We are Company of Cooks , and we believe brilliant food and drink start with brilliant people. For over 25 years, we've been part of some of the UK's most loved cultural destinations, from historic palaces and botanical gardens to buzzing galleries and performance spaces, running the cafés, restaurants, bars and events that bring these incredible places to life.
Our values - Craft, Creativity and Community - guide everything we do. They shape how we work together, how we support our partners, and how we make each guest feel welcome. If you care about food, people and doing things properly, you'll feel right at home here.
Wherever we are, we do more than serve. We bring places to life through food, service and creativity and we're looking for a General Manager to join our team at Old Royal Naval College.
Salary: £70,000 per annum
Working Hours: 45 hour per week
Location: London
About Old Royal Naval College
Located in the heart of Greenwich, the Old Royal Naval College is one of London's most iconic and prestigious heritage venues. With its breathtaking architecture and world-famous Painted Hall, it provides an exceptional setting for some of the UK's most spectacular events.
From luxury weddings and large-scale corporate dinners to prestigious award ceremonies and high-profile productions, the venue offers truly unique experiences. Operating within such an extraordinary heritage setting requires a special balance of creativity, commercial awareness and respect for the building's historic significance.
We are looking for an inspiring General Manager to lead this exciting operation, build on its reputation and continue delivering outstanding events while protecting everything that makes the venue so special.
Key Responsibilities
Take overall responsibility for the successful day-to-day management of a large, multi-faceted hospitality and events operation.
Lead, motivate and develop a diverse team across Sales & Events, Operations, Retail and Kitchen departments.
Work closely with the client and key stakeholders to build strong relationships and ensure the highest standards of service and delivery.
Drive the commercial performance of the venue, taking ownership of financial results, budgets, cost control and revenue opportunities.
Lead the delivery of high-profile weddings, corporate dinners, award ceremonies and large-scale bespoke events.
Bring fresh ideas and innovative thinking to develop the venue's event offering and create memorable guest experiences.
Ensure all events and productions comply with heritage requirements, site restrictions and relevant approval processes, working closely with the client and heritage stakeholders.
Oversee event planning and operational delivery, ensuring all necessary permissions and approvals are secured well in advance.
Maintain exceptional standards across food, service, retail and overall guest experience.
Identify opportunities to grow the business, strengthen the venue's market position and maximise its commercial potential.
Lead by example, creating a positive, accountable and collaborative culture across all departments.
The Ideal Candidate
An experienced General Manager or senior hospitality and events leader with a strong background in large-scale, prestigious event venues.
Proven experience delivering complex events, including luxury weddings, high-profile corporate functions, award ceremonies and large-scale productions.
A commercially astute leader with strong financial knowledge and experience managing budgets, profitability and business performance.
Experienced in leading large, multi-disciplinary teams across several operational departments.
Confident managing senior client relationships and working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.
Creative and innovative, with the ability to develop exciting event concepts and take them from idea through to successful delivery.
Strong operational knowledge, with an understanding of the planning, logistics and attention to detail required for large-scale events.
Able to balance creativity with compliance, following procedures and securing the necessary permissions when working within a heritage environment.
An inspiring and hands-on leader who can bring people together, drive standards and deliver results.
Flexible and comfortable working around the demands of a busy events calendar, including evenings and weekends.
We are particularly interested in candidates from prestigious event venues, heritage attractions, museums and large-scale visitor destinations.
What's in it for you?
Working with Company of Cooks has its perks! People are at the heart of everything we do, so we've developed a range of benefits to keep you happy.
Personal Development and Training opportunities
Life assurance scheme
Pension scheme
Holiday allowance
Access to Healthcare Support App which includes Annual health check, Digital GP, Mental Health Consultations, Nutritional Consultations, Second Medical Opinion
Eye care
A great wellbeing strategy - including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, salary finance
Family friendly support
Regular social events and communication with our leaders
A holiday purchase scheme
Volunteering days
Professional subscriptions
Recognition schemes and people awards
Long service awards
Access to some great high street discount vouchers
Job Reference: com/1011/47688001/52845290/SU #Company of Cooks
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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General Manager - Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich employer: CH&CO
At Company of Cooks, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that values Craft, Creativity, and Community. Located in the heart of London, our team enjoys numerous benefits including personal development opportunities, a comprehensive wellbeing strategy, and a supportive environment that encourages growth and collaboration. Join us to be part of a passionate team that brings cultural destinations to life through outstanding food and service.
