Job Details

General Manager – Manufacturing & Commercial Leadership

?? Midwest/NE Kentucky | ?? Industrial Manufacturing | ?? Confidential Client

We're leading a retained executive search on behalf of a confidential, privately held industrial manufacturer seeking a General Manager to lead a single-site business with full accountability for commercial performance and operational execution.

Reporting to the CEO, this role owns the complete P&L and leads all core functions including operations, engineering, quality, and sales. The business operates in a custom, engineered-to-order manufacturing environment, where success depends on strong customer engagement, disciplined execution, and cross-functional leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own P&L responsibility and overall business performance for the site
• Lead and integrate sales, operations, engineering, and quality to deliver on revenue, margin, and customer commitments
• Act as the senior customer-facing leader, supporting key accounts and commercial strategy
• Translate customer demand into executable production, engineering, and delivery plans
• Drive operating rigor through KPIs, daily management, and disciplined follow-through
• Build and lead a high-performing leadership team with clear accountability
• Partner with the CEO on growth strategy, pricing, capacity planning, and investment decisions
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, standard work, and results-driven execution

Ideal Background

• 10+ years of leadership experience in industrial or manufacturing businesses
• Prior experience as a General Manager, Business Unit Leader, Plant Manager, or Operations Leader with commercial ownership
• Demonstrated success owning revenue, margin, and customer relationships in addition to operations
• Experience in engineered-to-order, fabrication, or custom manufacturing environments
• Strong grounding in lean operating systems (DBS, TPS, or similar)
• Comfortable operating as a hands-on leader in a $10M–$50M, single-site organization
• Bachelor's degree required; engineering or technical background preferred

Why This Role?

This is a true end-to-end GM role with the ability to directly shape commercial strategy, customer experience, and operational performance. You'll work closely with the CEO and leadership team to drive profitable growth, improve execution, and build a scalable operating model for the future.

Confidential Search Notice

This search is being led by Next Level Partners, LLC as a retained executive search partner. While NLP is the job poster, this opportunity is not within NLP directly, and specific company & client details will be shared with qualified candidates during the selection process.