Description:
Managing Director (Wholesale Plumbing & Sanitaryware Distribution) (JB5791)
Kya Sands, Gauteng
R2.2 Million inclusive of Car Allowance and Provident Fund + Profit Share Annually
Permanent
This is a senior, hands-on Managing Director role responsible for leading a profitable, established wholesale business through its next phase of relevance, scale, and resilience. The role carries full accountability for protecting the core business while shaping and executing commercially sound initiatives in a privately owned, professionally governed environment. Success requires a visible and decisive leader who balances strategic judgement with pragmatic execution and is comfortable operating in a competitive, import-led business exposed to margin pressure, customer concentration risk, and structural industry change. The business operates predominantly with imported product ranges, requiring active management of international suppliers, currency exposure, logistics lead times, and working-capital cycles
Minimum Requirements:
Relevant tertiary qualification in business, finance, or engineering (e.g. CA (SA), AGA (SA), CIMA, Industrial or Mechanical Engineering, or other professional qualification)
MBA advantageous but not essential
Minimum 15 years’ progressive experience, currently operating at Managing Director, CEO, or senior executive level
Proven track record leading organisations or divisions that have grown in complexity, scale, or business model
Experience within wholesale, retail, manufacturing, or closely related industrial sectors
Experience operating in unionised environments
Experience managing complex stakeholder relationships and negotiations
Exposure to acquisitions, integrations, or major strategic initiatives (advantageous)
Exposure to import-driven or internationally sourced product businesses (advantageous but not a prerequisite)
Demonstrated executive-level experience where strategic decisions carried material commercial, organisational, or capital consequences
Duties and Responsibilities:
Strategy, Growth & Transformation
Define and lead a strategic agenda beyond optimisation of the existing wholesale model, anticipating structural shifts in customer behaviour, supplier dynamics, retail models, and trade supply chains.
Identify, evaluate, and execute step-change growth opportunities including acquisitions, vertical or horizontal integration, manufacturing initiatives, or entry into adjacent sectors, with full accountability to the Board for strategic outcomes.
Commercial Leadership & Customer Risk
Reduce customer concentration risk through diversification of customers, channels, and value propositions.
Lead complex commercial negotiations with major retail chains and strategic customers.
Strengthen pricing discipline, customer profitability, and trading-term governance, positioning the business beyond pure price-based competition.
Operations, Scale & Execution
Lead an efficient, scalable operation across procurement, warehousing, logistics, and distribution.
Identify and address operational inefficiencies, driving continuous improvement, productivity gains, and structural change where required.
Ensure service excellence and disciplined working-capital management through growth and transformation.
Digital, Data & AI Enablement
Set strategic direction for the introduction of practical, commercially justified AI-enabled tools.
Ensure technology investments are embedded into core business operations rather than treated as standalone initiatives.
People Leadership & Labour Relations
Lead and inspire approximately 150 employees and external sales agencies, building a strong, accountable executive team with depth and succession capability.
Maintain a stable, performance-driven culture while raising standards and expectations.
Lead annual wage negotiations in a unionised environment and retain full accountability for industrial relations.
Communicate business realities clearly to a workforce with limited formal commercial education.
Ensure compliance with labour legislation while maintaining clear management authority and the ability to execute change.
Marketing, Brand & Market Positioning
Hold overall accountability for marketing and brand strategy, ensuring alignment with commercial objectives, customer diversification, value-proposition differentiation, and long-term positioning.
Governance, Financial Stewardship & Compliance
Operate effectively in a family-owned, Board-governed environment with delegated authority and clear accountability.
Work closely with the Finance Director with overall accountability for financial performance, asset stewardship, profitability, and financial resilience.
Present and own the annual budget, monitor performance against agreed plans, and take corrective action where required.
Act as the designated Information Officer, ensuring compliance with information governance, data protection, and privacy legislation.
Provide leadership on employment equity and transformation priorities.
Ensure compliance with all legal, regulatory, and ethical standards.
Remain informed on industry trends, market dynamics, and emerging technologies, representing the business at industry events and key client engagements.
Please do not apply using Scanned CVs, no supporting documentation is required at this point, this will be requested later.
Kontak Recruitment Disclaimer :
Equal opportunity : All backgrounds are welcomed, with no bias. All are considered based on requirements.
Job specifics: Requirements mirror advertisement, duties may adjust for client needs.
Fair process: Fair assessment, only shortlisted candidates contacted due to volume.
Privacy: Data processed as per Privacy Policy. By applying, you agree to data handling. We safeguard applicant info.
Candidate verification: Candidates selected by the client are verified. False info may disqualify or end employment via the client.
Offer clarity: Advert is not a binding offer. Written offers based on pre-employment conditions.
No direct link: Advert is not tied to Kontak Recruitment. We assist in the employment process ONLY.
Applicant Responsibility : Upon applying, confirmation of receipt for a specific advert is given. If no confirmation is received, you must verify with Kontak Recruitment.