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.
Benefits Package
* 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!
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