General Manager

This search procedure has been closed (27-06-2023).
Field
Management
Salary
€ 150.000 OTE
Location
Gouda
Employment
Permanent
Headhunter
Lintberg voor HMS Machines

The organisation

HMS Machines was founded in 1977 and specialises in selling machines and equipment for underground cable-laying within the field of civil engineering. HMS Machines has a leading position in the Dutch market as the exclusive reseller of Plumett and Jakob Thaler equipment. With excellent in-house knowledge of the market and products, HMS Machines advises and assists clients in acquiring the highest quality equipment for a large variety of projects from land to sea. 

Since 2000, the company also actively rents out machinery and equipment through its Infrarent subsidiary, to accommodate smaller-sized clients who are hesitant about the large investment. Infrarent was the first company in the Dutch market with an entire rental fleet focused on cable-laying activities. Infrarent distinguishes itself in providing excellent quality products, superior service and in-depth product knowledge. 

The sales and renting operations have complemented each other very well in acquiring a leading position in The Netherlands. Clients vary from globally operating construction conglomerates to national civil engineering companies to local (sub)contractors. 

In 2020 HMS Machines/Infrarent was acquired by the Plumettaz Group. Plumettaz, headquartered in Switzerland (€ 62M turnover, 175 FTE, PE-backed), is a world leader in cable laying equipment for the installation of telecommunication and power cables, oil circulating pumps for transformers and winches for special applications like snow groomers.

HMS Machines/Infrarent is based in Gouda and currently realises a turnover of € 5.2M with nine employees. The current General Manager will take on the position of Group Sales Director within the Plumettaz Group in Switzerland. 

The position

In this role, you manage the day-to-day operations, supported by a solid, experienced and knowledgeable team. You will assume full P&L responsibility and translate the strategic goals into commercial and operational plans for the Dutch market. You will assume ownership of the sales and rental activities for the telecom and energy markets and maintain and develop relationships on senior management level with clients and other stakeholders. 

HMS Machines/Infrarent is part of the international Plumettaz group, but the General Manager has a large degree of autonomy. The commercial results are solid and provide a foundation for further growth, which can come from various perspectives. 

The strong push for electrification in both industrial and residential construction projects will increase demand for cable-laying equipment in the foreseeable future. The same dynamic applies to the fibre optics market. The General Manager is expected to identify these opportunities and develop them into commercial growth. 

Although the company operates in relatively mature markets, other business development opportunities can originate in product development. As a subsidiary, HMS Machines/Infrarent is uniquely positioned to introduce the Dutch market to innovations from the Plumettaz group, such as Watucab™ (a patented method and system that uses water pressure to make the installation of power cables in pipes easier, safer and more reliable), machinery from the newly acquired German subsidiary Jakob Thaler, or software solutions to digitally and remotely monitor, manage, inspect and service machinery and equipment. The General Manager will play a key role in pushing the new products and solutions by educating the market about their benefits.

The General Manager is ultimately responsible for turnover, margin and profit. The result areas are: financial results, market share, customer satisfaction, supplier satisfaction and employee satisfaction. 

The General Manager will report to the CEO and CFO, with a strong dotted line to the Chief Commercial Officer. 

Tasks & responsibilities

  • Run and manage daily operations; assume the legal, fiscal and administrative responsibility of the branch with the support of the HQ
  • Maintain and further develop the marketing strategy for HMS Machines/Infrarent with the goals of HQ in mind
  • Develop and assume ownership of the sales activities of cable-laying equipment for telecom and energy markets; maintain existing customers and develop new prospects for both sales and rental business
  • Partner with the CCO the activities to develop sales and marketing opportunities
  • Translate strategic goals into commercial and operational plans to achieve the required targeted growth (turnover, margin and profit); implement and support new product and service strategies in the Dutch market, (i.e. digitalization/IoT and large E-winch)
  • Set the annual budget processes and constantly review operational and financial data, sales, budgets and targets; monthly report to the Group directors (CEO, CFO, CCO), in terms of activity and financial situation
  • Supervise/manage the relationships with suppliers
  • Act as a leader and team player; create a culture that encourages the employees to be successful and perform optimally.

Candidate profile

This position is highly suited for a General Manager who leads by example; a leader with boots on the ground. Since clients range from corporate senior leadership to local contractors, the General Manager must be able to communicate effectively on different levels and is expected to be commercially sensitive to which USP’s the different levels are susceptible to.

Furthermore, the General Manager has/is:

  • Technical and/or business education (ideally both), preferably at university level
  • Knowledge of technical products through education or experience (required)
  • Proven commercial track record in B2B sales/rental of technical equipment; understand and embodies the importance of ‘quality first’
  • Enthusiastic and energetic manager, preferably with (significant) experience in or knowledge of telecom/fibre optics, (underground) energy networks/infrastructures and infrastructural contracting (TSO’s)
  • Fluency in Dutch and English, preferably also a solid command of French and/or German
  • Entrepreneurial mind-set and a self-starting attitude; enthusiastic and energetic
  • Accountable personality; a self-confident appearance. A charismatic leader and motivator. Confident, yet down to earth. Direct, no-nonsense and straight, no overbearing ego.
  • Knows how to operate in a small organisation; realistically result-oriented with a hands-on, getting-things-done mentality. 
  • A strong team player with the ability to interact at different levels throughout and organisation (from mechanic to CEO)
  • Based within 60 minutes from Gouda (or willing to relocate)
  • Willing to travel to Plumettaz HQ several times a year.

The offer

The salary indication for this position is € 120.000 - € 130.000 + bonus (€ 150.000 OTE). Secondary benefits include a car, laptop and an excellent pension plan.

The General Manager is expected to start in or before September.

Interested?

You are invited to apply for this position by using the form below. For more information, please contact Thomas Verbeeck at +31 (0)294 820 207.

This search procedure has been closed (27-06-2023).