General Manager

Company Overview

Mekdes Children’s Horizon, known locally in Amharic as መቅደስ የልጆች አድማስ, is an Ethiopian charitable organization.

Role Summary

This is a full-time, on-site General Manager position in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The role focuses on leading daily business operations and making sure every department delivers on performance, quality, and customer satisfaction goals.

Key Responsibilities

The General Manager will define and drive business strategy, establish targets and KPIs, and keep a close watch on financial performance, budgets, and cost management. The position also requires guiding department heads, aligning work across teams, and making sure the organization follows internal policies and local legal requirements. In addition, the role includes strengthening supplier and customer partnerships, spotting opportunities for expansion, managing operational and business risks, and providing regular updates to ownership or the executive team on progress and priorities.

Qualifications

Candidates should bring proven experience in a senior leadership or General Manager capacity, ideally in an organization with multiple departments or business units, with at least 3 years of relevant experience. Strong people leadership is essential, including the ability to build teams, coach staff, manage performance, and resolve conflicts. Solid commercial and financial understanding is also needed, along with hands-on experience in budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and reading financial reports. The role calls for strong operational leadership, including improving processes, planning resources, and tracking KPIs effectively.

Applicants should be strategic thinkers with strong problem-solving ability and the capacity to turn business objectives into practical action plans. Clear and professional communication and negotiation skills in English are required, while knowledge of local languages is considered an advantage. The person must be able to work on-site full time in Addis Ababa, juggle multiple priorities, and make sound decisions quickly under pressure. A bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Economics, or a related discipline is required, and a master’s degree such as an MBA would be an added advantage. Experience in Ethiopia or comparable markets, together with familiarity with local business customs and regulations, is preferred. High ethical standards, a commitment to respectful and inclusive workplace practices, and a customer-first mindset are also important.

Additional Information

This position is based in Addis Ababa and requires full-time on-site attendance.