General Manager

Heartwood Inns; Lewes; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare

Bonus scheme

Stepping Stones training

EarlyPay

Maternity/Paternity leave

Referral bonus

Holiday purchase option

Meal discounts

Bedroom discounts

Cycle to work

Birthday gift

Long service recognition

Job summary

Heartwood Inns is seeking an exceptional General Manager to lead premium pubs, restaurants or fresh-food hospitality sites with a hands-on, guest-focused approach. You will drive performance from the floor, manage standards, culture, and profitability, and develop your leadership team while delivering outstanding guest experiences across Heartwood Collection venues.

We value people-first leaders with energy, ambition and a strong track record in high-volume operations, including rooms and

Qualifications

• 2–3+ years' experience as a General Manager, ideally within a quality branded or multi-site hospitality environment
• Proven track record of running a successful, high-volume fresh-food operation
• Strong commercial understanding, including P&L, labour, sales, KPIs and profitability
• Ability to lead from the front and be highly visible with guests and your team
• Passion for developing people and building strong management teams
• High standards and attention to detail for exceptional guest experiences

Responsibilities

• Lead from the floor, own standards, culture, sales, labour and profitability
• Develop and coach your operations team across multi-site venues
• Ensure outstanding guest experiences and high-quality hospitality
• Take ownership of sites to drive performance and guest satisfaction

Skills

General Manager experience

People leadership

P&L management

Guest service excellence

Job description

Exceptional General Managers. Exceptional Hospitality.

At Heartwood Collection, we’re not just looking for General Managers — we’re looking for exceptional hospitality leaders who know how to build brilliant teams, deliver outstanding guest experiences and run successful, high-performing businesses.

Across Heartwood Inns and Brasserie Blanc, our General Managers are at the heart of their businesses. They lead from the floor, know their guests, develop their people and take real ownership of everything from standards and culture to sales, labour and profitability.

As an award-winning and rapidly growing hospitality group, this is an exciting opportunity for an experienced General Manager who wants to make an impact and grow with us.

You will need to be an accomplished General Manager with a strong track record in premium pubs, restaurants or fresh-food hospitality.

We’re Particularly Interested In Leaders Who Can Demonstrate

• 2–3+ years' experience as a General Manager, ideally within a quality branded or multi-site hospitality environment
• A proven track record of running a successful, high-volume fresh-food operation
• Strong commercial understanding, including P&L, labour, sales, KPIs and profitability
• The ability to lead from the front and be highly visible with both guests and your team
• A passion for developing people and building strong management teams
• High standards and an eye for the details that create an exceptional guest experience
• Confidence managing all aspects of a hospitality business, including rooms and reception where applicable
• A genuine desire to take ownership, drive performance and make your site the very best it can be

Above all, we’re looking for people-first leaders with personality, energy and ambition — General Managers who inspire their teams and genuinely love hospitality.

General Manager- The Benefits

• Competitive salary package including TRONC and KPI-based bonus
• 48-hour contract
• Private healthcare with Bupa
• Bespoke training and career development through our Stepping Stones programme
• Employee Assistance Programme with Hospitality Action
• Hundreds of discounts through Reward Gateway
• Instant access to pay through EarlyPay
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Up to £1,500 referral bonus
• Option to purchase up to 5 additional days' holiday
• 50% off food at Heartwood Inns and Brasserie Blanc, plus 20% for family and friends
• Discounts across our beautiful Inn bedrooms
• Birthday gift and Long Service Recognition
• Cycle to Work Scheme

Join an award-winning collection

Heartwood Collection Is Proud To Have Been Recognised As

• Sunday Times Best Places to Work – 2024
• Double winner – Publican Awards 2024
• Best Pub Brand/Concept – Publican Awards 2025

With an expanding collection of pubs, brasseries and beautiful bedrooms, we’re building something special — and we’re looking for outstanding General Managers who want to be part of it.

If you’re an experienced General Manager who knows how to lead people, drive a business and create hospitality that guests want to return to, we’d love to hear from you.

Bring your personality. Bring your standards. Bring your ambition. We’ll give you the opportunity to make your mark.