Lead General Manager - East Midlands - Leicester

SSP; Leicester; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global food service company in Leicester is seeking a Lead General Manager to oversee multi-unit operations. This role demands strong leadership skills and experience with P&L management, ensuring operational excellence while fostering a high-performing culture. The ideal candidate will manage staff development and compliance with safety standards. Competitive salary of £45,000 p.a. along with numerous employee benefits including discounts and flexible working options.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Discounted meal on shift

Colleague discount – up to 50%

Flexible working

Management bonus scheme

Access to digital GPs

Wellbeing support

Apprenticeships and ongoing development

Life assurance

Share incentive plan

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing multi-unit operations in a high-volume retail or food service environment.
• Strong leadership and development skills, proven track record of high-performing teams.
• Experience with P&L management and commercial decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop site Managers and their teams.
• Oversee scheduling, workforce planning, and P&L ownership.
• Ensure compliance with Food Safety and operational policies.

Skills

Leadership and people development

P&L management

Food Safety compliance

Organisational skills

Problem-solving skills

Communication

Adaptability

Tools

WFM

Lynx

Job description

Lead General Manager – Overview

It takes a lot of great people to run one of our units, and it takes an inspirational leader to ensure our units deliver exceptional customer service and operational excellence. You’ll face lots of interesting challenges as you lead your team and business to be the "best part of our customers journey" every day. The Lead General Manager is accountable for leading and managing the full site operation, overseeing multiple units within a location. They are responsible for driving commercial performance, operational excellence and compliance standards across the site. This role ensures a seamless and efficient operation while fostering a high‑performing, people‑focused culture that delivers results in line with business goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop Managers and their teams to build capability and engagement across the site.
• Oversee scheduling and workforce planning to meet operational demands and optimise labour spend.
• Support recruitment, onboarding and retention efforts across all site units.
• Take full ownership of the site’s P&L, identifying opportunities to improve revenue, reduce costs and maximise profitability.
• Monitor and manage labour, waste, and stock control in line with targets.
• Analyse performance data to inform decisions and take corrective action where needed.
• Ensure full compliance with all Food Safety, Health & Safety, and operational policies and procedures.
• Lead internal and external audits across the site, driving continuous improvement and embedding best practices.
• Ensure all units maintain required documentation and are always audit‑ready.
• Work closely with Operations managers and support functions to contribute to the wider regional strategy.
• Identify and implement local initiatives to improve customer satisfaction, team engagement and commercial performance.
• Act as the key point of contact for site‑wide communications and operational updates.
• Promote sustainability awareness to include environmental and social responsibility.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing multi‑unit operations, ideally within a high‑volume retail, hospitality or food service environment.
• Strong leadership and people development skills, with a track record of building high‑performing teams.
• Solid understanding of P&L management, labour control and commercial decision‑making.
• Experience in Food Safety and Health & Safety compliance, including managing audits.
• Excellent organisational, communication and problem‑solving skills.
• Adaptability, resilience and a hands‑on approach to managing through others.
• Experience using operational systems like WFM, Lynx.
• Ability to respond to unexpected challenges such as staff shortages, customer complaints, supply chain issues.
• Experience of communicating with external and internal stakeholders.

SSP is proud to be an equal‑opportunity employer that seeks to recruit and retain the most talented individuals from a variety of backgrounds, skills and perspectives.

Benefits

• Competitive salary of £45,000 p.a.
• Discounted meal on shift
• Colleague discount – up to 50%
• Friends & Family discount – up to 20% (T&C apply)
• Flexible working
• Management bonus scheme
• Access to digital GPs, 24/7 helpline for you & family
• Wellbeing support through Retail Trust and family‑friendly leave
• Variety of networks to support you – Neurodiversity, LGBTQ+ and many more
• Life assurance
• Apprenticeships and ongoing development opportunities
• Share incentive plan (SIP)

About the Company

We are the global food travel experts, offering delicious options whether you’re flying, taking a train or just passing by. We work with more than 500 brands, from our own creations like Upper Crust, Millie’s Cookies, Café Local and Beer House to well‑known franchises such as M&S, Starbucks, Burger King, The Breakfast Club & BrewDog.