General Manager

Chartwells Independent; York and North Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hospitality provider is seeking a General Manager for its operations at the National Railway Museum in York. The role involves managing catering and hospitality across multiple sites, ensuring exceptional service and compliance with safety standards. Candidates should have at least 2 years of General Manager experience in visitor attractions, strong financial acumen, and a passion for food and customer service. This position offers a competitive salary and benefits.

Benefits

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Free meals on duty

Free on-site parking

Discretionary General Manager bonus scheme

Exclusive travel discounts

Access to wellness programs

Digital GP services

Up to 44% off cinema tickets

Contributory pension scheme

Career development programs

Qualifications

• At least 2 years’ experience as a General Manager in a visitor attraction.
• Proven ability to manage large café and retail operations.
• Strong skills in budget and cost management.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all catering and hospitality operations.
• Build strong relationships with museum stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with Health & Safety regulations.

Skills

General Management experience

Financial acumen

Team leadership skills

Strong communication

Customer service focus

Job description

General Manager

Location: National Railway Museum, York

Salary: Up to £55,000 per year

Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent, 5 over 7 days

Are you ready to take the lead at the world’s largest railway museum?

We’re seeking a driven and people-focused General Manager to oversee the catering and hospitality operations at the National Railway Museum in York. This is an exceptional opportunity to make a lasting impact within a world-class institution that attracts visitors from across the globe. As General Manager, you will lead operations across our busy café and retail sites, ensuring an exceptional experience for every guest. You’ll combine your passion for food, service, and leadership with a commitment to excellence, driving innovation and delivering outstanding experiences across every part of the visitor journey.

Why Join Us?

At Restaurant Associates, we believe in celebrating individuality and nurturing talent. As General Manager, you’ll be supported by an experienced senior leadership team and have the autonomy to shape an exceptional hospitality experience.

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We offer a competitive benefits package, including:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Free meals on duty
• Free on-site parking
• Discretionary General Manager bonus scheme
• Exclusive travel discounts
• Access to wellness, mindfulness, and fitness classes
• Digital GP services for you and your family
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets
• Contributory pension scheme
• Career Pathways and MyLearning development programmes

In this role, you will oversee a multi-outlet catering operation, including two grab-and-go cafés, an assisted-service café, and our destination afternoon tea restaurant, The Countess of York. You will lead and develop the catering operations, ensuring guests remain at the heart of every decision. With around 90% of F&B sales generated from retail food, this role requires a strategic and commercially focused leader who understands the dynamics of high-volume, visitor-led environments.

The National Railway Museum is currently undergoing significant site developments as part of its ambitious Vision programme and major expansion plans, set to transform the museum for the future. Alongside this, a comprehensive refurbishment of the museum’s conference centre is underway - providing an exciting platform to enhance our conference and events offering, attract greater footfall, and grow the business coming into the venue - Learn more about our Masterplan. Because of the site developments as well as the existing catering offering, this role would be suited to an experienced contract catering professional who enjoys leading by example with their hands on the ground approach.

Your Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage all catering and hospitality operations across café, retail, conference and events sites, ensuring consistently high standards of service.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with museum stakeholders, responding to feedback and ensuring client satisfaction.
• Oversee budgets, costs, and staffing levels to achieve commercial targets and operational efficiency.
• Ensure full compliance with Health & Safety regulations, implementing policies and training to maintain a safe working environment.
• Develop and motivate a high-performing team, supporting training, appraisals, and career progression.
• Support strategic initiatives, aligning hospitality operations with organisational goals.

Who We’re Looking For:

• At least 2 years’ General Manager experience (or equivalent), ideally in visitor attractions with a mix of conference, events, café, and retail operations.
• Proven ability to oversee large café and retail sites, delivering excellent service and commercial performance.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, with experience managing budgets, costs, and staffing.
• Excellent team leadership skills, including training, development, and motivation of staff.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, able to build relationships and respond to client needs.
• A passion for food, service, and customer experience, with attention to detail and a commitment to operational excellence.
• Ability to adapt to change and support strategic initiatives, including expansion programmes and site refurbishments.

About Us

Part of Compass Group UK&I, Restaurant Associates provides brilliant hospitality through our food, drink and services. We work with our partners and collaborate with our clients to achieve great things together.Every day, our teams of passionate hospitality professionals strive for excellence in delivering employee dining and hospitality to some of the UK's leading workplace as well as inspiring exceptional experiences in iconic cultural and heritage destinations.

Job Reference: com/1211/60031001/52775041/SU #RA Venues

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!