General Manager

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Job Introduction

General Manager - Defence

Location: Salisbury, Wiltshire
Salary: £40,000 Per Annum
Hours: 40 hours per week | Monday-Friday
Reports to: Regional Manager
Services: Catering, Hospitality, Facilities & Retail

About the Role

We're looking for a dynamic and experienced General Manager to lead operations at a Defence site in Salisbury. This is a high-impact leadership role, overseeing multiple service lines across Catering, Hospitality, Facilities Management, and Retail. You'll manage key relationships with our clients-Army personnel and Ministry of Defence stakeholders-while driving operational excellence and exceptional service delivery.

You'll lead a team of 6 departmental managers and oversee approximately 70 team members, ensuring consistent quality, compliance, and efficiency across all service areas.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and inspire your management team and frontline staff to deliver exceptional results across all Soft FM services.
• Manage client and stakeholder relationships effectively, always acting with commercial awareness and professionalism.
• Ensure full compliance with company policies, health & safety regulations (HACCP, Risk Assessments, Incident Reporting), and MOD standards.
• Drive continuous improvement in service delivery, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency.
• Manage budgets, oversee Profit & Loss performance, and ensure financial targets are met or exceeded.
• Work closely with strategic partners, subcontractors, and clients to ensure contractual KPIs and service expectations are achieved.
• Implement and maintain CRM and retention plans in collaboration with the Regional Manager.

What We're Looking For

Essential:

• Proven leadership experience in a Soft FM, foodservice, or similar operational role.
• Experience managing a diverse, multi-functional team in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong commercial acumen with previous P&L accountability.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrable success in growing organic sales and improving service delivery.
• Strong understanding of health and safety protocols and operational compliance.

Desirable:

• Military or Defence sector experience, or working knowledge of MOD contracts.
• Project/change management capabilities.
• Strong IT literacy and comfort with web-based communication tools.
• Experience in hospitality, food production, or facilities management operations.

We ensure you're rewarded for all your hard work, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package which includes but is not limited to:

• Compass will be providing a free meal or equivalent Subsidy while working
• Exclusive travel discounts with TUI, Expedia, Booking.com and many more
• Save money on your food shop with discounts on Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and many more
• Quick access for you and your immediate family to a Digital GP, and wider healthcare benefits
• Up to 44% off cinema tickets to enjoy your favourite blockbuster
• Regular emails filled with the best discounts and savings available
• Receive cash rewards every time you spend and use them on a wide range of brands
• Un-wind with us with free wellness, mindfulness and exercise classes
• You can share all discounts and offers with your friends and families
• Contributory pension scheme
• Grow your career with our Career Pathways and MyLearning programmes

About Us

Part of Compass Group UK&I, ESS is the Defence, Government, and Energy services sector of Compass Group UK & Ireland. We support 250+ UK military establishments, high profile police, secure environments and government sites, along with a range of onshore and offshore facilities including platforms, drilling rigs, floatels and offices for the energy sector. We know that a friendly face makes all the difference, so we look for people who are passionate about delivering excellent customer service, at all levels, to join our teams.

Compass Group UK&I wants everyone in our business to feel able to be themselves at work and to have an equal opportunity to progress their career. We want to create a culture where we respect and embrace everyone's talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities. Where our colleagues feel valued, can reach their full potential, and thrive - Diversity is Our Strength!