General Manager - Food Distribution, Commercial Leadership & Strategic Growth Join to apply for the General Manager - Food Distribution, Commercial Leadership & Strategic Growth role at Placed Recruitment General Manager - Food Distribution, Commercial Leadership & Strategic Growth 2 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants Join to apply for the General Manager - Food Distribution, Commercial Leadership & Strategic Growth role at Placed Recruitment The Opportunity Exceptional leadership opportunity to guide an established food distributor under $100M through strategic evolution to $120-140M. Whether your strength lies in commercial operations or relationship-driven growth, this role offers the chance to build on extraordinary foundations while adding the disciplines required for scale. The infrastructure is world-class, systems operational, customer relationships exemplary - now they need a strategic leader to unlock untapped potential. The Company Distinguished Sydney food distribution business with 20 years market presence, operating from a state-of-the-art 10,000sqm semi-automated facility. Serving Sydney's most prestigious restaurants, luxury hotels, and specialty retailers through a sophisticated dual-channel model - high-volume commodity distribution via national consortium membership plus exclusive premium product ranges. Strong Foundation: Recent multi-million dollar automation and WMS implementation Digital customer platform and advanced BI systems are operational Industry-leading delivery operation with midnight starts Exclusive distribution agreements with sought-after producers Strong balance sheet with significant growth capacity The Role The business seeks an exceptional leader who reports to the owner as managing director with full autonomy. Whether you bring deep commercial expertise or exceptional relationship capabilities, you'll be supported by strong functional leaders across all areas. Two Candidate Profiles We're Seeking: Path 1: Commercial Operations Leader Your likely background: Branch Manager at Bidfood, PFD, or similar Regional Operations Director from major distributor State Manager FMCG with operational oversight Operations Director with transformation experience What you bring: Deep understanding of warehouse operations, logistics, supply chain Full P&L management including labour, wastage, margins Expertise in procurement, rebates, supplier negotiations Track record implementing WMS and automation Your focus: Implementing supplier agreements and commercial frameworks Building commercial disciplines and KPI frameworks Optimising technology investments and facility Driving margin improvement through procurement Path 2: Sales & Relationship Leader Your likely background: GM Sales or National Sales Manager from food distribution Head of Sales from premium food/beverage company Commercial Manager with artisan/specialty expertise Senior BDM who has scaled customer portfolios What you bring: Exceptional ability building trust with premium suppliers/customers Revenue growth through relationship management Deep understanding of premium brand positioning Network within Sydney's hospitality sector Your focus: Strengthening commercial documentation while preserving relationships Expanding premium supplier partnerships Growing share with top-tier hospitality Building artisan portfolio and market presence Core Accountabilities (Both Paths) Implement comprehensive supplier agreements and MOUs Establish QA protocols and recall procedures with cost recovery Drive margin enhancement across all categories Optimise procurement through consortium leverage Strategic & Financial Full P&L accountability to ownership Develop and execute growth strategy to $120-140M Balance dual-channel requirements (commodity/premium) Optimise working capital and inventory efficiency Team Leadership Lead 100 staff across multiple functions Build a performance culture, preserving service excellence Develop talent pipeline and succession planning Essential Requirements Minimum 5 years senior management food/FMCG Proven P&L management responsibility ($60M preferred) Track record of driving significant growth Experience managing 60 staff Strong negotiation and stakeholder management Critical Attributes Strategic thinking with execution focus Cultural intelligence and change leadership Commercial acumen (whether primary strength or developing) Commitment to service excellence All inquiries handled with absolute discretion.This is a rare opportunity to lead a successful business through a critical transformation. The company is open to different paths to success - what matters is your ability to drive growth while preserving what makes them special. Seniority level Seniority level Executive Employment type Employment type Full-time Job function Job function Management Industries Staffing and Recruiting Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Placed Recruitment by 2x Sign in to set job alerts for “General Manager Distribution” roles. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2 weeks ago Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1 year ago Associate Vice President, Operations, Governance & Security Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 5 days ago Millers Point, New South Wales, Australia A$5,000.00-A$10,000.00 1 month ago Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1 day ago We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI. J-18808-Ljbffr