General Manager – Country Operations- Oman

General Manager – Country Operations

Location: Oman (GCC) ·
Sector: Industrial / process manufacturing ·
Reports to: Chief Operating Officer (or regional Operations Director) ·
Type: Permanent, full-time ·
Level: Senior leadership / Executive

About the Opportunity

STRAGO International has been retained by a multinational industrial manufacturer to appoint the operational leader who will run its entire in-country manufacturing and delivery operation. The successful candidate carries end-to-end accountability for turning the order book into delivered product and recognised revenue, while holding the country's profit-and-loss. Commercial matters — pricing, bids, and contract terms — stay with the central Commercial team; this role is about getting product out on time, on cost, and on quality.

The employer's name is kept confidential at this stage and shared with candidates who reach shortlist.

Scope

• Full ownership of the country P&L: revenue as orders convert, cost of goods, manufacturing spend, and local overheads.
• Capital-expenditure planning for each site, built to Group engineering standards and approved within set limits.
• Control of conversion costs, running overheads, and working-capital efficiency across the operation.

Key Responsibilities

Delivering the order book (Order-to-Cash)

• Take every confirmed order from Commercial handover through to shipment and revenue.
• Keep projects to schedule and clear quality sign-off gates on time.
• Clear blockers, manage escalations, and protect the delivery dates promised to customers.
• Act as the customer's main operational contact once an order is live.
• Line up Project Management, Planning, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing behind a single delivery plan for each order.

Manufacturing & plant performance

• Run all in-country plants — output, equipment effectiveness, unit cost, and use of people and assets.
• Hold production to agreed standards for quality, efficiency, and delivery.
• Keep equipment reliable through planned and reactive maintenance, minimising downtime.
• Drive a get-it-right-first-time culture.
• Roll out improvement programmes and make 5S, standard work, and problem-solving part of the daily routine.

Planning & S&OP

• Lead the country's sales-and-operations planning — scheduling, capacity, and shopfloor sequencing — aligned to the global framework.
• Keep a single plan driving manufacturing, supply, and delivery.
• Raise capacity or supply risks early, with fixes proposed.

Supply chain & logistics

• Own local buying, inbound material flow, and warehousing to Group standards.
• Own outbound delivery and logistics results.
• Partner with the global Supply Chain team on supplier governance, performance, and stock control.

Financial performance

• Carry the country P&L — conversion revenue, manufacturing cost, and local overheads.
• Meet budget and, where results slip, put recovery plans in place.
• Prepare capital plans for each site.
• Identify and deliver cost savings.
• Report numbers accurately and on time to the COO and Finance.

Leading the country team

• Line-manage every in-country function: Operations, Supply Chain, Planning, QHSE, Project Management, Engineering support, People & Culture, and Finance.
• Keep functions pulling in the same direction.
• Direct local sales operationally, with commercial authority remaining central.
• Be the senior operational face of the business with regulators, customers, contractors, and labour bodies.

Quality

• Ensure everything shipped meets Group quality standards and customer specifications.
• Improve first-time quality and reduce non-conformances across sites.
• Build quality governance and problem-solving into everyday line management.
• Resolve complaints quickly, with verified root-cause and corrective actions.
• Work alongside the Group Quality function, which governs independently.

Continuous improvement

• Embed Lean daily management, standard work, and structured problem-solving across every site.
• Champion digital, AI, and automation locally, in step with the wider operational-excellence agenda.
• Keep improvement activity clearly defined and tracked.

Health, Safety & Environment (HSSE)

• Own HSSE outcomes personally and lead visibly — on the floor and in every decision affecting people, plant, or environment.
• Keep every site compliant with Group HSSE rules, local law, and legal duties.
• Refuse to accept unsafe acts or conditions, acting the moment they arise.
• Take part in toolbox talks, risk assessments, safety walks, and audits.
• Ensure incidents and near-misses are reported, investigated thoroughly, and closed out.
• Make safety part of daily management, working with the Group HSSE function, which governs independently.

What We're Looking For

Essential

• Degree in Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• At least 5 years successfully leading a large plant or a multi-site operation.
• Lean / Six Sigma background (Green Belt or above an advantage).
• Strong written and spoken English.

Preferred

• 10+ years overall in operations, supply chain, or manufacturing leadership.
• Background in engineer-to-order or project-based manufacturing.
• Proven full P&L ownership in an industrial business.
• Comfortable operating in a global matrix with several reporting lines.
• Experience in chemical, process, or advanced-materials industries.

Skills & strengths

• Reads and acts on financial and management accounts with confidence.
• Analytical and methodical, with genuine problem-solving ability.
• A real HSSE leader.
• Strong on operational excellence and Lean daily management.
• Uses ERP/MES systems fluently to run the operation.
• Owns delivery, stewards the P&L, aligns functions, builds teams, manages change, and decides well under pressure.