General Manager

Thefellowshouse; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive salary package

Go Hilton Travel Programme

50% F&B discount for Hilton stays

Staff meals and hot drinks on shift

Career development

Job summary

The Fellows House in Cambridge is seeking a General Manager to lead the property into its next chapter. You will have full authority over the operating team, reporting to the board, and will focus on brand positioning, commercial performance, and a vibrant lifestyle programme that resonates with locals and guests alike.

We are looking for senior hospitality leadership with experience at comparable properties, a passion for design, food and culture, and a people-centered approach to develop

Qualifications

• Senior hospitality leadership experience, ideally including time as a General Manager or Hotel Manager at a comparable property.
• Exposure to lifestyle or boutique positioning.
• Familiarity with brand standards and safety compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the operating team across Rooms, food & beverage, events, commercial & revenue, marketing, finance and people.
• Own GOPPAR, RGI, TRevPAR and direct booking strategy, delivering annual budgets with Finance.
• Maintain brand position and curate lifestyle programming that elevates the property’s profile.
• Develop and lead Cambridge market relationships with colleges, universities, and anchor clients.
• Ensure safety, brand and licensing compliance in line with Curio Collection and Hilton standards.

Skills

Hospitality leadership

Budgeting & forecasting

Revenue growth

People leadership

Job description

“Everyone can rise above their circumstances and achieve success if they are dedicated and passionate about what they do”.– Nelson Mandela

About the property

The Fellows House sits in one of the most culturally rich cities in the world, within the lifestyle collection of one of the most respected hotel brands in the world. Our ambition is to be the destination hotel for Cambridge: the place the city's professionals, academics and visitors choose to gather, eat, stay and create memorable moments.

Alongside the guest experience, we operate The Folio Bar and Kitchen and The Sage of Cambridge. These are not amenities. They are commercial engines and brand expressions that we want Cambridge locals to know and love, not just hotel guests.

The opportunity

We are looking for a General Manager to lead The Fellows House into its next chapter. The property is in good shape, the team has real talent, and the building blocks are in place. This is a role about building: brand position in the city, commercial performance, lifestyle programming, and a culture people want to be part of.

You will lead the property as a standalone business, with full authority over the operating team and the decisions that shape the property day to day. You will report to the Board of the privately held owner, who will act as a source of strategic counsel, open doors in the Cambridge market, and invest in your development for the long term.

What you will be doing:

Lead the operating team.

Rooms and operations, food and beverage, events, commercial and revenue, marketing, finance and people. You set direction with each Head of Department, support their growth, and hold the standards The Fellows House requires.

Deliver the commercial performance.

You own GOPPAR, RGI, TRevPAR, direct booking share and the financial returns that make the property sustainable, building and delivering the annual budget with the Director of Revenue and the Financial Controller.

Hold the brand position.

Deliver guest experiences worth talking about and build the reputation of The Fellows House as the leading lifestyle hotel in Cambridge.

Curate the lifestyle programme.

Lead events and cultural programming that bring locals through the doors and build the profile of the property well beyond its guest base.

Lead in the Cambridge market.

Build active relationships across colleges and universities, science parks and corporate, cultural and academic institutions, and events and weddings, and secure contracts with anchor clients.

Hold safety, brand and operational standards.

You are the accountable officer for safety, health, brand and licensing compliance, working to the standards of Curio Collection, Hilton and the regulatory environment.

Partner on people and culture.

Work closely with the HR Manager to develop the senior team, invest in internal promotion, and build the kind of engagement that compounds into retention.

What we are looking for

The next General Manager is someone whose presence in the property changes the temperature for the better. The qualities matter more than any specific career path.

Senior hospitality leadership experience, ideally including time as a General Manager or Hotel Manager at a comparable property, with exposure to lifestyle or boutique positioning. Hilton brand experience is welcomed but not required.

A natural curiosity about the lifestyle and cultural world the property operates within. Genuine interest in Cambridge as a place, in design, in food and drink, and in the things that make a property distinctive.

Real care for the team, the guests and the property. Present without micromanaging, generous with credit, clear with accountability.

People centred. Leadership built on relationships. Listens well, develops people, and is comfortable holding difficult conversations because the relationship can hold them.

Fluent with budgets, forecasts and performance data, with ideas about how to grow revenue and protect margin, and a view that commercial outcomes follow from getting culture and operations right.

Open to learning, interested in AI and digital tools, in new revenue ideas, and in what other lifestyle properties are doing well.

Our Values Are:

Cultured

We believe in being our best and true selves every single day and delivering the most refined experiences possible. We believe in always having good manners and being polite. We never let our high standards slip, have impeccable taste and an eye for detail. We have a deep love and respect for all cultures and cultural pursuits.

Devoted

We are wholly committed to creating perfect experiences for our guests and teams alike. We are trustworthy and fiercely loyal. Everything we do is fuelled by passion. Passion for excellence. Passion for making the world a better and more interesting place. Passion for sharing wisdom. Passion for supporting each other to be the best we can be.

Person-centred

We believe in understanding and engaging with everyone on a human level. We recognise that everyone deserves to be appreciated for the genuine person they are with unique needs, desires, tastes, and preferences.

Benefits of working at The Fellows House:

• Comprehensive salary package
• Access to GO Hilton Travel Programme – stay in Hilton Hotels around the world for as little as $35.
• 50% F&B Discount when staying in Hilton Hotels through the Go Hilton Travel Programme
• Staff meals and hot drinks on shift
• Career Development
• Extensive learning & development opportunities

In exchange for your efforts and dedication, we offer a fantastic place to work, an opportunity to help shape our hotel's continued success and a comprehensive benefits package.