Operations Manager - Industrial Laundry Equipment | Durban

A well-established, growing industrial equipment distributor based in Durban is looking for an Operations Manager to take full ownership of the operational management of the business. The company has been trading for over 30 years and holds a stable, respected position in its market. This is a high-autonomy role in an owner-run business where the right person will have a direct, visible impact on how the company performs. Job description: Stock · Stock management and ordering with suppliers. · Logistics with freight forwarders for stock orders. Planning and tracking · Special order items. · Loading stock and serials on the inventory system. · Client reservations. · PNC Assessments · Stock costing and price list management for Reps and Resellers. Operations: · Salesforce updates and development. Can be taught. · Spare parts meetings and analysis. · Oversight of quarterly stock takes. · Management of escalated Warranty issues. · NRCS Quarterly submission and LOA’s. · Leave control. Finance: · Topping up of staff credit cards. · Buying airtime for the Techs. · Tracking of P&L. · Submit Mailchimp, Google and Microsoft invoices. · Keep an eye on Forex on a daily basis. · Cash Flow report. Strategic: · Analysis and implementation of new technologies applicable to the laundry industry. (Tangerpay) · Growth into other regional markets (staff/asset acquisitions, specific area product requirements, etc). · Development and oversight of a buddy cover system to allow company functions to continue regardless of staff absenteeism. General: · National Customer care - dispute resolution and management intervention. · Application and implementation of company policies. Where this role can lead: We are looking for someone who could become the Managing Director of the business in years to come, so they need to have good people skills too. For the right person it carries real leadership potential over time. Beyond the operational skill set, we are therefore looking for someone who brings leadership potential and ambition, the ability to engage confidently with customers and senior stakeholders, and genuine discipline and ownership. The role must be earned and delivered first. Requirements The role: This is a hybrid of operational management, with a financial understanding. It carries full responsibility for the operational control of inventory, purchasing and administration, with management accounting capabilities. It is a senior position reporting directly to the Managing Director, sitting at the centre of how the business runs day to day. A capable admin team is already in place, so this role is the oversight, control and reporting layer, not the person doing every task. Requirements Financial qualification Min 5 - 6 years relevant experience Strong financial fluency - understanding of the right numbers, presented clearly Operational instinct - comfortable owning stock, purchasing and processing, not just reporting on them. Systems mined - curious about how systems talk to each other and keen on automation - technically capable and willing What will the candidate own? Operational control and reporting: oversight of the admin team, plus sales and service reporting and systems discipline (CRM). This reporting deliberately sits outside the sales function as an independent control point. Systems and improvement: identifying and implementing systems to automate manual work, with a real appetite for integrating systems and using technology and AI to make the business more efficient. Who we are looking for Financial: Excellent understanding of finance. Stock and purchasing: stock control and planning, ordering and lead-time management, costing and price lists, supplier and accessory negotiations. Benefits What is on offer: · R55,000 to R70,000 per month, candidate dependent. · A senior, high-autonomy role in a stable, growing, 30-year-old business. · A real opportunity to make a difference in an owner-run company, with a long-term path for the right person. · Durban-based, in-office. #LI-KT1