South East Queensland | Full-Time | Senior Leadership

Lead, Grow and Expand Our SEQ Operations

CQ Diesel, part of the Waterson Group, is seeking an experienced and commercially driven General Manager – South East Queensland to take ownership of our SEQ operations and lead the next stage of growth across the region.

The Waterson Group is a long-standing, family-owned Queensland business providing mechanical, fleet and heavy equipment services across multiple locations.

A key focus of this position will be expanding CQ Diesel's footprint throughout South East Queensland, including identifying opportunities, establishing new branches and building those operations into successful and sustainable businesses.

This is an opportunity for an experienced leader to not only manage an existing operation, but to play a significant role in shaping the future growth of the Waterson Group.

The Role

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, the General Manager – SEQ will have overall responsibility for the operational, financial and commercial performance of CQ Diesel's South East Queensland region.

You will be responsible for existing operations while actively developing and executing our expansion strategy throughout SEQ.

Key Responsibilities

Full operational and commercial responsibility for the SEQ region

Identify strategic locations and opportunities for new branches throughout South East Queensland

Lead the establishment and opening of new CQ Diesel branches within the region

Develop business cases and budgets for proposed branch locations

Assist with site identification, facility requirements and branch establishment

Recruit and build the management, technical and support teams required for new locations

Develop customer pipelines and secure commercial work to support new branch launches

Establish current branches with clear revenue, profitability and operational targets

Oversee new branches through their establishment and growth phases

Develop the SEQ regional structure as the branch network expands

Leadership and development of Branch Managers, supervisors, technicians and support staff

P&L; ownership, budgeting, forecasting and financial performance

Drive revenue growth, gross margin and overall profitability

Monitor labour utilisation, productivity and workshop performance

Manage operational costs and identify opportunities for improvement





Ensure jobs are appropriately quoted, managed, completed and invoiced

Develop and maintain relationships with key commercial and fleet customers

Identify and secure new business opportunities throughout SEQ

Workforce planning, recruitment and succession planning

Work closely with Group management, finance, HR and administration

Maintain high standards of WHS, compliance and operational discipline

Implement and maintain Waterson Group systems, policies and procedures

Provide regular reporting on financial, operational and commercial performance

About You

We are looking for someone who can genuinely run and grow a business, not simply manage a workshop.

You will ideally have:

Significant senior management experience within diesel, heavy vehicle, transport, earthmoving, mechanical or a similar service-based retail industry

Demonstrated experience managing a multi-million-dollar operation, region or business unit

Strong commercial and financial capability, including P&L; responsibility

Experience establishing new branches, locations or business operations would be highly regarded

Proven experience developing new markets and winning commercial customers

Experience managing managers, supervisors, tradespeople and support teams

Strong understanding of labour productivity, utilisation and job profitability

Proven ability to develop and maintain major customer relationships

Experience growing revenue while maintaining commercial discipline

Confidence making decisions and taking accountability for results

Strong communication and leadership skills

A practical, solutions-focused management style

The ability to balance growth, customer service, profitability and operational requirements

A mechanical or trade background would be highly regarded but is not essential where strong relevant industry and senior management experience can be demonstrated.

More Than Managing an Existing Business

This position is specifically suited to someone who is excited by growth and expansion.





We want a General Manager who can look across South East Queensland, identify where CQ Diesel should be operating next and then help turn those opportunities into successful branches.

That means being comfortable taking a new location from concept through to operation — understanding the local market, developing the customer base, building the team, establishing the facility and ultimately delivering a profitable operation.

As the SEQ network grows, so too will the scale and responsibility of this position.

The Person We're Looking For

We value leaders who are visible, accountable and approachable.

You will be expected to understand what's happening across your region — from financial results and customer pipelines through to workshop capacity, staffing and operational performance.

You'll need to be comfortable making decisions, having difficult conversations when required, supporting your managers and teams, and taking responsibility for results.

Most importantly, we're looking for someone who wants to build something for the long term.

This is an opportunity to take on a genuine senior leadership position within an established Queensland family business at an important stage of its growth.

You will have:

Significant autonomy and ownership of the SEQ region

The opportunity to build and expand our branch network throughout South East Queensland

Direct access to Group leadership and decision-makers

Genuine influence over the strategic direction of the region

An established business and customer base to build from

Support from Group sales, administration, HR and management functions

The chance to build teams and operations from the ground up

A diverse operation servicing commercial vehicles and heavy equipment

A senior position where your performance and contribution will genuinely matter

Competitive remuneration package aligned with experience and capability, inclusive of bonus incentives

All applications will be treated confidentially.

Your application will include the following questions:

- Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Australia?
- What's your expected annual base salary?
- How many years' experience do you have as a general manager?
- How much notice are you required to give your current employer?

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📌 General Manager - South East Queensland
🏢 Waterson Diesel
📍 Queensland