General Manager - Full Time - London, Waterloo Station

General Manager – Grind (Compass Group, Waterloo Station)

At the heart of One Retail, our mission is to enhance every customer experience through exceptional service, offers, and partnerships with relevant and leading brands.

As Unit Manager, you’ll run the day-to-day operations, inspire a great team and deliver exceptional service in a fast-paced, high-volume coffee environment. You’ll take ownership of sales, budgets, and KPIs while driving a positive, motivated culture that lives and breathes the Grind and Compass values.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operations of a high-volume restaurant in line with Grind and Compass standards

• Ensure the team delivers exceptional customer service and consistently exceeds guest expectations

• Manage, inspire, and develop a team of up to 30–45 employees

• Create and manage weekly rotas in line with payroll and business needs

• Monitor and analyse P&L performance, budgets, and KPIs, implementing strategies to drive growth

• Recruit, onboard, and train new employees, ensuring ongoing staff development and engagement

• Deliver regular team briefings and ensure effective communication across all roles

• Maintain a strong, positive culture that motivates staff and improves retention

• Uphold all compliance, health & safety, and operational standards set by both Grind and Compass Group

What we’re looking for

• Proven experience in a management role within hospitality, retail, or coffee operations (minimum 2 years)

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage large teams in a fast-paced environment

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

• Commercial acumen, with experience managing budgets, rotas, and KPIs

• A hands-on leader who thrives under pressure and leads by example

• Passion for hospitality, customer service, and sustainability

• If you’re passionate about great coffee, people, and making an impact – we want to hear from you!

As part of Compass you'll help to feed people, fuel progress and forge connections in around 6,000 venues. Join us to grow your career with the industry leader, and get competitive pay, great perks and unrivalled opportunities for learning and development, at one of the UK's biggest businesses.

Job Reference: com/1908/43458001/52758032/BU #One Retail

Compass Group UK&I is committed to fostering an environment where every individual can truly be themselves at work and has equal opportunities to advance in their careers. We strive to build a culture that respects and celebrates the unique talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities of all our team members. We want our colleagues to feel valued, empowered to reach their full potential, and to thrive - because diversity is our strength!