General Manager

General Manager – South Africa

Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Initial Training & Onboarding: Warrington, UK

Company: The Lignum Group

Relocation Assistance Available

An International Career Opportunity with The Lignum Group

Are you an experienced recruitment research or delivery leader looking for an opportunity to take your career internationally?

The Lignum Group is looking for an experienced and driven General Manager to lead our South African office in Cape Town.

With our UK Headquarters based in Warrington, we are looking for someone who would be willing to join us in the UK initially to complete a period of training and onboarding before relocating to South Africa to take up the position.

This is a fantastic opportunity to become part of an established international recruitment business, gain an in-depth understanding of our operations and culture, and ultimately take ownership of an important part of our global team.

About The Lignum Group

The Lignum Group is an international recruitment business supporting clients and consultants across specialist markets.

Our South African office plays an integral role in supporting our UK consultants through research, sourcing and recruitment delivery services. We are looking for a strong operational leader who can take ownership of the Cape Town office, develop the team and ensure consistently high standards across the operation.

The Opportunity

As General Manager, you will be responsible for the leadership and day-to-day management of the South African office.

You will oversee the research and sourcing team, ensuring delivery is aligned with the needs of our UK consultants and wider business objectives.

Following your initial training and onboarding at our Warrington headquarters, you will relocate to Cape Town to lead the South African operation.

You will become a key link between our UK and South African teams, ensuring clear communication, consistent processes and a high-performance delivery culture.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of the day-to-day management and operational delivery of the South African office.
• Lead, develop and motivate the research and sourcing team.
• Build a high-performance culture focused on accountability, quality and continuous improvement.
• Oversee research delivery, sourcing activity and quality assurance.
• Work closely with UK consultants and delivery teams to ensure their operational support requirements are met.
• Monitor team performance, productivity and delivery standards.
• Maintain consistent operational processes, systems, CRM and data quality standards.
• Oversee office administration, health and safety, payroll inputs and employee administration.
• Manage day-to-day liaison with external operational partners, including Shorza.
• Oversee marketing, lead generation and market intelligence activity.
• Identify operational risks and implement improvements to strengthen efficiency and delivery.

What We're Looking For

We are particularly interested in candidates with experience in:

• Recruitment agency environments.
• Recruitment research, sourcing or delivery operations.
• Managing and developing recruitment or research teams.
• Operational management and performance oversight.
• Building effective relationships across international or multi-location teams.
• Implementing processes and maintaining high operational standards.

You will need to demonstrate strong leadership capabilities, excellent organisation, attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities.

Experience supporting UK recruitment consultants or working within an international recruitment business would be advantageous.

The Person

You are an organised, proactive and solutions-focused leader who enjoys taking ownership and developing people.

You understand the importance of research quality, delivery consistency and strong communication in a recruitment business.

You are comfortable working with senior stakeholders, managing performance and creating an environment where teams are motivated, accountable and supported to succeed.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• An opportunity to step into a senior leadership role within an established international recruitment business.
• Initial training and onboarding at our UK Headquarters in Warrington.
• The opportunity to lead and develop an important part of Lignum's global operation.
• Direct exposure to UK leadership and international recruitment markets.
• The opportunity to build and shape a growing South African team.
• Relocation assistance to support your move to Cape Town.

Ready for Your Next Move?

If you have recruitment leadership experience, are excited by the prospect of an international career opportunity and are genuinely willing to relocate to Cape Town following your UK training and onboarding, we would love to hear from you.

Apply now to start the conversation with The Lignum Group.