General Manager - Gate Automation

General Manager - Gate Automation £45,000 - 55,000 + Performance Bonus + Company Vehicle Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm East Midlands

Are you an experienced Gate Automation Engineer, Supervisor, Technical Manager or Operations Manager ready to take the next step in your career? Perhaps you have spent years on the tools and know gate automation inside out, but you are now looking for an opportunity to step away from being permanently site-based and move into a broader leadership role. Or you may already be managing engineers within the industry and want the opportunity to take greater ownership of an established business.

We are recruiting for a General Manager to take responsibility for the day-to-day running of a successful and established gate automation business. The existing Director remains heavily involved and is looking for someone, he can trust to take ownership of the day-to-day operation, allowing him to focus increasingly on the strategic growth and development of the company. You will need to understand the industry, the engineers, the technical problems, and the customers. One minute you could be advising the office team on an engineer's technical report, the next managing workloads, resolving a customer issue, supporting an engineer, or dealing with a supplier. And when required, everyone gets stuck in. If a customer genuinely needs support and the best solution is to jump in a vehicle and help get the problem resolved, you will be comfortable doing exactly that.

The business The company covers new installations alongside a significant service, maintenance, and repair operation. The team currently consists of approximately 23 people across engineering, operations, fabrication, technical, sales, and office support, including 11 field-based engineers. They support an established customer base across the East and West Midlands including property management companies, schools, hospitals, residential and commercial customers.

What will you be doing? You will become the central point of leadership for the day-to-day operation of the business, including:

• Leading, supporting and coordinating the operational team.
• Managing and developing engineers, office support, and other internal employees.
• Providing technical guidance on gate automation, access control, repairs, servicing, and installations.
• Reviewing engineer reports and helping the office team understand technical issues and required remedial work.
• Supporting the planning and coordination of installations, servicing, maintenance, and reactive callouts.
• Managing operational performance, workloads, reporting and KPIs.
• Resolving escalated customer queries and technical problems.
• Building strong relationships with manufacturers and suppliers.
• Ensuring work is completed safely and in line with relevant powered-gate safety requirements and standards.
• Identifying opportunities to improve processes, productivity, and customer service.
• Working closely with the Director as the business continues to develop and grow.

The priority is finding someone who understands the industry, can lead people, and can confidently take control of the operational side of the business.

Who are we looking for? Gate automation industry experience is essential.

You could currently be a:

• Senior Gate Automation Engineer
• Lead Engineer
• Engineering Supervisor
• Service Manager
• Installation Manager
• Operations Manager
• Technical Manager
• Gate Automation Manager

You do not necessarily need to have previously held the title of General Manager.

We would particularly like to speak with experienced engineers who have reached the point where they are ready to progress off the tools and into management, provided you have the technical credibility and personality to lead a team. You should have strong knowledge of automated gates, barriers, and/or access-control systems, alongside an understanding of relevant powered-gate safety requirements, including BS EN 12453 / BS EN 12445. Just as importantly, you need to be a people person.

You will be dealing with everyone from experienced field engineers and fabrication teams through to office staff, suppliers, and demanding customers. You need to understand that different people require different approaches and be capable of remaining positive, approachable, and solutions-focused when things become busy. The environment is friendly, down-to-earth, and hardworking. So, someone who enjoys being part of a close-knit team will fit in well.

What's in it for you? This could be an excellent opportunity if you have built your career within gate automation but are looking for progression without sacrificing your work-life balance. Rather than remaining on an engineer's rota, working weekends and constantly being on call, this provides the opportunity to move into a senior leadership position with genuine responsibility and longer-term career development.

This is an office-based leadership role, so you must be comfortable being present with the team Monday to Friday. If you have built your career within gate automation and are looking for the opportunity to take that technical knowledge into a broader management and leadership position, we'd be keen to hear from you