General Manager

Sodexo Live!; Leeds; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Benefits fund (£1,300)

Excellent bonus and benefits package

Job summary

Sodexo Live! is seeking a General Manager to lead operations at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, delivering exceptional hospitality, retail, culinary, logistics and events, while driving strong financial performance on matchdays and conferences.

The role requires strategic leadership, robust partner relationships and a track record of managing large teams in high-profile venues. A commercially minded, proactive leader is essential.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in stadia, arenas, or large venues.
• Proven success managing P&L and commercial strategy.
• Experience delivering public retail and premium hospitality operations.
• Track record of leading large, diverse operational teams.
• Excellent client and stakeholder relationship management skills.
• Experience driving customer experience and service excellence.
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to interpret financial data.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-profile event environment.

Responsibilities

• Providing senior leadership across all venue operations for matchdays, events and conferences.
• Acting as key relationship lead for venue partners and stakeholders.
• Driving commercial performance and ensuring profitability and efficiency.
• Leading, motivating and developing large multi-disciplinary teams across hospitality and events.
• Ensuring safety, diversity, inclusion and compliance with health and licensing requirements.
• Supporting development and delivery of venue business plans and growth strategies.
• Identifying and delivering innovation and revenue growth opportunities.
• Ensuring services align with contractual commitments and KPIs.

Skills

Senior leadership

P&L management

Commercial strategy

Team leadership

Client/stakeholder management

Customer experience

Financial data interpretation

Fast-paced environment

Job description

• Headingley Stadium, St Michael's Lane, Leeds LS6 3BR
• up to £60,000pa depending on experience + excellent bonus and benefits package
• Flexible Benefits fund of £1,300 to utilise across an array of benefits

At Sodexo Live!, we create exceptional moments and unforgettable experiences for guests, partners and teams across some of the worlds most exciting venues.

We are looking for an inspiring General Manager to lead our operations at Headingley Stadium in Leeds.

Headingley Stadium is one of the UK's most iconic sporting venues, hosting international cricket, elite rugby league, major live music concerts and a vibrant year-round programme of conferences, events and hospitality experiences. From unforgettable sporting occasions to sold-out concerts and high-profile corporate events, no two days are the same; this is an exciting opportunity to lead operations at a venue that sits at the heart of Leeds' entertainment and events scene.

This is a high-profile leadership role where you will be the driving force behind operational excellence, commercial performance and team culture, ensuring we consistently deliver outstanding hospitality and service for our venue partners, guests and fans.

As General Manager, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across all Sodexo Live! services at Headingley Stadium. Acting as the primary point of contact for venue partners, you will lead diverse teams across hospitality, retail, culinary, logistics and events while ensuring exceptional service delivery and strong financial performance.

You will play a critical role in shaping the future of the venue's hospitality and events offer, championing innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement. We're looking for a confident and commercially minded leader with experience managing complex venue operations.

What You'll Do:

• Providing senior leadership across all venue operations, ensuring services are delivered to exceptional standards for matchdays, events and conferences
• Acting as the key relationship lead for venue partners, building strong, trusted partnerships
• Driving commercial performance, managing P&L accountability and ensuring the venue operates profitably and efficiently
• Leading, motivating and developing large, multi-disciplinary teams across hospitality, culinary, retail and events
• Creating a culture of safety, diversity and inclusion, ensuring compliance with all health, safety, food safety and licensing requirements
• Supporting the development and delivery of venue business plans and growth strategies in collaboration with the Account Director
• Identifying and delivering innovation and revenue growth opportunities across hospitality, retail and events
• Ensuring all services operate in line with contractual commitments, KPIs and operational standards

What You Bring:

• Senior leadership experience within stadia, arenas, hospitality venues or large event environments
• Proven success managing P&L performance and commercial strategy
• Strong experience delivering public retail and premium hospitality operations
• A track record of leading large and diverse operational teams
• Excellent client and stakeholder relationship management skills
• Experience driving customer experience and service excellence
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to interpret financial data
• The ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-profile event environment