General Manager – F&B (Bakery & Café Operations)

Private Advertiser; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Private Advertiser in Malaysia is seeking a General Manager to own end-to-end bakery and café performance, from daily operations to long-term strategy, with full P&L accountability and a focus on brand growth.

You will coordinate with overseas Principal and R&D teams, ensuring alignment on product standards and halal compliance while driving market expansion and multi-outlet excellence across operations, marketing, and catering.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Food Science, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years in F&B operations with at least 3 years in General Manager or senior leadership.
• Proven P&L ownership in bakery, café, QSR, or retail F&B operations.
• Experience with halal-certified environments and international coordination with overseas teams.
• Strong retail operations background including multi-outlet management.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management; English required; other languages a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end performance of bakery and café business, including daily ops and long-term strategy.
• Act as liaison with overseas Principal and R&D to ensure product standards and halal compliance.
• Define and execute overall business strategy and growth roadmap.
• Manage P&L, budgets, cost control, and resource allocation.
• Oversee operations across multiple outlets and ensure SOPs and brand standards.
• Plan in-store brand activations and corporate catering initiatives; drive partnerships.

Skills

Leadership

P&L management

Strategy development

Retail operations

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Food Science

Job description

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The General Manager will own end-to-end performance of the bakery and café business, from daily operations to long-term strategy, with full accountability for P&L, brand growth, and market expansion. This role also serves as the key liaison with the overseas Principal and Research and Development teams, ensuring alignment on product, standards, and business direction. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring a balance of operational rigor, commercial acumen, and people management, within a halal-certified business environment.

Strategy & Business Planning

Define and execute the overall business strategy, translating it into actionable goals across operations, retail, and growth functions

Identify expansion opportunities and build new business relationships to support market growth

Develop the strategic roadmap by evaluating technological, financial, and market opportunities, and present recommendations to leadership

Overseas Principal & Research and Development (R&D) Coordination

Serve as the primary point of contact with overseas Principal and R&D teams, ensuring smooth communication across time zones

Align local operations with brand/product standards, guidelines, and new product development set by Principal/ R&D

Coordinate rollout of new products, recipes, or SOP updates from Research and Development into local market execution, ensuring compliance with halal requirements

Provide market feedback (consumer trends, sales performance, local preferences) to inform Principal/ R&D decisions

Financial & Performance Management

Own full P&L accountability, driving profit contribution through effective cost control, staff management and achievement of business objectives

Set sales and profit targets aligned to business expansion plans, factoring in market and economic conditions

Develop, implement, and monitor budgets and resource allocation plans

Analyze cost, operational, and sales data to track progress against goals and forecasts

Prepare and present performance reports with clear recommendations to improve revenue

Operations Management

Oversee day-to-day operations across bakery and café outlets, setting weekly performance goals and ensuring execution

Review sales planning and operational requirements, including outsourcing needs to support new market development

Maintain and enforce SOPs and organizational standards across all outlets, in line with Principal/ R&D guidelines

Ensure ongoing compliance with halal certification requirements across sourcing, production, and outlet operations, including liaison with relevant certification bodies (e.g., JAKIM or equivalent)

Manage hiring, training, and performance of retail and operations staff

Establish and enforce policies that support consistent, high-quality operations

Maintain clear, responsive communication with employees at all levels and external stakeholders/partners

Ensure staff are trained on halal handling practices and standards relevant to their roles

Brand & Marketing Execution

Plan and execute in-store brand activations to drive footfall, engagement, and sales

Identify and manage brand collaborations and partnerships to expand reach and relevance, ensuring alignment with halal brand positioning

Develop and grow the corporate catering channel as a revenue stream, including client acquisition and account management

Ensure all in-store and offline marketing activities are consistent with brand guidelines set by Principal

Team Contribution

Support broader business goals by contributing to cross-functional initiatives as needed

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Food Science, or a related field

Minimum 10 years of experience in F&B operations, with at least 3 years in a General Manager or senior leadership role

Proven track record in bakery, café, QSR or retail F&B operations, including full P&L ownership

Prior experience operating within a halal-certified business is highly preferred; familiarity with halal certification processes and standards is an advantage

Experience working with overseas headquarters, principals, or Research and Development teams across different time zones and cultures

Strong background in retail operations, including multi-outlet management and staff supervision

Demonstrated experience in business expansion, new market development or franchise/outlet scaling

Hands-on experience with in-store marketing activation, brand collaborations or corporate catering/B2B sales is highly preferred

Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting and cost control

Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, comfortable presenting to senior leadership and external partners

Proficiency in English required; additional language skills an advantage for overseas coordination

Willingness to travel occasionally for outlet visits, supplier meetings or overseas coordination as needed