Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and inspire a dynamic team to deliver exceptional customer experiences.
- Company: Join Compass Group, a leader in the food service industry.
- Benefits: Enjoy free meals, competitive pay, and exclusive discounts on travel and cinema tickets.
- Why this job: Shape your career with a company that values leadership and personal growth.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in management and strong financial acumen required.
- Other info: Embrace a culture of diversity and continuous improvement.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
We recognise and reward great leadership. Alongside a competitive salary, you’ll benefit from a comprehensive package that includes:
- Monday to Friday working - days only (no evenings or weekends)
- Free meals on duty
- Contributory pension scheme
- Career development through Career Pathways and MyLearning
- Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP and wider healthcare benefits
- Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and more
- Supermarket savings at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and others
- Up to 44% off cinema tickets
- Cashback rewards on everyday spending
- Free wellness, mindfulness and fitness classes
- Discounts and offers you can share with friends and family
The Role
As General Manager, you will have full responsibility for the successful delivery of this single-site operation. You’ll lead, inspire and develop your management and operational teams, ensuring outstanding customer experience, strong commercial performance and full compliance with all contractual, company and statutory requirements. You will be accountable for financial performance, client relationships and operational excellence, ensuring everything you do aligns with the Compass vision, values and business strategy.
Key Responsibilities
- Leadership & People Development
- Lead and develop a high-performing on-site management and operational team
- Recruit, retain and grow great people, building strong succession and development plans
- Create a positive, inclusive and high-engagement culture
- Manage performance effectively, including appraisals, labour planning and employee relations
- Ensure labour structures and resources are fit for purpose and commercially effective
- Health, Safety & Compliance
- Champion a strong Health & Safety culture across the site
- Ensure a safe environment for customers, colleagues and visitors
- Maintain full compliance with legal, company and client standards at all times
- Commercial & Financial Performance
- Take full ownership of the site P&L, delivering agreed financial targets
- Manage budgets, forecasts and cost controls effectively
- Identify and implement opportunities to improve sales, margin and efficiency
- Support Compass Foodbuy initiatives, ensuring supplier compliance and value
- Client & Stakeholder Management
- Act as the senior point of contact for the client and key stakeholders
- Build trusted, long-term relationships based on service excellence and transparency
- Review and act on client feedback and satisfaction surveys
- Ensure contractual compliance while consistently exceeding expectations
- Customer Experience & Service Excellence
- Ensure food and service offers are fit for purpose, fully costed and delivered to specification
- Drive consistency, quality and innovation across food and service standards
- Capture and act on customer feedback to support continuous improvement and growth
- Strategy & Continuous Improvement
- Deliver site-level strategy aligned to wider Compass objectives
- Embed central brand, service and operational initiatives
- Drive a culture of continuous improvement across the contract
Who You Are
- Proven experience as a General Manager or senior site leader
- Commercially astute with strong financial and operational capability
- Confident managing budgets, forecasts and performance targets
- A visible, engaging leader who develops people and drives results
- Organised, adaptable and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment
About Us
As part of Compass you’ll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK’s biggest businesses.
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!
General Manager - South Kensington in London employer: Chartwells
Contact Detail:
Chartwells Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land General Manager - South Kensington in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join relevant groups on social media, and don’t be shy about reaching out to current employees at Compass. You never know who might help you land that General Manager role!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Compass and its values. Understand their vision and how you can contribute to it as a General Manager. Tailor your answers to show how your leadership style aligns with their culture and goals.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your achievements! When discussing your experience, focus on specific examples of how you've improved financial performance or enhanced customer satisfaction in previous roles. Numbers speak volumes, so bring those stats to the table!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, you’ll have access to all the latest opportunities and updates directly from Compass.
We think you need these skills to ace General Manager - South Kensington in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Leadership Skills: When writing your application, make sure to highlight your leadership experience. We want to see how you've inspired and developed teams in the past, so share specific examples that showcase your ability to lead effectively.
Be Commercially Savvy: Since this role is all about financial performance, don’t forget to mention your experience with budgets and forecasts. We love candidates who can demonstrate their commercial acumen, so include any relevant achievements that show you can drive results.
Tailor Your Application: Make your application stand out by tailoring it to our job description. Use the same language and key phrases we’ve included, as this shows you understand what we’re looking for and how you fit into our vision and values.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us directly, and you’ll find all the details you need to complete your submission easily.
How to prepare for a job interview at Chartwells
✨Know Your Numbers
As a General Manager, you'll need to demonstrate your financial acumen. Brush up on key metrics like P&L statements, budgets, and forecasts. Be ready to discuss how you've managed these in previous roles and any strategies you've implemented to improve financial performance.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
Leadership is crucial for this role, so think about your leadership style and how it aligns with the company's values. Prepare examples of how you've developed teams, managed performance, and created a positive culture. Highlight specific instances where your leadership made a difference.
✨Understand the Client's Needs
Research the company and its clients thoroughly. Understand their expectations and how you can exceed them. Be prepared to discuss how you've built relationships with clients in the past and how you plan to maintain transparency and service excellence in this role.
✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement
This role requires a focus on continuous improvement. Think of examples where you've driven innovation or improved processes in your previous positions. Be ready to share your ideas on how you would implement similar initiatives at this site to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.
