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General Manager - Food Manufacturing
Description
A client of byteSpark.ai is seeking a commercially driven General Manager - Food Manufacturing to lead a Dubai-based food solutions business through its next phase of growth. The role will take full ownership of the business, with a strong focus on accelerating B2B revenue across foodservice, hospitality and retail channels, winning and expanding key customer accounts, strengthening pricing and commercial discipline, and improving profitability across a diverse product portfolio. The successful candidate will combine strong sales and customer-development capability with hands-on P&L leadership and sufficient operational depth across manufacturing, procurement, supply chain and working capital to make sound commercial decisions. This is an opportunity for an entrepreneurial leader to shape the growth of an established food manufacturing platform, build a high-performing organisation and create measurable value in a highly dynamic UAE market.
Requirements
1. 15+ years of relevant experience, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership or equivalent P&L ownership role within food manufacturing, food distribution, FMCG, or foodservice.
2. Proven track record of growing revenue and improving profitability across both foodservice and retail channels.
3. Strong operational understanding across procurement, production, warehousing, supply chain, and management of a high-SKU product portfolio.
4. Demonstrated experience leading or overseeing turnaround and transformation initiatives, with the ability to guide functional teams on operational efficiency, cost optimisation, margin improvement, and working-capital performance.
5. Experience managing major retail and B2B customer accounts while maintaining demanding quality and service standards.
6. Strong commercial capability with evidence of winning new customers, expanding key accounts, and developing sustainable revenue streams.
7. UAE or GCC market experience strongly preferred, with established relationships across retailers, distributors, customers, and suppliers considered an advantage.
8. Strong financial acumen with the ability to lead pricing and commercial decisions, understand profitability, cash generation, and working-capital drivers, and hold functional leaders accountable for business performance.
9. Entrepreneurial and hands-on leadership style with the ability to build, develop, and lead a high-performing organisation.
10. Ability to take full ownership of the business and operate effectively across commercial, operational, and financial functions.
Desirable
1. Direct experience within a food manufacturing environment, particularly involving multi-SKU production, private label, ready meals, sauces, bakery, dairy, or related food categories.
2. Previous leadership experience within the UAE or GCC food manufacturing, foodservice, FMCG, or distribution sector.
3. Established relationships with major retailers, hotel groups, restaurant groups, catering companies, distributors, and foodservice customers in the UAE or GCC.
4. Experience managing a business serving both foodservice and retail channels, including complex key-account relationships.
5. Track record of leading growth, turnaround, or transformation initiatives that improved margins, costs, working capital, or overall profitability.
6. Experience developing pricing strategy and improving profitability across products, customers, channels, or a high-SKU portfolio.
7. Experience working with shareholders, Boards, investors, or private-equity-style ownership structures.
Role Highlights
💰 Compensation
Competitive package + visa, medical and performance-linked incentives
📍 Location
Dubai
💼 Work Location Type
Onsite
📈 Job Level
Executive
⌛ Experience
15+ years
🏢 Department
Manufacturing
🏭 Industry
Manufacturing
🔹 Sub-Industry
Food & Beverage
Getting StartedA few quick details so we know how to reach you
How did you hear about us? *
Which country's passport do you hold? *
Email *(Please ensure the email matches the one mentioned in your CV or resume)
LinkedIn Profile URL *
Please mention your notice period *
Final DetailsPlease provide a few additional details to help us understand the scale, relevance, and commercial depth of your experience.
1. Which option best describes the highest level of business responsibility you have held?*
Choose the option that most closely reflects your actual level of ownership.
2. What approximate annual revenue or P&L size have you most recently been responsible for?*
Select the closest range. An approximate figure is sufficient.
3. Which customer channels have you personally been responsible for growing or managing?*
Select all channels where you have held meaningful commercial responsibility.
4. How would you describe your level of responsibility across the following areas?*
Choose the level that best reflects your responsibility or executive oversight in each area.
QuestionOwned directlyShared responsibilityExecutive oversightLimited or no direct exposure
Procurement
Food production / manufacturing
Warehousing
Supply chain and logistics
Pricing and margin management
Working capital and cash generation
5. Please describe one example where you personally drove significant revenue growth or won major new B2B food customers.*
Include the customer or channel, your personal role, what you changed or introduced, and the commercial outcome. You may anonymise customer names if confidential.
6. Please describe one example where you led or oversaw an initiative that improved profitability or transformed an underperforming food or FMCG business.*
Where possible, include measurable outcomes such as revenue growth, gross margin improvement, cost reduction, working capital improvement, wastage reduction, or EBITDA impact.
7. What is your current notice period or earliest realistic availability?*
Select the closest option.
8. Where does your salary sit today (so we can help it move up tomorrow)?*
Enter your monthly salary in your local currency
9. What's the number that'll make you say "this is worth it"?*
Per month, in the currency mentioned
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)Have a question? Check here for quick answers

This recruitment process is being managed by byteSpark.ai on behalf of a client organisation. byteSpark.ai is not the employer for this position. Further information about the client, ownership structure, reporting line, and business environment will be shared with shortlisted candidates at the appropriate stage.

This is an opportunity to take full leadership responsibility for an established Dubai-based food manufacturing and food solutions business entering its next phase of growth. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to shape commercial strategy, accelerate revenue, improve profitability, strengthen operations, and build the organisation required to support future growth.

The General Manager will take broad ownership of business performance, including B2B revenue growth, key customer development, pricing strategy, profitability, operational efficiency, working capital, and organisational leadership. The role requires close coordination across commercial, manufacturing, procurement, supply chain, warehousing, and finance.

The role is commercially led, with a strong emphasis on growing revenue, winning new customers, expanding key accounts, and improving commercial discipline. However, this is a full business leadership position, so the successful candidate must also have sufficient operational and financial depth to oversee manufacturing, supply chain, margins, working capital, and overall P&L performance.

The client is looking for approximately 15 or more years of relevant experience, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership, General Management, Business Unit, Country Head, or equivalent P&L role within food manufacturing, food distribution, FMCG, or foodservice.

Experience across both foodservice and retail channels is particularly valuable. Relevant exposure may include hotels, restaurant groups, QSR, catering, retailers, supermarkets, distributors, private-label customers, and other B2B foodservice relationships.

Strong candidates will be able to demonstrate measurable revenue growth, major account wins, margin or profitability improvement, operational transformation, and meaningful P&L ownership. UAE or GCC market experience, established industry relationships, and direct exposure to food manufacturing, private label, contract manufacturing, or complex multi-SKU businesses will be particularly valuable.

It is an important part of the mandate. The client is particularly interested in leaders who can demonstrate how they have improved margins, optimised costs, strengthened working capital, reduced operational inefficiencies, or materially improved the performance of a business.

The position is based in Dubai, UAE. Further details regarding the business, working environment, compensation structure, and employment terms will be discussed with shortlisted candidates during the recruitment process.