General Manager - Durham

Lodestone House; North East; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Contributory pension

Career development

Digital GP access

Travel discounts

Discounted groceries

Cinema discounts

Cash rewards

Wellness programs

Job summary

Lodestone House in Durham is seeking a General Manager to lead catering, hospitality and cleaning operations, delivering exceptional service standards across meetings, events and visitors. You will drive financial performance, budgets and purchasing, build strong client relationships, manage recruitment and develop teams, while ensuring Health & Safety and COSHH compliance across the site.

Join Compass Group UK&I's Lodestone House team to grow your career in a high-profile operation with

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a General Manager, Operations Manager, Contract Manager, or similar leadership role.
• Strong catering, hospitality and cleaning management experience.
• Excellent commercial and financial acumen.
• Experience managing large and diverse teams.
• A passion for delivering exceptional customer service.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Knowledge of Health & Safety, Food Safety and compliance requirements.
• Ability to lead change, drive performance and build high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire catering, hospitality, and cleaning teams to deliver exceptional service standards.
• Develop a positive, engaging, and customer-focused culture.
• Manage all aspects of financial performance, including budgets, labour costs, purchasing, and profitability.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships, ensuring contractual requirements are met and exceeded.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement across foodservice and support services.
• Ensure full compliance with Health & Safety, Food Safety, COSHH, and company procedures.
• Oversee recruitment, training, coaching, and development of colleagues.
• Deliver outstanding hospitality experiences for meetings, events, and visitors.
• Manage cleaning operations to ensure high standards of cleanliness, presentation and hygiene.
• Identify opportunities to increase sales, improve efficiencies, and enhance the customer experience.

Skills

General Management

Catering Management

Financial Acumen

Team Leadership

Communication Skills

Health & Safety Compliance

Change Leadership

Hands-on Solutions

Job description

General Manager

Lodestone House, Durham

Salary: £55,000 per annum

The Role

As General Manager, You Will

• Lead and inspire catering, hospitality, and cleaning teams to deliver exceptional service standards.
• Develop a positive, engaging, and customer-focused culture.
• Manage all aspects of financial performance, including budgets, labour costs, purchasing, and profitability.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships, ensuring contractual requirements are consistently met and exceeded.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement across foodservice and support services.
• Ensure full compliance with Health & Safety, Food Safety, COSHH, and company procedures.
• Oversee recruitment, training, coaching, and development of colleagues.
• Deliver outstanding hospitality experiences for meetings, events, and visitors.
• Manage cleaning operations to ensure the highest standards of cleanliness, presentation, and hygiene throughout the site.
• Identify opportunities to increase sales, improve efficiencies, and enhance the customer experience.

About You

• Proven experience as a General Manager, Operations Manager, Contract Manager, or similar leadership role.
• Strong catering, hospitality, and cleaning management experience.
• Excellent commercial and financial acumen.
• Experience managing large and diverse teams.
• A passion for delivering exceptional customer service.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Knowledge of Health & Safety, Food Safety, and compliance requirements.
• The ability to lead change, drive performance, and build high-performing teams.
• A hands-on and solutions-focused approach.

What's in it for You?

• Competitive salary of £55,000
• Opportunity to lead a prestigious operation in Durham
• Career development and progression opportunities
• A supportive and collaborative working environment
• Access to training and professional development
• Company benefits package

Benefits

• 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/0110/A08101/52837192/SU #Lodestone House

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!