General Manager in Bristol

Organisation: St George Bowls and Social Club CIC

Place of work: St George Bowls and Social Club, BS5 7AA (with occasional requirement to visit / attend meetings at other locations within the Bristol area)

Hours: 40-45 hrs per week, equivalent to Full Time (including evenings and weekends).

Rate of pay: £35,000 per annum.

Start date: Desired start date Wednesday 1st April 2026 (with some flexibility possible if required by candidate).

Employment type: PAYE Employment term: Permanent

About St George Bowls and Social Club CIC

We are a newly founded Community Interest Company situated in the heart of St George in Bristol. The Bowls Club at St George Park has been vacant for a number of years and we have formally committed to the regeneration and development of the Club with community connection and sustainable action driving the project into realisation. Over the last 6 months, phases of planning, consultation and preparation have been underway, creating a solid community network and roadmap to opening. Social responsibility is central to the development of the venue, with the aim to produce a positive space available for use by all members of the local community.

Plans over the next two years include:

• Bringing Back Bowls – Affordable games, open to all ages and abilities.
• Wellness for Everyone – Sauna and cold-tub sessions, with low-income discounts.
• Activity / Event Space for Local Community Groups – sessions such as Tai Chi, yoga, and more.
• Community Cafe - Providing refreshments alongside activities.

We are working on a phased opening to allow the Club to continue being developed in an inclusive, considered and detailed way:

• April 2026 - Refurbishment on-site and finalisation to operating procedures, membership models and information.
• May 2026 - Social Club and Bowls live and open to the public, operating across the summer and in‑line with the Bowls season until September 2026.
• October 2026 - site closes to the public to allow for groundworks and installation of saunas and wellness facilities.
• November 2026 - site re‑opens to the public, offering Social Club and Sauna / wellness sessions.
• April 2027 - Site is fully operational with commencement of second Bowls season.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and community‑focused General Manager to lead the day-to‑day operations and support the ongoing development of the St George Bowls and Social Club, situated in St George Park, Bristol (BS5). This is a varied and hands‑on role that would be well suited to someone who can balance operational oversight with creating a welcoming, safe and cohesive environment for members, visitors and staff alike. The General Manager will be responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the Club, maintaining high standards of customer service and safety, and supporting a small team to deliver an inclusive and accessible space. The ideal candidate will be highly organised, proactive, and a confident problem solver in a live operational setting. They will have a deep rooted genuine interest in wellbeing for the community, looking to work collaboratively with established and new partners in the area to deliver activity that compliments existing offers, enriches the locality and encourages human connection.

Working closely with local stakeholders, the CIC Directors and a small team of venue staff (including two Duty Managers), the successful candidate will help to shape the Club’s offer and the evolving program throughout the phased reopening, whilst contributing to the long‑term vision of the Club as a social, creative and connection‑focussed community hub.

Key Responsibilities

The General Manager has primary responsibility for the daily running of St George Bowls and Social Club. The role is broad ranging and is integral to promoting cohesive working across the team to keep things running efficiently. You should be looking to build a solid understanding of how all aspects of the business are run and intersect, to enable you to make the best plans and decisions relating to it. Reporting primarily to the Directors, the General Manager will be responsible for the operational aspects of the venue, driving the project forward, ensuring that key stakeholders are thoroughly consulted and developments are communicated effectively. Central to the role is the development and ongoing maintenance of the building, grounds and equipment, personally carrying out manageable tasks and then co‑ordinating contractors for heavier or specialist work. You will be the primary out of hours and emergency point of contact for the venue. Another key part of this role is to ensure all visitors have a positive experience when they come to the Club and to maintain constructive relationships with other park and community stakeholders. A strong and empathetic communicator is required. Someone who will take time to answer queries thoroughly and ensure that people have the information that they need, whilst also being able to listen carefully and respond appropriately to input and feedback.

You will be responsible for the management of the venue team and task group volunteers, including organising rotas, preparing payroll, processing annual leave requests, organising training, supporting ongoing personal development and wellbeing for the team. A cafe and bar offering will be inside the club and will sit within the General Manager’s responsibilities; service, stock management, ordering, handling deliveries and accurate reporting will be essential to the smooth running of this offer. There will also be significant admin and process‑driven duties including finance admin (such as raising Purchase Orders and Invoices using Xero and spreadsheets), setting up and maintaining the bookings software, managing subscriptions / services and ensuring systems are in place to ensure that licensing requirements are met. You will be responsible for regularly reviewing systems, operations and procedures and making any necessary minor adjustments or reporting any major issues or ideas for improvement to the Directors, with suggestions to resolve or implement them. Therefore this role requires you to be constructive and solution focused. You will be supported by a Finance, People & Culture and Comms Team who primarily work from a different office, therefore a collaborative approach to working with others is key. As you will also be the main Point of Contact for a number of our key suppliers, staff and stakeholders, it is vital that you build strong and positive working relationships with them all too, ensuring that they have any information and updates required. Communication is key. As is a solid understanding of organisational policies and values in order to implement them through your work on this project.

Personal Characteristics

• Proactive, forward thinker
• Practical
• Reliable
• Flexible & dynamic
• Solution focused
• Connector who enjoys being around people and contributing to the local community
• Diligent with careful attention to detail
• Comfortable working evenings and weekends

Skills and Experience

• Venue Management Experience
• Team Management Experience
• Confident, friendly, positive and inclusive communicator - in‑person, on the phone, emails and via messaging services.
• Excels in customer service and customer facing responsibilities
• Experience of using computers in particular spreadsheets & Google suite.
• Experience working in a community or social setting.
• Experience working in the food & beverage sector.
• Practical skills for basic upkeep and maintenance of a venue or public facing space (such as basic repair skills, ability to use power tools etc.)
• Finance Admin Experience
• Accurate record‑keeping and admin skills.
• Experience of handling necessary H&S assessments and other legal requirements for running a venue.
• Organised and able to plan and prioritise effectively.
• Ability to multi‑task.
• Project Management Skills
• Event Management Experience
• Experience of working with booking systems and / or memberships
• Experience working in a licensed premises
• Youth Work Experience
• Implementation of sustainable operational practices
• Experience using Canva
• Basic food hygiene Certificate
• First Aid Trained
• Personal License Holder
• DBS Checked
• Holds current UK driving license

Other Information

Organisation EDI Statement - St George Bowls and Social Club CIC is committed to increasing diversity within our workforce, promoting equality and openly challenges discrimination. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds.

Organisation Access Statement - We are also committed to promoting equality of opportunity for disabled staff. We aim to support disabled staff by making reasonable adjustments wherever possible to prevent any disadvantage. If you would like to discuss this informally and confidentially prior to making an application, please contact our Accessibility Manager - accessibility@teamlove.org.

Physical Description of Work - This role is a mixture of office based, and on site work at the Club, with desk work, and physically active work, involving moving, bending, lifting and handling goods. This role requires someone to move around independently and extensively.

If you think this sounds like the role for you, please apply using the form below: If you have any questions about the role, or need the application form in an alternative format please contact jobs@teamlove.org. Interviews will be held on Friday 13th March 2026 in St. Werburghs, Bristol. Applicants must be available for interview on this date. St George Bowls and Social Club CIC operates under UK Employment Law and we will require evidence of your right to work in the UK at interview stage.