Area Manager

SP Exec; Liverpool City Region; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

SP Exec is seeking an experienced Area Manager to lead a diverse estate of up to 30 pubs across Merseyside and the North West. The role operates in a partnership-style model, working with individual pub operators to influence performance and develop strong commercial plans.

The portfolio ranges from community pubs to wet-led and food-led venues. You will take commercial responsibility, build relationships with operators, and drive growth through tailored strategies for each site.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a sizeable, varied pub estate.
• Strong understanding of pub operations and commercial drivers.
• Proven ability to influence performance through coaching and partnerships.
• Solid grasp of P&L, margins and cost control.

Responsibilities

• Oversee up to 30 pubs across Merseyside and North West.
• Build commercially-focused relationships with pub operators.
• Coach and influence operators to improve business performance.
• Develop individual business plans based on opportunities in each pub.
• Drive sales, profitability and sustainable growth across the estate.
• Utilise trading data to identify trends and opportunities.
• Support operators with local marketing and cost control.
• Identify underperformance and implement improvement plans.
• Maintain high operational, compliance and customer standards.
• Support wider business initiatives across the estate.

Skills

Multi-site leadership

Pub sector experience

Commercial acumen

P&L management

Stakeholder relationships

Job description

SP Exec are looking for an experienced Area Manager to lead a diverse estate of up to 30 pubs across Merseyside and the surrounding North West.

This is not a conventional managed-house Area Manager role.

The estate operates across a partnership-style model, so the successful candidate will work closely with individual pub operators to influence performance, build strong commercial plans and help each business reach its potential.

The portfolio is genuinely varied, ranging from community and local pubs through to wet-led and food-led businesses. As a result, we are looking for someone who understands that every pub requires a different approach.

The Role:

You will take commercial responsibility for a broad portfolio of pubs, working alongside operators to improve performance and identify opportunities across each business.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Managing a portfolio of up to 30 pubs across Merseyside and the North West
• Building strong, commercially focused relationships with pub operators
• Coaching, challenging and influencing operators to improve business performance
• Developing individual business plans based on the opportunity within each pub
• Driving sales, profitability, margin and sustainable growth across the estate
• Using P&L, KPI and trading data to identify trends and areas of opportunity
• Supporting operators with local marketing, cost control and commercial decision-making
• Identifying underperformance and agreeing practical plans to improve results
• Maintaining strong operational, compliance and customer standards across the portfolio
• Supporting wider business initiatives and changes across the estate

What We’re Looking For:

This role requires someone who is already operating at Area Manager, Business Development Manager or equivalent multi-site level and can step into a sizeable estate and make an impact quickly.

We are particularly interested in candidates currently working within the pub sector who understand how to drive results through influence rather than direct management.

You may currently be operating within a leased & tenanted, partnership, franchise or similar multi-site model, or be an experienced managed-house Area Manager with a strong commercial and entrepreneurial approach.

About You:

• Current multi-site leadership experience within the pub sector
• Experience managing a sizeable and varied pub estate
• The ability to hit the ground running across a broad geographic patch
• Strong commercial judgement and confidence around P&L, sales, margin and cost control
• The ability to build credible relationships with experienced pub operators
• A coaching and influencing style rather than a purely directive approach
• The ability to recognise that different pubs require different commercial strategies
• Experience supporting operators to build stronger, more sustainable businesses
• An adaptable, pragmatic and hands‑on approach

Experience within a leased & tenanted or partnership-style environment would be particularly relevant.

This is an opportunity for someone who enjoys the commercial side of pubs, wants genuine variety across their estate and likes working with operators to shape stronger businesses rather than simply managing sites from above.

If you’re an experienced pub Area Manager looking for a different style of opportunity, we’d be keen to speak with you.