General Manager – Gold Refinery (West Africa)

About the role

The newly established gold refinery in West Africa is seeking its first General Manager to guide the plant from final construction through commissioning, ramp‑up and full commercial operation. Reporting directly to the Board, you will be the senior executive responsible for all aspects of the business.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the transition from construction to live operations, including commissioning, FAT/SAT and performance testing.
• Build and structure the full operating team across production, commercial, finance, compliance, IT, HSE, security and HR.
• Deploy and audit standard operating procedures for the entire gold value chain.
• Oversee day‑to‑day operations: production planning, gold sourcing, refining, dispatch, treasury and inventory security.
• Drive readiness for LBMA Responsible Gold accreditation and ISO 9001 certification.
• Own the P&L, budgets, refining margins, cost control and treasury reporting.
• Ensure compliance with OHADA framework, Mining Code, AML/CFT and KYC obligations.
• Represent the company before government authorities, central bank, banks, auditors and clients.

Required profile

• 8+ years of progressive experience with a senior leadership role (GM, Plant Director, COO, etc.).
• Proven track record taking a greenfield or brownfield industrial project from construction to stable production.
• Experience in gold refining, precious metals, mining or metallurgy preferred; strong general‑management background in a regulated, security‑sensitive sector also considered.
• Africa experience required, ideally in francophone West Africa; familiarity with OHADA legal and accounting framework is a plus.
• Strong financial command: P&L, budgeting, cost control, treasury and reading OHADA/IFRS accounts.
• Master’s‑level qualification (BAC+5) in management, engineering, metallurgy, finance or related field; MBA advantageous.
• Fluent in French and English.
• High integrity, discretion and sound judgement under pressure.

Required skills