General Manager

General Manager – In-House Training Academy

About Us:

We are a fast-growing, 2-year-old trade training academy sharing the premises of an established furniture manufacturing company, situated in the South of Johannesburg. Officially registered and accredited with the FP&M SETA, we deliver high-quality, practical qualifications in Upholstery, Sewing, and Wood Manufacturing.

Position Overview:

We are looking for an entrepreneurial, compliance-savvy General Manager to scale our SETA funding, lead our lean team, and aggressively market our academy to the public and corporate sectors while also directly feeding the talent pipeline of the parent manufacturing company.

• Reporting To: HR Executive
• Direct Reports: Facilitators, Assessors, Moderators, and Academy administration
• Experience Level: Management 5+ Year

· Parent Industry: Furniture Manufacturing / Skills Development

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee daily operations of the training facility, ensuring an optimal, safe, and productive learning environment.
• Team Management: Direct, mentor, and performance-manage the lean site team (1 Admin, 1 Training Manager, 3 Facilitators, 1 Supervisor & 25 skilled employees).
• Maintain full accreditation status with the FP&M SETA for all registered qualifications.
• Ensure all learning materials, assessments, and moderation processes comply strictly with QCTO and SETA standards.
• Lead the preparation for external verification site visits conducted by FP&M SETA quality assurance quality partners.
• Maximise financial returns by optimizing SETA, UIF LAP and Department of Social Development discretionary grants
• Submit the Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR) timeously each year.
• Brand Strategy: Position and advertise the academy to the general public as a premier vocational training facility.
• B2C Marketing: Execute digital, social media, and local campaigns to attract private, self-funding students for full qualifications and short courses.
• B2B Business Development: Pitch accredited training solutions to external furniture manufacturers, interior design firms, and retailers to utilize their skills development levies.
• Revenue Generation: Develop profitable pricing models for private students and maximize facility utilization (e.g., evening or weekend workshops).

Job Requirements:

Qualifications & Experience:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Human Resources, Education, or a related technical field.
• Experience: Minimum of 5+ years in a management role within a SETA-accredited training environment (FP&M SETA experience is highly advantageous).

Key Competencies & Skills

• Compliance Expertise: Deep working knowledge of the Skills Development Act, SAQA, QCTO, and SETA landscapes.
• Operational Execution: Proven ability to manage a production-adjacent training facility or technical vocational academy.
• Stakeholder Management: Exceptional skills in navigating relationships between factory floor managers, corporate executives, and SETA representatives.
• Financial Acumen: Experience managing budgets and claiming grants

What we offer:

• Salary: a competitive basic salary + incentive bonusses

General note:

• The company reserves the right to withdraw this vacancy, amend the job requirements, or decline to make an appointment at its sole discretion

How to apply:

• CV: your detailed CV can be sent to don@calgan.co.za

Pay: From R25 000,00 per month

Work Location: In person