General Manager

This new venture is our most significant commercial launch in a decade, and as General Manager you will play the lead role in making it a success.

Starting shortly before launch you will open the venue, set its standards, build its team and help shape its identity as a high-quality Oxford Road bar and social venue trading from morning coffee through to late-night drinks. Every commercial pound the venue generates goes back into supporting students at the University of Manchester, making this one of the few General Manager roles where the P&L has a purpose beyond profit alone.

The role sits within the Commercial team, working alongside colleagues responsible for Manchester Academy Venues, Bar 532 & Kitchen and Corridor Coffee. Together, the team generates the trading income that supports the Union’s student-facing work while delivering first-class hospitality experiences for students, staff, gig-goers and the wider Oxford Road community.

You will lead the P&L for the site, keeping sales, gross profit, labour and controllable costs on track and taking swift action where needed. In practice, this means clear weekly targets, tight control of wet and dry margins, effective rota planning, strong stock management and a relentless focus on the guest experience.

You will build and lead the newly recruited team of Assistant Managers, Head Chef, Sous Chef, kitchen colleagues and casual bar and floor staff. Developing that team into confident, capable hospitality leaders will be a core part of the role, supported by in-house HR, learning and development, and the wider Commercial leadership team.

You will act as Designated Premises Supervisor, taking responsibility for safe and compliant trading, including licensing, health and safety, food safety, staff training, incident management and responsible alcohol retailing.

You will also lead and shape the venue’s events and programming calendar, working with colleagues and student groups to create the moments that give the venue its identity. Quiz nights, acoustic sessions, Welcome Week takeovers, society activity, University-linked activations and pre-gig trading will all form part of building a venue with community, energy and long-term success.

This role strongly reflects our values of delivering great experiences and building community. It is a rare and exciting opportunity for an experienced and passionate hospitality leader to take the reins at a major new hospitality venue while directly contributing to the student experience at one of the UK’s largest and most diverse universities.