The General Manager will drive the companies operations, with a strong focus on commercial and financial success. The crux of the role is to ensure that the Arabic Scale Educational Consultancy becomes the go-to partner to Ministries of Education and publishers/content creators, with its Arabic Lexile Scale becoming the de-facto universal scale for the Arabic language. This will be driven by the General Managers ability to position the company as a thought leader in the Arabic assessment space, build key relationships with government stakeholders, and generate revenues from long-term partnerships in the Arab world.The ideal individual will also have some experience building an ecosystem that is designed to drive demand for the Arabic Framework. Building an ecosystem involves orchestrating a balance of content publishers, thought leaders, academicians, ministry officials, and commercial language learning product companies.Key Responsibilities:Strategic Planning:Develop and implement strategic plans to achieve organizational objectives and drive growth.Identify new opportunities for expansion and innovation within the industry.Monitor industry trends and market conditions to ensure competitiveness.Financial Management:Oversee budgeting, financial forecasting, and reporting processes.Manage financial resources efficiently to optimize profitability.Implement cost-saving initiatives while maintaining quality and service standards.Team Leadership:Provide strong leadership and direction to department heads and staff.Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.Recruit, train, and develop employees to build a high-performing team.Operations Management:Ensure smooth day-to-day operations across all departments.Establish and enforce policies, procedures, and standards to maintain efficiency and compliance.Identify areas for process improvement and implement solutions.Customer Relations:Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and stakeholders.Address customer inquiries, concerns, and feedback promptly and professionally.Implement strategies to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.Risk Management:Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies.Ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.Qualifications, Skills & ExperienceEducational degree(s): Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Management, or related field; MBA preferred.Years of experience:10+ years working in publishing and/or education.8+ years of commercial leadership experience, owning a P&L, delivering revenue growth and managing costs.8+ years’ experience of building and managing multinational, multi-functional teams.8+ years of managing projects, multiple stakeholders and account management.8+ years of working with governments, ideally those in the Middle EastRegional experience: Middle East & AfricaIndustry experience: Understanding the market and customer needs in the Education industry. Knowledge of pedagogy preferred.Technical competencies: Fluency in Arabic is strongly preferred.Strong leadership, team building and stakeholder management skills.Business development & commercial acumenStrong connections with government partners across the Arab worldA proven track record in strategic relationship building and account management.Familiarity with the science of language learning and assessment of language proficiencyProject Management