General Manager

Reporting to: CEO

Alistair Group is one of East and Southern Africa’s fastest-growing service companies, providing a variety of self-delivered logistics solutions across several geographies, aimed with the vision to Make Africa Work Better! With core competencies in road freight, warehousing, commodity trading, and operational hire of material handling equipment, the Group strives for continuous expansion of innovative ancillary services to grow the business vertically, complimented by a healthy dose of entrepreneurial flair. The business has gone from strength to strength, growing quickly in both its geographical coverage and variety of services offered to clients. In 2024, the Group exceeded the 1000 employee mark and managed a fleet of well over 1000 trucks. With Alistair’s aggressive and exciting growth strategy, the Group is poised for significant further expansion and a greater impact in Africa.

Core Services:

• Freight Forwarding
• Clearance & Forwarding
• Energy Industry Support Services
• Equipment Rental
• Commodity Trading
• Integrated Solutions
• Warehousing
• Ocean Freight

Industries:

• Mining
• Oil & Gas
• Agriculture
• Construction
• Explosives
• Renewables

Mission: To make Africa work better

Company Values: Humility, Honesty, Customer Focus, Continual Improvement, and Safety.

Accountabilities & Responsibilities

The General Manager (HR) will be a critical strategic partner to the CEO, driving organizational efficiency, managing complex cross-functional initiatives, and supporting strategic growth in the dynamic African logistics landscape. The role will have the respective HR Leads in all countries of operation reporting into the position.

Primary Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Organizational Alignment

• Serve as strategic advisor to the CEO
• Develop and implement comprehensive organizational strategies relating to human capital
• Coordinate strategic initiatives across multiple business units
• Translate high-level strategic vision into actionable operational plans
• Ensure alignment between corporate strategy and operational execution

Operational Excellence

• Manage cross-functional HR and Management projects
• Identify and implement operational efficiency improvements in all business functions
• Develop performance metrics and tracking mechanisms for continual improvement
• Streamline communication and decision-making processes in all business units

Strategic Project Management

• Support critical strategic initiatives in African logistics expansion
• Manage high-priority HR projects from conception to implementation
• Coordinate between different operational teams and regional offices
• Develop comprehensive project management frameworks
• Track and report on strategic project progress and outcomes

Executive Support and Communication

• Prepare high-level executive reports and presentations relating to HR functions
• Manage strategic communications between leadership and teams
• Act as critical information hub for senior leadership
• Represent CEO in key meetings and strategic discussions

Strategic HR Leadership

• Develop and execute comprehensive human resource strategies aligned with organizational goals
• Provide strategic guidance to senior leadership on human capital matters
• Create long-term workforce planning, succession planning, and retention strategies
• Develop and maintain a strong organizational culture
• Develop and implement employee development and career progression programs
• Manage positive employee relations across the organization
• Design, implement, and manage competitive compensation and benefits structures
• Create organizational learning and development strategies and develop leadership capabilities of the senior and junior management teams

Education, Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Logistics, or related field
• MBA preferred
• 8-12 years of progressive leadership experience
• Experience in managing diverse teams across different geographical regions
• Demonstrated success in managing a business unit in a corporate or entrepreneurial environment
• Extensive experience working in African business environments
• Eagerness to travel in Africa from time to time

Work Hours: Monday to Friday, 7:20 AM – 4:20 PM, and Alternate Saturdays, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

The Company reserves the right to withdraw from the recruitment process at any time, at its sole discretion. The sharing of any aptitude test, assessment, or invitation to an interview does not constitute an offer of employment or guarantee any future employment with the Company. Candidates acknowledge that progression through any stage of the recruitment process does not imply or ensure an eventual offer of employment.