General Manager

Windward Management Limited; Dublin; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Windward Management Limited seeks a General Manager to lead The Rest from pre-opening through steady-state operations in Ireland. You will build and lead the team, set standards, and bring the brand to life for every guest, owning the guest experience and day-to-day operations.

This role drives procurement, recruitment, systems, licensing, and operational readiness during pre-opening and then oversees commercial performance, supplier relations, and community engagement post-opening.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a General Manager or senior operations leader in hotels, hostels, or a comparable hospitality environment.
• Experience opening a new property is a strong advantage.
• Confident managing a P&L and commercial performance.
• Hands-on leadership style and comfort on the floor and in the numbers.

Responsibilities

• Take operational lead on the pre-opening critical path, working alongside key stakeholders on procurement, mock-up rooms, kitchen and breakfast area fitout, bar operations, PMS setup, fire safety, licensing, and insurance.
• Recruit, hire, and train the team across all departments - front desk, housekeeping, F&B & facilities.
• Develop and embed operating procedures and service standards ahead of launch.
• Support the sales & marketing team to ensure a strong opening pipeline.
• Own full operational and commercial performance of the property.
• Lead, motivate, and develop the team, fostering a culture that reflects the brand - Straightforward, confident and considered.
• Ensure guest experience consistently reflects The Rest's standards across all touchpoints, from browsing to check-out.
• Manage day-to-day operations across rooms, food and beverage outlets, ensuring smooth cross-department coordination.
• Maintain the highest levels of statutory compliance.
• Build relationships with local suppliers, partners, and the surrounding community.
• Report regularly on commercial and operational performance.

Skills

General Manager experience

Pre-opening experience

P&L management

Hands-on leadership

People management

Brand alignment

Tools

PMS

Job description

The Rest is a new hospitality concept bringing together the comfort of a hotel with the community of a hostel, without asking guests to choose between the two. It is designed as a collective experience - equal parts place and people - where guests can explore, switch off, travel independently or connect with others.

THE ROLE

We're looking for a General Manager to lead The Rest from pre-opening through to steady-state operations. This is a rare opportunity to shape a new property from the ground up building the team, setting the standards, and bringing the brand to life for every guest who walks through the door. You'll be the on-the-ground owner of The Rest - responsible for the guest experience, the team, the P&L and the day-to-day running of the property, while also playing a central role in the pre-opening journey - procurement, recruitment, systems, licensing, and operational readiness.

About this role

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Pre-opening (through to Feb 2027)

• Take operational lead on the pre-opening critical path, working alongside key stakeholders on procurement, mock-up rooms, kitchen and breakfast area fitout, bar operations, PMS setup, fire safety, licensing, and insurance
• Recruit, hire, and train the team across all departments - front desk, housekeeping, F&B & facilities
• Develop and embed operating procedures and service standards ahead of launch
• Support the sales & marketing team to ensure a strong opening pipeline

POST-OPENING

• Own full operational and commercial performance of the property
• Lead, motivate, and develop the team, fostering a culture that reflects the brand - Straightforward, confident and considered
• Ensure guest experience consistently reflects The Rest's standards across all touchpoints, from browsing to check-out
• Manage day-to-day operations across rooms, food and beverage outlets, ensuring smooth cross-department coordination
• Maintain the highest levels of statutory compliance.
• Build relationships with local suppliers, partners, and the surrounding community
• Report regularly on commercial and operational performance

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Proven experience as a General Manager or senior operations leader in hotels, hostels, or a comparable hospitality environment
• Experience of opening a new property is a strong advantage
• Confident managing a P&L and commercial performance
• Hands-on leadership style - comfortable on the floor and in the numbers Experience with hotel/hostel PMS.
• Strong people-management skills; Capable of building a team and a culture from scratch
• Dynamic, decisive, and responsive Genuine alignment with a brand that's straightforward rather than try-hard - someone who gets the difference between novelty and character.

WHAT WE OFFER

• The chance to lead a brand-new property from the ground up
• A role with real autonomy - an opportunity to shine.