General Manager, Flow Control

Hayward Holdings Inc. (NYSE "HAYW") is the largest manufacturer of residential swimming pool equipment in the world, with a significant presence in the commercial pool market that is continuously growing. Hayward designs, manufactures, and markets a full line of residential and commercial pool and spa equipment including pumps, filters, heating, cleaners, salt chlorinators, automation, lighting, safety, flow control and energy solutions at our company owned facilities. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Hayward also has facilities in Tennessee, Arizona, and Rhode Island as well as Canada, Spain, France, Australia, and China. 

The General Manager, Flow Control is responsible for leading Hayward's Flow Control business, with full accountability for strategy, revenue growth, profitability, operational performance, customer satisfaction, product innovation, and organizational effectiveness. The role serves as the senior leader for the division, driving commercial excellence while ensuring alignment across sales, marketing, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, technical service, and business development functions.

This leader will develop and execute strategies to accelerate growth, expand market share, strengthen channel partnerships, improve operational efficiency, and deliver sustainable financial performance. The General Manager serves as a key member of the commercial leadership team and collaborates closely with corporate functions to achieve enterprise objectives.

Responsibilities:

Business Leadership & Strategy

• Develop and execute the strategic plan for the Flow Control division.

• Establish annual and long-range business objectives aligned with corporate goals.

• Identify growth opportunities through new products, markets, channels, and strategic partnerships.

• Monitor industry trends, competitive activity, customer needs, and regulatory changes to inform business decisions.

• Lead annual operating plans, budgeting, forecasting, and strategic reviews.

Profit & Loss Accountability

• Own full divisional P&L performance, including revenue, gross margin, operating income, and cash flow.

• Drive sustainable growth through pricing, market expansion, productivity improvements, and operational excellence.

• Review business performance metrics and implement corrective actions to achieve financial targets.

• Partner with Finance to optimize working capital, inventory management, and capital expenditures.

Commercial Leadership

• Lead sales, marketing, business development, strategic accounts, and customer engagement activities.

• Drive specification development, demand creation, and customer acquisition strategies.

• Strengthen relationships with OEMs, distributors, contractors, engineers, and end users.

• Expand market presence through effective channel management and customer-focused growth initiatives.

• Ensure execution of key account strategies and commercial excellence programs.

Operations & Supply Chain Leadership

• Provide leadership for manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and operational performance.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.

• Ensure effective inventory management and capacity planning.

• Champion Lean manufacturing principles and operational excellence practices.

• Support capital investment decisions that improve long-term competitiveness.

Product Management & Engineering

• Partner with engineering and product development teams to align innovation investments with customer needs.

• Guide portfolio management, lifecycle planning, and new product introduction activities.

• Prioritize projects that enhance profitability, differentiation, and market position.

• Foster a culture of innovation and customer-driven product development.

Customer Experience & Service Excellence

• Champion a customer-first culture across all functions.

• Ensure responsive technical support and service capabilities.

• Monitor customer satisfaction, retention, and Net Promoter metrics.

• Lead resolution of significant customer issues and escalation matters.

Talent & Organizational Leadership

• Build, develop, and retain a high-performing leadership team.

• Establish clear performance expectations and accountability.

• Drive leadership succession planning and talent development initiatives.

• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and results-oriented culture.

• Lead organizational design and workforce planning efforts to support business growth.

Executive & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with executive leadership to align business strategies across the enterprise.

• Collaborate closely with Finance, HR, Operations, IT, Legal, and Supply Chain leaders.

• Provide regular updates on business performance, risks, and growth opportunities.

• Serve as a visible leader with customers, channel partners, and industry organizations.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in business, Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Marketing, Finance, or a related discipline required.

• MBA or advanced degree preferred.

Experience

• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, industrial products, engineered products, flow control, HVAC, water, automation, fluid management, or related industries.

• Proven success leading a complex business unit or operating division with full P&L responsibility.

• Demonstrated experience leading commercial, operational, and engineering teams.

• Strong track record of driving profitable growth, margin improvement, and organizational transformation.

• Experience working within a global manufacturing environment preferred.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Thinking

• Commercial Acumen

• Financial Acumen

• Operational Excellence

• Customer Focus

• Talent Development

• Change Leadership

• Executive Presence

• Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Data-Driven Decision Making

• Continuous Improvement Mindset

Success Measures

• Revenue growth and market share expansion

• Operating income and EBITDA performance

• Gross margin improvement

• Customer satisfaction and retention

• Safety, quality, and delivery metrics

• Working capital and inventory performance

• Employee engagement and leadership development

• New product and innovation outcomes

• Achievement of annual strategic objectives

Scope of Leadership

The General Manager leads the Flow Control organization, including commercial, engineering, operations, technical service, marketing, e-commerce, strategic accounts, and business development functions. Current organizational structures associated with the division include Engineering, Manufacturing/Operations, Regional Sales, Strategic Accounts, Technical Service, Marketing, Business Development, and Sales Operations leadership roles.