General Manager

General Manager
Location: RHS Garden Wisley
Salary: Up to £55,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent, Full-Time, 5 out of 7 days per week

What can we offer you:

• A collaborative and inclusive culture, where your ideas are valued, and creativity is encouraged.
• 25 days annual leave (excluding bank holidays and national holiday days)
• Free staff meals whilst at work.
• Free on site parking.
• Access to Compass Group company perks & benefits.
• Perks for Works discounts and promotions
• Access to training, mentoring and development, with support from our wider Restaurant Associates and Compass Group UK networks.
• On-site F&B discounts.
• No shortage of delicious food

About the Role

We’re seeking a proactive and people-focused General Manager to lead the catering, events and hospitality operations at the iconic RHS Garden Wisley, based in Wisley, Surrey. This is a fantastic opportunity to spearhead visitor experiences within a world-class institution that welcomes guests from across the globe. As General Manager, you will report into the Venue Director and have a large front of house team, with 4 direct reports in the form of Operations Managers. You will ensure a smooth running of our busy catering operation as well as the busy conference & events diary. You will be delivering exceptional service standards daily through the onsite teams and consistently strive to look for ways to improve the operation efficiency of the venue.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading, training and developing a motivated, skilled team of operators and culinary teams.
• Managing all aspects of labour planning, cost control and forecasting
• Identifying and driving commercial opportunities to maximise revenue within food & beverage
• Maintaining strong client relationships and ensuring their expectations are exceeded
• Overseeing operational delivery across all food and hospitality services
• Ensuring compliance with company policies, health and safety standards and financial targets
• Supporting and delivering the venue’s growth strategy in partnership with the client
• Ensure consistent delivery of high service standards through active floor leadership and team engagement.
• Build strong working relationships with venue stakeholders, assisting in responding to feedback and ensuring client satisfaction.

About You

• 3+ years’ experience as a General Manager or 6+ years’ experience as a Deputy General Manager or Operations Manager within hospitality, ideally in visitor attractions or multi-outlet venues.
• Proven ability to support the running of busy environments with high footfall and varied service styles.
• Strong financial awareness and understanding of budgets, cost control, and labour management.
• Excellent leadership skills, with experience motivating teams and supporting training and development.
• Confident communication and stakeholder engagement abilities.
• A passion for food, service, and delivering memorable visitor experiences.
• Ability to adapt in a fast-paced environment, supporting both daily operations and longer-term development projects.

About Us

Restaurant Associates is a leading premium hospitality provider with an ethos drawn from our history of fine and high-quality dining in London and New York.

Within our venues team, we provide catering and hospitality services to some of the most iconic visitor attractions and destinations in the UK including the Imperial War Museum London, Glyndebourne Opera House, Knebworth House, Design Museum, Whipsnade Zoo and many more. Within these amazing venues we operate a host of bespoke cafés and restaurants, as well as delivering private events ranging from small meetings to large-scale ground events of up to 1000 people. You can find a full list of our venues on our website.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive, diverse, fun, and dynamic place to work with opportunities to collaborate with a wide range of teams plus a commitment to putting our people first. Restaurant Associates is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds. As a business, we are committed to sustainability led practices and are proud to have achieved 3 stars with the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Food Made Good Programme.

Job Reference: com/1407/43818001/52820370/SU #RA Venues

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!

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