General Manager / Business Manager

Job Title: General Manager / Business Manager

Location: Greater Rochester, NY (Onsite), approximately 30% travel
Employment Type: Full-Time
Salary: $200,000 - $250,000 Salary plus 40% bonus target

Company Introduction

This role is with a highly respected precision optics company in the Rochester, New York area that designs and builds custom optical systems, high-precision lens assemblies, and interferometric test solutions. Its systems are used in semiconductor inspection, medical instrumentation, defense, and scientific markets, and it has built a strong reputation over more than 20 years.

The company recently joined a larger, PE-backed photonics group and is entering its next phase of growth. Today it runs on a strong engineering team and inbound demand, with no dedicated sales or marketing function. The founder is moving into a CTO role, and this hire will lead the business, build out its commercial engine, and integrate it with the parent organization.

Role Overview

The General Manager / Business Manager will lead the business through its transition from founder-led ownership into the parent organization, with full responsibility for revenue growth, profitability, customer satisfaction, operational execution, and employee engagement. The role reports to the parent company's executive leadership, and the full team of roughly 14 will report to this position.

On day one, the primary focus is sales leadership and key account management: deepening relationships with existing customers, penetrating key accounts, and building strategic account plans. Working alongside the founder, the GM will progressively take on pricing, budgeting, hiring, and leadership of the full staff, with the goal of stepping fully into the GM role within six months or sooner.

The ideal candidate is either a senior sales leader from the optics or precision manufacturing world who is ready to step into general management, or a GM of a small technical business. The team is experienced and long-tenured, so the right person will bring change thoughtfully while driving growth. Travel is approximately 30%, mostly customer visits, with occasional trips to the parent company in New Hampshire.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead sales and key account management, owning relationships with existing customers and strategic accounts
• Expand account penetration and build strategic account plans to grow bookings and revenue
• Assume ownership of overall business performance, including bookings, revenue, backlog, profitability, and on-time delivery
• Progressively take on pricing decisions, budgeting, hiring, and leadership of the full staff
• Develop and execute annual operating plans aligned with the parent company's strategic objectives
• Establish accurate sales forecasts, backlog projections, revenue plans, and performance reporting
• Identify and drive growth across custom optics, optical assemblies, interferometry, and optical engineering services
• Partner with the parent company's commercial team on lead generation and cross-selling across the broader portfolio
• Serve as the escalation point for significant customer, contractual, delivery, and business issues
• Oversee daily operations across sales, engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, quality, and customer service
• Lead the integration of the business into the parent company's systems and processes
• Drive continuous improvement while supporting a long-tenured team through change
  

Required Background

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, or a related discipline
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in optics, photonics, precision manufacturing, precision instrumentation, aerospace, defense, or related technical industries
• Proven sales leadership and key account management experience selling technical or engineered products
• Strong commercial acumen with a track record of growing revenue and customer relationships
• Experience developing forecasts, budgets, business plans, and performance metrics
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive organizational change
• Excellent communication, leadership, and relationship-building skills
• Lives within commuting distance of Rochester, NY or has documented willingness to relocate; the role is onsite
• Able to travel approximately 30%
• General Manager, Business Unit Leader, or P&L leadership experience (Preferred)
• Established in the Rochester, NY optics community (Preferred)
• Experience with custom optics, optical assemblies, or interferometry (Preferred)
• Experience integrating acquired businesses or leading founder transitions (Preferred)
• Familiarity with semiconductor, defense, aerospace, medical, or scientific instrumentation markets (Preferred)
• MBA or advanced technical degree (Preferred)
  

Compensation & Perks

• Base Salary: $200,000 - $250,000 based on experience
• Annual bonus target of 40%
• Equity potential for the right candidate
• Relocation assistance available for the right candidate
• Full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life and disability, and retirement plan
• Clear path to General Manager with full leadership of a growing precision optics business
• Career development, networking, and advancement opportunities across the parent group of companies worldwide