General Manager - PBSA

The People Pod; Tyseley; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Career progression

Pre-mobilisation involvement

Job summary

The People Pod is recruiting a General Manager for a brand-new PBSA site in Birmingham. You will lead pre-mobilisation activities, shape operating standards, and set the tone for resident experience from day one, before taking full operational control in 2027.

You should bring PBSA or equivalent large‑scale building leadership experience, with a strong focus on safety, compliance and driving occupancy. The role offers progression as the portfolio grows and a structured route into senior

Qualifications

• PBSA operational experience in student accommodation or mobilisation/opening is preferred.
• Strong leadership with team coaching and safety emphasis.
• Experience implementing safety frameworks and compliance processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead pre-mobilisation from ground up, supporting sales, marketing and safety frameworks.
• Travel to sites early to learn systems and build cross-site relationships.
• Own building safety, compliance, FRA actions, PPM schedules and audit readiness.
• Act as on-site leader for resident experience, driving safety, engagement and advocacy.
• Develop and mentor the on-site team to deliver service excellence and safe operations.
• Drive occupancy and revenue through KPI tracking and market analysis.
• Manage incidents with calm, ensuring continuous operation.

Skills

PBSA experience

Leadership

Safety & compliance

Stakeholder communication

Team development

Operational management

Job description

General Manager - PBSA

Pre‑Mobilisation & Launch

up to £60,000 + Bonus

Our client is a leading PBSA brand with an amazing culture and a product that consistently raises the bar for student living. With multiple new sites launching over the next few years, this is a business on a serious upward trajectory, creating huge opportunities for progression, development and long‑term career growth.

They're now hiring a General Manager for their brand‑new Birmingham building. This is a rare opportunity to join before mobilisation, shaping the building, embedding standards, supporting sales & marketing, and being part of the journey from day one. For the first nine months, you'll be heavily involved in pre‑opening activity then leading the full operational takeover in 2027.

If you've ever wanted to be part of a site launch, or you've done one before and loved it, this is the perfect moment to step in.

What you'll be doing:

• Leading pre‑mobilisation from the ground up - supporting sales & marketing, preparing operational frameworks, shaping resident experience standards, and ensuring the building is ready for a flawless launch.
• Travelling to operational sites early on to learn systems, processes, safety frameworks, and best practice - building relationships with the wider operations team and understanding the brand's DNA.
• Owning building safety and compliance - including statutory checks, FRA actions, PPM schedules, critical systems and ensuring all documentation is accurate, up‑to‑date and audit‑ready.
• Acting as the on‑site leader for resident experience - ensuring students feel safe, supported, and proud to live in the building, driving rebookers, referrals and strong advocacy.
• Leading and developing your team - coaching, motivating and setting clear standards for service, safety, communication and operational excellence.
• Driving commercial performance - working with the Area Manager to achieve full occupancy, maximise rebookers, track KPIs, analyse competitor activity, and identify new income opportunities.
• Managing incidents and emergencies with calm, clarity and full compliance, ensuring the building remains safe and operational at all times.

What we're looking for:

• PBSA operational experience - ideally someone who has managed a student accommodation building or been part of a mobilisation/opening.
• If not PBSA then Strong BTR leaders with resident‑experience focus or high‑calibre hospitality or retail managers with experience running complex buildings, leading large teams and managing safety‑led environments.
• Someone who thrives in fast‑growth settings, enjoys shaping new buildings, and is excited by the idea of joining early in the journey.
• Deep understanding of building compliance, safety frameworks, statutory checks, PPM, FRA, testing schedules and safety documentation.
• A natural leader who is confident, calm, structured, commercially sharp, and brilliant at communication
• Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable working across multiple sites during early onboarding.

What's in it for you:

• Basic Salary up to £60,000 + 10% Bonus
• Join a PBSA brand with an amazing, values‑led culture
• Be part of significant national growth over the coming years
• A rare chance to join before mobilisation, shaping the building from the ground up
• Work with a genuinely supportive senior team who invest heavily in their people
• Long‑term progression as the portfolio expands
• Monday-Friday generally but some flexibility required during peak student periods (evenings/weekends)