General Manager – SIS Pitches Middle East

Salary: 45,000 AED/month (Approx. $12,250 / £9,700 per month – $147,000 USD / £116,400 annually)

What do the world’s most famous football, rugby, hockey, and cricket sport fields have in common? They are all supplied by SIS Pitches, specializing in artificial, natural and hybrid grass installations. 

This fast-growing company is looking for a General Manager for their Middle East operation, to connect and strategize with international Senior Heads, whilst leading and driving results with locally based Construction and Maintenance Operations teams.

About SIS Pitches

SIS Pitches specializes in the installation of multi-surface pitches, innovative solutions of turf and natural grass which offer sports clubs more playing hours and faster pitch recovery. They are part of the SIS Group, the market leader in design, manufacturing, construction, installation, and maintenance of sports pitches for some of the world’s biggest names in sport, headquartered in the UK.

The Middle East Division operates largely from their base in Dubai, UAE, with a growing office based in Riyadh, KSA to deliver services to clients across the Gulf and East Africa.

Candidate Profile

The General Manager will be pivotal in ensuring the growth and quality of our services for new and existing clients in the region. They will need to be a confident leader and decision maker, overseeing day to day operations of the company, whilst supporting the development of international standards and strategy.

They will support the Managing Director in collaborating with other SIS Pitches Senior Managers across the globe providing them with real-time insights, technical knowledge and guidance to aid in strategic decision making. The General Manager will be expected to seek out and drive new business opportunities and oversee the financial aspects of diverse and dynamic project portfolios, necessitating frequent travel throughout the GCC.

They will lead a small team of Senior Managers to include the Financial Controller, Maintenance Manager and Operations Manager to effectively oversee all day to day operations for maintenance and construction, sales development and finance operations.

Reporting directly to the SIS Pitches Middle East Managing Director, the ideal candidate will work hand in hand with other senior managers to refine strategic plans that align with the company’s growth objectives. They will engage with clients, contractors, and suppliers ensuring the design, delivery and execution of innovative, quality projects being delivered on time and to budget.

Demonstrating reliability and proficiency, the General Manager will foster trust through consistent delivery and integrity. They will thrive in a multinational landscape, be adept at navigating cultural nuances in ambiguous business situations, and their proactive communication methods will encourage and enable transparency across the organization.

Summary of General Manager Responsibilities

• Design strategy and set goals for growth across the GCC across all areas of Operation – seeking out and fostering long term partnerships with key contractors and clients across the region
• Propose annual budgets and sales targets per department through analysis of performance and the projected growth rates
• Set the Customer experience standards and work closely with Construction and Maintenance teams to achieve customer satisfaction and loyalty
• Evaluate and improve operations and financial performance for new and existing projects
• Lead, support and develop the Managers running the Finance, Maintenance and Construction Divisions
• Design and implement policies and processes that support high standards of ethics, growth and sustainability
• Lead and drive implementation of Group and local employee performance management processes
• Prepare regular reports and attend strategic management meetings for Global Group activities
• Ensure all staff are aware of and fully trained to follow SIS Pitches health and safety regulations and those of appropriate government regulations where they are working

Essential requirements and skills

• Proven experience as a General Manager or similar executive role leading teams of a minimum of 100 people for a minimum of 3 years
• Up to 8 years of experience working in Maintenance and/or Construction of natural grass and sports surfaces in a variety of sports settings
• Knowledge and experience of business processes and functions e.g. finance, HR, procurement, operations etc.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Ability and expectation to regularly travel throughout GCC and beyond
• International Driving license

Desirable requirements and skills

• Experience of leading, large multicultural, diverse teams up to 200 people
• Experience of leading teams in project management for a minimum of 5 years
• BSc/MBA in Business or relevant field
• Additional qualification in agronomy, landscaping qualification and/or project management
• International Driving license
• Strong analytical ability and financial acumen
• Problem-solving aptitude
• Proven ability to manage ambiguity
• Quality and customer service orientation

Functional/Technical Skills

• Microsoft Office Suite – Advanced Word, Excel, Powerpoint & Outlook
• English – Excellent verbal and written communication
• Leadership and people management Skills
• Strong analytical ability and financial acumen
• Strategic Thinking
• Budget and P&L management
• Contract negotiation and management
• Strong Organizational and Planning Skills
• Ability to adapt quickly to strategic change

Interested?

To express your interest, please contact our HR Department at hr@sispitches.com