General Manager

Audley Villages; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and bonus

Company pension scheme 5%

33 days holiday including Bank Hols

Bupa Private Medical Insurance

50% food & drink discount nationwide

Staff guest suite discounts

Learning and development opportunities

Employee discount portal access

Healthcare Cash Plan

Refer a Friend bonus

Job summary

Audley Villages, part of AEM Living, invites applications for an experienced General Manager to lead a luxury retirement village in the UK. You will take full responsibility for operational performance, financial results and delivering an exceptional experience for owners and guests.

Reporting to the Area General Manager, you will oversee Hospitality, Leisure, Facilities and Estate Management, lead Heads of Department and collaborate with Sales to support property sales and owner engagement.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in operational leadership in luxury hospitality or premium residential settings.
• Strong commercial awareness with budget, P&L and revenue growth experience.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building with owners, staff and senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead village team, coach Heads of Department and build a high-performing culture.
• Own the village P&L, budgets, costs and profitability opportunities.
• Support property sales by partnering with the Sales team to enhance owner experiences.
• Deliver consistently high service across Hospitality, Leisure, Estate Management.
• Develop people through recruitment, performance, engagement and succession planning.

Skills

Leadership

Commercial acumen

Hospitality operations

Staff development

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

At Audley, our luxury retirement villages are set in beautiful locations across the UK, offering owners the opportunity to enjoy independent living in their own homes, surrounded by exceptional facilities, hospitality, leisure and lifestyle services.

As part of AEM Living, which brings together Audley Villages, Mayfield Villages and Elysian Residences, we're proud to create communities where our owners can enjoy the lifestyle they choose, supported by outstanding service and a dedicated village team.

The Role

We're looking for an experienced and commercially driven General Manager to lead one of our luxury retirement villages, taking full responsibility for its operational performance, financial success and the exceptional experience we deliver to our owners and guests.

Reporting to the Area General Manager, you'll oversee all aspects of village operations, including Hospitality, Leisure, Facilities and Estate Management, leading a team of Heads of Department to deliver outstanding service and commercial results.

You'll also work closely with our Sales team to support property sales, ensuring prospective owners experience the very best of village life and helping to create an environment that makes our villages an exceptional place to call home.

This is a highly visible leadership role where you'll be at the heart of village life, building strong relationships with owners, supporting the sales journey, developing your team and ensuring the village continues to be a wonderful place to live, visit and work.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading your village team – inspire, coach and develop your Heads of Department and wider team, creating a positive, engaged and high-performing culture.
• Driving commercial performance – take full accountability for the village P&L, managing budgets, controlling costs and identifying opportunities to grow revenue and profitability.
• Supporting property sales – work in partnership with the Sales team to support the sale and resale of properties, ensuring prospective owners receive an exceptional experience when visiting the village.
• Delivering exceptional service – ensure consistently high standards across Hospitality, Leisure, Estate Management and all village services.
• Building owner relationships – maintain a visible presence within the village, engaging regularly with owners, listening to feedback and continually improving their experience.
• Growing the business – work with Sales, Marketing and your management team to maximise property sales opportunities, restaurant revenue, leisure club membership and engagement within the local community.
• Maintaining operational excellence – ensure the village operates safely and efficiently, with high standards of compliance, maintenance and presentation.
• Developing your people – take ownership of recruitment, performance, engagement, training and succession planning to build a strong and motivated team.
• Driving continuous improvement – identify opportunities to improve services, streamline operations and deliver an exceptional experience for owners and guests.

About You

We're looking for a confident, hands-on leader who combines strong commercial awareness with a genuine passion for luxury hospitality and exceptional customer service.

You’ll Bring

• Experience in an operational management role within a 4 or 5-star hospitality establishment, luxury residential environment or similar premium customer-focused business.
• Natural leadership ability, with the confidence to inspire, motivate and develop a high-performing team.
• Strong commercial awareness, with an understanding of budgets, financial performance and driving revenue opportunities.
• A genuine passion for delivering exceptional customer service, with a warm, professional and approachable manner.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage with owners, prospective buyers, colleagues and senior stakeholders.
• A hands-on, proactive approach, working closely with departmental managers to maintain high standards and support operational needs.
• Strong organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to balance competing priorities and make sound decisions.
• A collaborative approach, recognising the importance of working with Sales to support property sales and the wider commercial success of the village.
• The ambition and drive to take ownership of a village operation and continually improve its performance.

Most importantly, you'll be someone who leads by example, takes pride in delivering exceptional standards and has the drive to make a real difference to both your team and our owners.

What We Offer

Alongside a rewarding leadership role in a beautiful working environment, you'll enjoy a fantastic range of benefits designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance and career development.

• Competitive salary and bonus opportunity.
• Company pension scheme with a 5% employer contribution.
• 33 days' holiday, inclusive of Bank Holidays.
• Bupa Private Medical Insurance.
• 50% discount on food and drinks at all our restaurants nationwide.
• Guest suite accommodation at staff rates across our luxury villages nationwide.
• Excellent learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.
• Free membership to our employee discount portal, offering savings at major retailers.
• Free membership to our Healthcare Cash Plan Scheme.
• Refer a Friend bonus scheme.
• And much more!

AEM Living is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. See also ‘DE&I policy/statement’