General Manager

Lookers Plc; South Shields; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

An automotive retail leader is seeking a driven General Manager for their Car HUB in South Shields. The successful candidate will manage dealership resources to exceed sales and customer satisfaction targets. Responsibilities include leadership, team coaching, and maintaining brand standards. The role requires experience with premium brands and effective people management skills. A generous rewards and benefits package is offered, with a salary up to £120,000 OTE, plus bonuses.

Benefits

Competitive salaries with structured pay scales

Generous annual leave

Enhanced family leave

Access to discounted health care and wellness benefits

Discounted gym memberships

Travel insurance

Qualifications

• Must be operating at General Manager / Head of Business level or experienced Automotive Manager.
• Proven track record in managing a successful team.
• Demonstrates a positive attitude and customer focus.

Responsibilities

• Develop a customer service driven environment and culture.
• Provide clear leadership to teams.
• Monitor business plans and performance against objectives.
• Train and develop department managers.

Skills

Effective people management skills

Ability to communicate effectively

Experience with premium brands

Understanding of Used Car department

Job description

A rare and exciting opportunity has become available for a driven and talented leader to join our team as General Manager, for our Car HUB in South Shields. Your role as GM will be to effectively manage the resources within our Dealerships to achieve business objectives, including sales volumes, profitability, employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction and loyalty levels. This is a fantastic role for the right person to put their talents to the test, by enhancing this already successful business. You will lead a highly motivated team in delivering world class customer service experiences, through efficient communication, team building, and coaching your managers and colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Develop a customer service driven environment and culture through regular communication, team building and coaching with your teams
• Communicate and maintain customer service standards and measurements in line with the requirements of the Brand
• Provide clear leadership by ensuring the vision and objectives for the business are understood and communicated
• Train and develop department managers in line with organisational requirements
• Agree objectives & work standards with department managers reviewing their performance regularly
• Develop and monitor the business plan for all sales areas with senior managers to meet business objectives, profit margins and market penetration

We are looking for someone who is already operating at General Manager / Head of Business level or is an experienced Automotive Manager looking to take their career in the industry to the next level. It essential that you have experience of working with premium brands and have a solid understanding of a Used Car department.

You'll be someone who can demonstrate effective people management skills and has the ability and experience to draw the best performance from their team, as well as communicating effectively to build relationships with employees and customers. Our General Manager will be a real go-getter with a positive can‑do attitude that has genuine regard for the importance of the customer to the sustainability of the business. As representatives of a world‑renowned Brand, all our managers act as trustworthy ambassadors and run their area of responsibility in a manner that honors the Brand values and supports their Brand strategy.

We are one of the top three automotive retailers in the UK, proudly representing 32 manufacturer brands, selling a huge range of new and used vehicles from over 150 dealerships across the UK and Ireland. We believe our people are our greatest asset, and we're committed to recognising the valuable contribution each person makes. That's why we continue to invest in a leading rewards and benefits package designed to support your career, wellbeing, and life outside of work.

Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, plus weekends as required. Salary (depending on experience) up to £120,000 OTE including basic plus bonus.

Benefits

• Competitive salaries with structured pay scales and progression as you grow within the business
• Generous annual leave that increases with your length of service
• Enhanced family leave, including 6 months' full pay for maternity and adoption leave, and 2 weeks' full pay for paternity leave
• Access to Techscheme for discounted technology purchases with flexible payments
• Health & Wellbeing:
  • Eyecare vouchers to help cover vision care needs
  • Smart Health - 24/7 access to GP services to support your mental and physical wellbeing
  • Dental insurance for everyday dental care and unexpected treatments
  • Critical illness cover for peace of mind during life's most challenging moments
• Financial Wellbeing:
  • MyView PayNow - access a portion of your pay as you earn, with features to stream, save, and track your money through a user-friendly app
  • Will writing services to help plan for the future
  • Flexible life assurance options and partner life assurance for added protection
• Leisure & Lifestyle:
  • Discounted gym memberships to support an active lifestyle
  • Travel insurance to help you explore with confidence
  • Access to home and technology vouchers
  • bYond card and a wide range of exclusive retail and lifestyle discounts

We strongly believe in nurturing and providing our people with specific manufacturer brand and management training to enhance career development opportunities. We have a great bunch of people, and we like to celebrate and encourage success at all levels. Lookers and Charles Hurst are an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to a working environment that is free from discrimination, is inclusive, and empowers our people to bring their whole self to work and reach their full potential. If your application is successful, we will conduct relevant employment checks prior to you commencing employment with us. These will include verifying your recent employment, address, credit history and a standard criminal record check. For roles that require you to drive, a driving licence check will also be carried out. Please note, all offers of employment are made subject to a 6 month probation period commencing from your start date.