General Manager

General Manager – Fun City

Location: Dudley, West Midlands

Sector: Leisure / Hospitality / Attractions

Operation: 7-day operation | Weekend-led | Multi-attraction indoor venue with integrated Food & Beverage

Reporting to: CEO

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced, commercially minded General Manager to take full operational ownership of a busy, multi-attraction indoor leisure venue in Dudley.

This is a hands-on leadership role for an operator who understands the demands of a 7-day, weekend-led business and is confident in taking accountability for operations, people, customer experience, and financial performance.

The successful candidate will bring structure, discipline, commercial awareness, and clear accountability to a complex operational environment, while maintaining consistently high standards across the venue and ensuring a positive, professional team culture.

Key Accountabilities

Commercial & Financial Control

• Take ownership of weekly operational and commercial performance reporting.
• Maintain strong control of payroll spend and ensure rota planning is aligned with trading demand.
• Maintain a clear distinction between fixed, variable, and exceptional costs.
• Actively manage margins, identify cost-saving opportunities, and protect profitability.
• Monitor performance against agreed budgets, targets, and KPIs.

Operations & Venue Performance

• Lead the day-to-day operation across all attractions and Food & Beverage areas.
• Ensure attractions are operationally ready, safe, well-maintained, and available for trading.
• Oversee maintenance schedules, contractors, and supplier relationships.
• Ensure consistent opening, closing, and handover procedures are followed.
• Maintain high standards of venue presentation, cleanliness, and operational readiness.
• Ensure full compliance with health & safety and other relevant operational requirements.
• Identify operational issues quickly and ensure they are resolved effectively.

People & Leadership

• Provide visible, hands-on leadership across the venue, particularly during peak trading periods.
• Establish clear management structures, responsibilities, and lines of accountability.
• Ensure fair, transparent, and commercially appropriate shift allocation.
• Oversee structured onboarding, training, and ongoing development across all roles.
• Set clear expectations and hold managers and team members accountable for performance.
• Maintain a professional, respectful, and stable working environment.
• Address performance, attendance, conduct, and operational issues promptly and consistently.

Customer Experience & Systems

• Take ownership of booking systems, rota management, capacity planning, and related operational systems.
• Ensure customer queries, refunds, complaints, and escalations are handled consistently and professionally.
• Maintain clear and effective internal and external communication standards.
• Use operational data and customer feedback to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure systems and processes support a consistent customer experience across the venue.

Non-Negotiable Expectations

The successful candidate must demonstrate:

• Strong rota and payroll discipline
• Clear documentation of processes and procedures
• No reliance on undocumented or “in-head” knowledge
• Visible management presence during weekends and peak trading periods
• Calm, fact-based decision-making under pressure
• A strong sense of ownership and accountability
• Consistent enforcement of operational and performance standards

Reporting & Controls

The General Manager will be responsible for producing accurate, timely, and decision-ready weekly operational reporting, supported by clear commercial commentary.

Key performance indicators will include:

• Payroll %
• Spend per head
• Footfall and conversion
• Attraction utilisation
• Food & Beverage performance
• Revenue and margin performance
• Operational issues and corrective actions

Reports should not simply present figures; they should clearly identify performance trends, key issues, reasons for variance, and recommended actions.

Candidate Profile

You will bring:

• Proven experience as a General Manager or senior operational leader within leisure, hospitality, attractions, or a comparable customer-facing environment.
• Strong understanding of UK payroll, rota planning, workforce management, and employment practices.
• Demonstrable experience managing multi-disciplinary teams in a live operational environment.
• Strong commercial awareness and confidence working with budgets, payroll, margins, and performance data.
• A practical, organised, and structured approach to leadership.
• The confidence to lead from the front while maintaining standards and accountability.
• The ability to remain calm, decisive, and fact-based in a fast-paced operational environment.
• A track record of improving operational consistency, team performance, and commercial results.

What This Role Is Not

This role is not:

• An administrative or desk-based management position.
• A culture-only role without financial and operational accountability.
• A role where responsibility can be delegated without oversight.
• Suited to candidates who are uncomfortable making decisions, enforcing standards, or taking ownership of results.

This is a role for a hands on operator who wants genuine ownership of a venue and its performance.

Why Apply?

This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for an experienced operator looking to take genuine ownership of a growing leisure and attractions business.

Working closely with the CEO and leadership team, you will have the opportunity to shape the venue’s operational strategy, influence key business decisions, develop a high-performing team, and directly drive commercial performance.

You will have the autonomy to make a meaningful impact, with the support of the wider leadership team and the opportunity to help shape the venue’s future as the business continues to grow.

For the right person, this is more than a General Manager role , it is an opportunity to build, improve, lead, and play a significant part in the wider growth of the business and its ambitions across the UK.

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• On-site parking

Work Location: In person