General Manager - Costa Support Centre

Compass Group UK; St Albans; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Career development opportunities

Healthcare benefits

Discounts on travel and cinema

Job summary

Compass Group UK is seeking a General Manager to oversee the Costa Support Centre in St Albans. You will manage catering, hospitality, cleaning, and workplace services, delivering exceptional service and driving operational excellence within a prestigious corporate environment.

This high-profile role requires strong leadership, budget oversight, stakeholder engagement, and a hands-on approach to continuously improve guest and colleague experiences.

Qualifications

• Experience as General Manager or similar leadership role in hospitality or facilities
• Proven budget, P&L, and financial controls experience
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• Knowledge of Health & Safety and Food Safety standards

Responsibilities

• Take full responsibility for the overall management of the catering, hospitality, and cleaning operation
• Lead, motivate, and develop a multi-functional team to deliver exceptional customer service
• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders and act as the on-site liaison
• Ensure smooth day-to-day operations across foodservice, hospitality, events, and soft services
• Manage budgets, P&L performance, labour costs, and financial reporting
• Drive commercial performance while enhancing the customer experience
• Oversee stock control, purchasing, and waste management to improve cost efficiencies
• Ensure all areas operate safely and in compliance with company standards
• Manage hospitality requests, meetings, events, and visitor catering
• Monitor cleaning standards and maintain a safe, welcoming environment
• Deliver operational KPIs and continuous improvement initiatives
• Foster a positive team culture focused on engagement and retention

Skills

Leadership

People management

Budgeting

P&L

Stakeholder management

Communication

Hospitality

Operations management

Job description

General Manager – Costa Support Centre, St Albans

Lead a High-Profile Corporate Hospitality Operation

Salary: £44,000 per annum
Hours: 40 hours per week

We are looking for an experienced and passionate General Manager to oversee the catering, hospitality, cleaning, and workplace services operation at Costa's Support Centre in St Albans.

This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic leader to manage a diverse, customer-focused operation within a prestigious corporate environment. You'll be responsible for ensuring exceptional service standards across hospitality, foodservice, and cleaning functions while driving operational excellence, team engagement, and financial performance.

No two days are the same. From managing day-to-day catering operations and hospitality events to overseeing cleaning standards and stakeholder relationships, you'll play a pivotal role in creating an outstanding workplace experience for Costa colleagues and visitors.

What You'll Be Doing

• Taking full responsibility for the overall management of the catering, hospitality, and cleaning operation
• Leading, motivating, and developing a multi-functional team to deliver exceptional customer service
• Building strong relationships with key stakeholders and acting as the primary point of contact on site
• Ensuring smooth day-to-day operations across foodservice, hospitality, events, and soft services
• Managing budgets, P&L performance, labour costs, and financial reporting
• Driving commercial performance while identifying opportunities to enhance the customer experience
• Overseeing stock control, purchasing, and waste management to achieve cost efficiencies
• Ensuring all areas operate safely and in compliance with Food Safety, Health & Safety, and company standards
• Managing hospitality requests, meetings, events, and visitor catering requirements
• Monitoring cleaning standards and ensuring a safe, welcoming, and professional environment throughout the site
• Delivering operational KPIs and continuous improvement initiatives
• Creating a positive team culture that prioritises engagement, development, and retention

What We're Looking For

• Previous experience as a General Manager, Operations Manager, Catering Manager, or similar leadership role
• Strong background in hospitality, catering, foodservice, workplace services, or facilities management
• Proven experience managing budgets, P&L, financial controls, and operational performance
• A confident and inspirational people leader with experience managing diverse teams
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
• Strong organisational and planning abilities with great attention to detail
• Experience delivering hospitality and events within a corporate or business environment is desirable
• Knowledge of Health & Safety, Food Safety, and compliance standards
• A hands‑on, proactive approach with the ability to make decisions and solve problems effectively
• Passion for delivering an exceptional customer and workplace experience

What's in It for You?

• Salary of £44,000 per annum
• Opportunity to lead a prestigious multi-service operation within Costa's Support Centre
• A varied role combining catering, hospitality, cleaning, and operational leadership
• Career development opportunities within a large and supportive organisation
• The chance to make a significant impact on the overall workplace experience
• A collaborative and people-focused working environment

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families

About Us

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Job Reference: com/1509/45326001/52830274/R/SU #One Retail

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!