# General Manager > Keller Executive Search · Cape Town, South Africa · Full-time · Posted 2026-06-26 **Salary:** unknown currency 130,000–160,000 **Workplace:** on_site **Department:** R-GN ## Description Our client is seeking a commercially minded, hands-on Managing Director to lead a growing South African consumer business from its Cape Town head office. This is a senior leadership role within a fast-moving, founder-led, scale-up environment. The business has moved beyond its early start-up phase, but still operates with the pace, flexibility, and entrepreneurial mindset of a smaller company. The team is lean, the structure is flat, and the right person will need to be comfortable moving between strategy, people leadership, execution, and operational problem-solving. The Managing Director will report directly to the CEO and will eventually take leadership responsibility across the senior executive team, including operations, finance, technology, and strategy. This person will play a key role in shaping the next phase of growth, improving internal processes, driving innovation, and ensuring the business continues to scale without losing its culture. This role is not suited to a traditional corporate leader who wants heavy structure, hierarchy, or distance from day-to-day execution. It requires someone smart, adaptable, commercially strong, people-focused, and willing to get involved wherever the business needs them. ### Responsibilities - Lead the business day to day, working closely with the CEO to drive strategic priorities and operational execution. - Translate company goals into clear plans, actions, and measurable outcomes across teams. - Provide leadership across key business functions, including operations, finance, technology, strategy, and people. - Support and guide the senior leadership team, helping teams stay aligned, accountable, and commercially focused. - Identify opportunities to improve processes, streamline workflows, reduce manual ways of working, and increase operational efficiency. - Drive innovation across the business, including the use of automation, AI, and smarter systems where appropriate. - Maintain the company’s fast-moving, low-bureaucracy, high-impact culture as the business grows. - Move comfortably between strategic planning and hands-on execution, depending on what the business needs. - Lead, coach, and develop people in a way that supports performance, ownership, and collaboration. - Bring fresh thinking and practical ideas to improve how the business operates and scales. - Make sound commercial decisions while balancing growth, efficiency, culture, and customer experience. - Build strong relationships across the business and ensure teams remain connected, motivated, and aligned. - Help create structure where needed without slowing the business down or introducing unnecessary red tape. ## Requirements - Proven experience in a senior leadership role such as Managing Director, General Manager, COO, Head of Operations, or similar. - Experience leading within a founder-led, entrepreneurial, scale-up, high-growth, or smaller business environment. - Strong ability to operate both strategically and operationally. - Hands-on leadership style, with the willingness to get involved in execution and problem-solving. - Experience managing people, teams, and cross-functional business operations. - Strong commercial judgement and the ability to make decisions in a fast-moving environment. - Comfortable working in a flat structure with limited hierarchy and a high level of ownership. - Process-driven mindset, with a strong interest in improving, automating, and streamlining ways of working. - High learning agility, with the ability to understand a unique business model quickly. - Strong people leadership skills, with the ability to influence, motivate, and build trust across teams. - Comfortable working from the Cape Town head office. - Experience in e-commerce, retail, consumer goods, digital commerce, or a similar customer-focused environment would be advantageous, but is not essential. - Interest in innovation, automation, AI, or technology-enabled process improvement would be highly beneficial. ## Benefits - Senior leadership opportunity in a growing South African business. - Competitive executive package. - Profit share and equity option. - Direct access to the CEO and meaningful influence across the business. - Opportunity to shape operations, culture, systems, and growth strategy. - Fast-moving environment where strong ideas can be implemented quickly. **Equal Employment Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy** **Equal Employment Opportunity Statement** Both Keller Executive Search and our clients are Equal Opportunity Employers operating in accordance with South African employment legislation. For all positions, whether with Keller Executive Search or our clients, suitably qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without unfair discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, family responsibility, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, HIV status, conscience, belief, political opinion, culture, language, birth, or any other arbitrary ground as prohibited by the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, as amended. **Commitment to Employment Equity and Transformation** Keller Executive Search and its clients are committed to achieving employment equity and advancing the principles of transformation in the South African workplace. We recognize the imperative to redress the disadvantages experienced by designated groups during apartheid and other discriminatory laws and practices. **Designated Groups:** In accordance with the Employment Equity Act, preference may be given to suitably qualified persons from designated groups, which include: - Black people (African, Coloured, and Indian persons) - Women - People with disabilities **Affirmative Action Measures:** Both Keller Executive Search and our clients may implement affirmative action measures to achieve equitable representation of designated groups at all occupational levels. Such measures are designed to ensure that suitably qualified people from designated groups have equal employment opportunities and are equitably represented in the workforce. **Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE)** Keller Executive Search and our clients acknowledge the importance of B-BBEE in contributing to economic transformation in South Africa. Our clients may prioritize candidates from designated groups as part of their B-BBEE commitments and Employment Equity Plans. Where applicable, clients' B-BBEE requirements will be communicated during the recruitment process. **Reasonable Accommodation** Both Keller Executive Search and our clients are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to: - Individuals with disabilities, in accordance with the Technical Assistance Guidelines on the Employment of People with Disabilities and the Code of Good Practice on the Employment of People with Disabilities - Pregnant employees and those on family responsibility leave - Individuals requiring accommodation for religious or cultural practices We engage in consultation to determine effective, reasonable accommodations that do not impose unjustifiable hardship on the employer. **Compensation and Remuneration Information** For client positions, compensation information may be available in the job posting. If not provided initially, remuneration details will be shared during the interview process. Actual remuneration packages are determined based on: - Skills, qualifications, and relevant experience - Market-related benchmarks - Internal equity considerations - The client's remuneration policy and grading structure Both Keller Executive Search and our clients are committed to equal pay for work of equal value in accordance with the Employment Equity Act. **Compliance with South African Labour Legislation** Both Keller Executive Search and our clients comply with all applicable South African labour legislation, including but not limited to: - The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 - Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, as amended - Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995, as amended - Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997, as amended - Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 4 of 2000 - Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) - Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 - Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53 of 2003 This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, selection, appointment, promotion, transfer, training and development, performance management, remuneration, benefits, discipline, and termination of employment. **Workplace Harassment** Both Keller Executive Search and our clients expressly prohibit any form of workplace harassment, including but not limited to harassment based on race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, family responsibility, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, HIV status, conscience, belief, political opinion, culture, language, or birth. We are committed to maintaining a workplace free from sexual harassment in accordance with the Code of Good Practice on the Handling of Sexual Harassment Cases and the Prevention and Elimination of Harassment in the Workplace. **Protection of Personal Information (POPIA Compliance)** Both Keller Executive Search and our clients process personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA). **Applicant Information:** - We collect and process personal information for recruitment and employment purposes only - Personal information includes contact details, qualifications, employment history, and other information relevant to the application - Information is stored securely and retained in accordance with legal requirements - Applicants have the right to access, correct, or delete their personal information, subject to legal and contractual limitations For more information about how we collect, use, and protect your personal information, please review our POPIA-compliant Privacy Policy at [www.kellerexecutivesearch.com](http://www.kellerexecutivesearch.com). **Fair Recruitment Practices** Both Keller Executive Search and our clients: - Use objective, job-related criteria in all selection decisions - Ensure that all job specifications, advertisements, and application forms do not discriminate unfairly - Apply consistent selection processes and criteria to all candidates - Maintain confidentiality of applicant information - Do not require applicants to disclose their HIV status - Conduct medical testing only where justified and in accordance with legal requirements **Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment:** Keller Executive Search and our clients may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in the recruitment and candidate evaluation process. These tools are used exclusively to support human decision-making by helping to review and assess candidate qualifications and materials. AI is never used to automatically reject, disqualify, or make final hiring decisions about candidates. All AI-assisted evaluations are reviewed by experienced recruitment professionals, and all hiring decisions are made by qualified human recruiters. Our use of AI is designed to enhance fairness, consistency, and efficiency while maintaining our commitment to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination principles.  **HIV/AIDS Policy** In accordance with the Code of Good Practice on Key Aspects of HIV/AIDS and Employment, both Keller Executive Search and our clients: - Do not discriminate against employees or job applicants on the basis of their HIV status - Do not require HIV testing as a condition of employment, except in limited circumstances where justified - Maintain strict confidentiality regarding any health information **Foreign Nationals** Both Keller Executive Search and our clients comply with the Immigration Act 13 of 2002. Foreign nationals must possess appropriate work authorization to be employed in South Africa. Candidates will be required to provide proof of their right to work in South Africa during the recruitment process. **Skills Development** Both Keller Executive Search and our clients support skills development initiatives in accordance with the Skills Development Act and the Skills Development Levies Act. We are committed to providing training and development opportunities to employees, with particular focus on designated groups. **Dispute Resolution** Any disputes arising from alleged unfair discrimination or employment equity matters will be addressed in accordance with the organization's internal grievance procedures and, where applicable, referred to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) or the Labour Court. **Policy Queries and Complaints** If you have questions about this policy or wish to report a concern regarding discrimination or harassment, please contact: - Keller Executive Search's designated Employment Equity Officer or Human Resources department - For client positions, you may also contact the client's Human Resources or Employment Equity department once identified **Note:** This job posting may be for a position with Keller Executive Search or one of our clients. The specific employer will be identified during the application and interview process. Employment equity requirements, affirmative action measures, and B-BBEE considerations may vary depending on the employer, the specific position, and the employer's Employment Equity Plan. Where positions are designated for candidates from specific designated groups as part of affirmative action measures, this will be clearly indicated in the job advertisement. [](https://www.kellerexecutivesearch.com.) ## Apply [Apply at Keller Executive Search](https://apply.workable.com/keller-executive-search/j/A44B2D5669/apply) --- Powered by [Workable](https://www.workable.com)