General Manager

The Opportunity For 94 years, Hatuma Lime Company has quarried and processed limestone in Central Hawke's Bay, supplying lime and specialised fertiliser products to farmers throughout New Zealand. Family owned and operated throughout its history, Hatuma has built an enduring reputation around its people, products, reliability and relationships with customers. The owners are now stepping back from day-to-day management and creating a General Manager role to lead the business into its next chapter. This is both a position of stewardship and an opportunity to make your mark. Hatuma wants to retain the qualities and values that have sustained the business for generations, while introducing better visibility, planning, systems and operating efficiencies where they will make a genuine difference. The foundations are strong. The opportunity is to build on them. The Role The General Manager will have overall responsibility for the leadership, operational and commercial performance of Hatuma across its sites. Reporting directly to the owners, you will lead a team spanning operations, quarry management, sales and logistics. Specialist contractors and qualified Quarry Managers provide the technical quarrying expertise. Your responsibilities will include: Leading the team, setting clear expectations and creating accountability across the business Planning production across sites and coordinating plant, people, contractors and maintenance Translating customer demand into practical production, inventory and logistics plans Improving visibility of operating costs, margins and business performance Understanding the profit and loss, identifying the drivers behind results and recommending action Ensuring health, safety and environmental standards are maintained across a high-risk, multi-site operation Introducing practical reporting, systems and technology that support better decisions and greater efficiency Managing suppliers and contractors with a focus on reliability, value and long-term relationships Keeping the owners well informed through clear, regular reporting on performance, priorities and emerging issues There will be opportunities to modernise how parts of the business operate, but this is not change for change's sake. Good judgement will be important: understanding what should be preserved, what can be improved and where investment will create genuine value. What We're Looking For This role will suit an experienced operational leader from manufacturing, processing, quarrying, engineering, agricultural supply or another complex operating environment. You may already be running a complete business, or you may be leading a substantial operation and ready to step into broader General Manager responsibility. What matters most is your ability to take ownership, lead people well and make sound commercial and operational decisions. You will need: Strong people leadership and the ability to build credibility across a practical, hands-on workforce Experience managing complex operations, competing priorities and multiple moving parts A sound working knowledge of budgets, forecasts, profit and loss and operational costing The confidence to make decisions and take responsibility for the outcome The ability to communicate clearly with both the team and the owners A practical approach to systems, reporting, process improvement and technology Respect for the history, relationships and reputation of a long-standing family business Quarry experience and an A Grade Quarry Manager qualification would be useful but are not essential. You will be visible across the operation and comfortable spending time on site as well as in the office. Hatuma needs a leader who treats its people, assets, reputation and customer commitments with the care they deserve. Why This Is Worth Considering Few General Manager roles offer this combination of genuine autonomy, established foundations and the opportunity to shape what comes next. Around 180,000 tonnes of product moves through Hatuma's sites each year, including approximately 25,000 tonnes of specialised fertiliser. Behind that scale sits a business, family name and customer reputation built over generations. The owners are placing significant trust in this appointment. They want someone who can take responsibility for the day-to-day business, preserve the strengths that have made Hatuma successful and progressively build the systems, capability and efficiency required for the future. For someone who wants to lead an entire operation rather than one function within it, this is a rare opportunity. An attractive remuneration package is available for the right person, including full use of a vehicle and access to a house on site if required. Location and Logistics The role is based in Waipukurau, with regular travel to Hatuma's other sites across Hawke's Bay and the Wairarapa. It is a hands-on leadership role, with time split between the office and operations. The business is seasonal, with spring through autumn representing its busiest period and winter providing more opportunity for planning, maintenance and improvement work. As the senior operational leader, you will need to be accessible when important issues arise, particularly during peak periods. #J-18808-Ljbffr