sustaining long-term competitiveness.

The position serves as the primary link between the Company and the Corporate Office, ensuring effective execution of Group strategy while maintaining operational autonomy and business excellence.

Top Roles and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Business Management

• Develop and execute the Company's long-term strategic direction in alignment with Group objectives.
• Translate strategic priorities into measurable annual business plans, operational targets, and financial objectives.
• Lead business transformation, operational modernization, and sustainable growth initiatives.
• Identify emerging business opportunities, market trends, competitive risks, and strategic priorities.
• Ensure the Company maintains its leadership position within the paper converting and packaging industry.

Corporate Governance and Executive Leadership

• Provide executive leadership across all functions of the Company.
• Ensure effective implementation of Board and Corporate Management directives.
• Establish strong governance systems, accountability frameworks, and operational controls.
• Promote transparency, integrity, ethical leadership, and corporate compliance throughout the organization.
• Build a culture of ownership, accountability, professionalism, and execution excellence.

End-to-End Manufacturing and Operations Management

• Lead all manufacturing operations including pre-press, printing, converting, finishing, packaging, warehousing, and dispatch.
• Ensure production activities achieve optimum efficiency, quality, safety, delivery performance, and cost effectiveness.
• Optimize plant utilization, production scheduling, workflow balancing, and operational planning.
• Ensure uninterrupted production through effective coordination of maintenance, procurement, logistics, and production functions.
• Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), plant reliability, production output, and operational stability.

Technical, Engineering, and Maintenance Leadership

• Lead engineering, utilities, maintenance, and technical support functions.
• Establish world-class preventive, predictive, and reliability-centered maintenance systems.
• Improve machine availability, production uptime, and technical efficiency.
• Drive modernization, automation, technology upgrades, and process innovation.
• Ensure proper lifecycle management of production equipment and factory infrastructure.

Commercial Leadership, Sales, and Market Development

• Provide strategic leadership for sales, marketing, customer relationship management, and business development activities.
• Drive revenue growth through customer acquisition, market expansion, and product diversification.
• Strengthen relationships with key customers, distributors, institutional clients, and strategic partners.
• Monitor market trends, customer requirements, pricing strategies, and competitive positioning.
• Ensure effective alignment between production capacity and market demand.
• Support development of innovative packaging solutions that respond to evolving customer needs.

Financial Leadership and Profitability Management

• Assume full Profit and Loss (P&L) responsibility for the Company.
• Lead annual budgeting, financial planning, forecasting, and capital allocation processes.
• Drive continuous cost optimization, waste reduction, and productivity improvement initiatives.
• Monitor financial performance, profitability, cash flow, and working capital utilization.
• Ensure effective management of inventories, receivables, payables, and capital investments.
• Collaborate with Corporate Finance to strengthen financial controls and improve business performance.

Production Cost Management and Manufacturing Efficiency

• Drive continuous improvement in production cost management and operational efficiency.
• Optimize raw material utilization, paper yield, ink consumption, adhesives, chemicals, spare parts, and other production inputs.
• Reduce spoilage, process waste, machine downtime, and operational losses.
• Improve production planning accuracy, scheduling effectiveness, and manufacturing productivity.
• Strengthen cost analysis, standard costing, and operational performance measurement systems.

Supply Chain, Procurement, and Inventory Management

• Lead procurement, inventory management, warehousing, logistics, and distribution operations.
• Ensure uninterrupted availability of production materials and critical spare parts.
• Optimize inventory levels while minimizing working capital requirements.
• Strengthen supplier relationships and procurement efficiency.
• Improve supply chain reliability and operational responsiveness.

Quality Assurance and Customer Satisfaction

• Ensure implementation of world-class quality management systems throughout production operations.
• Maintain compliance with customer specifications, industry standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Reduce customer complaints through proactive quality improvement initiatives.
• Promote continuous quality assurance and process control.
• Drive customer satisfaction through reliable delivery, product consistency, and service excellence.

Health, Safety, Environment, and Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure strict compliance with occupational health, safety, environmental, and legal requirements.
• Promote a proactive safety culture across all operations.
• Ensure proper environmental management and sustainable manufacturing practices.
• Maintain full regulatory compliance with government authorities and industry standards.

People Leadership and Organizational Development

• Lead, coach, and develop the Company's executive and management team.
• Build a high-performing organizational culture driven by accountability and continuous improvement.
• Strengthen succession planning, leadership development, and employee engagement.
• Ensure effective workforce planning, performance management, and organizational capability development.
• Foster teamwork, innovation, collaboration, and operational discipline across the Company.

Operational Excellence and Business Improvement

• Champion Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, 5S, Kaizen, and other continuous improvement methodologies where appropriate.
• Lead productivity enhancement, process optimization, and operational excellence initiatives.
• Improve manufacturing performance through data-driven decision making and operational analytics.
• Drive digital transformation and manufacturing technology improvements.

Risk Management and Business Continuity

• Identify strategic, operational, financial, and regulatory risks affecting the Company.
• Develop mitigation strategies and business continuity plans.
• Protect organizational assets, reputation, and operational resilience.
• Ensure effective crisis management and business recovery capabilities.

Stakeholder Management and Corporate Representation

• Represent the Company with customers, suppliers, regulators, financial institutions, industry associations, and other stakeholders.
• Maintain strong relationships with the Corporate Office and Group leadership.
• Promote the Company's reputation and strengthen strategic partnerships.
• Lead negotiations on significant commercial and operational matters.

Performance Monitoring and Executive Reporting

• Establish robust performance management systems across all departments.
• Review operational, financial, commercial, and strategic performance regularly.
• Provide accurate and timely reports to the Deputy CEO – Operations and Group Executive Management.
• Ensure timely implementation of management decisions and Board directives.

Transformation and Institutional Development

• Lead organizational restructuring, operational transformation, and institutional strengthening initiatives.
• Drive implementation of modern management systems, ERP solutions, and performance management frameworks.
• Build sustainable organizational capability to support future growth and competitiveness.
• Foster innovation and continuous organizational learning.