General Manager

SUMMARY:
A five‑star boutique lodge and lifestyle destination in the KwaZulu‑Natal Midlands is looking for a GENERAL MANAGER

POSITION INFO:
The property is an award‑winning boutique lodge in the KwaZulu‑Natal Midlands, featuring five luxury villas, a licensed restaurant, and expanding into weddings, conferencing, and curated lifestyle experiences. The General Manager role is pivotal in shaping this vision, leading operations across accommodation, dining, guest experiences, and events, while driving commercial growth, brand development, and team culture to deliver a seamless, elevated guest journey. Core Criteria: Diploma or Degree in Hospitality Management, Business Management, or related field 7-10 years' senior management experience in luxury hospitality, boutique hotels, lodges, or lifestyle destinations Strong knowledge of operations across rooms division, food & beverage, events, and conferencing Proven leadership and people management capability Strong financial and commercial acumen Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Strong operational systems and organisational capability Ability to work flexible hospitality hours when required Multi-department hospitality leadership experience Experience in destination hospitality, lifestyle properties, or experiential luxury brands Strong food & beverage appreciation and guest experience orientation Established hospitality industry network advantageous Candidate Responsibilities: Oversee full day-to-day operations: accommodation, food & beverage, conferencing, events, guest experiences, housekeeping, maintenance, security, and administration Maintain exceptional service standards and operational consistency across all divisions Develop and implement operational systems, policies, procedures, and performance standards Drive a guest-centric culture focused on personalised service and memorable experiences Monitor guest satisfaction and implement corrective actions where needed Oversee restaurant and bar operations, ensuring culinary quality, profitability, and service excellence Provide strategic oversight of weddings, conferences, retreats, and special events Drive occupancy, revenue growth, profitability, and operational sustainability Manage budgets, forecasts, financial controls, stock management, procurement, and cost optimisation Analyse business performance and implement strategies to improve outcomes Build, lead, and inspire a high-performance hospitality team Recruit, mentor, train, and develop staff and department leaders Manage staff performance, discipline, and accountability Support marketing initiatives, partnerships, and business development opportunities Maintain relationships with travel trade partners, corporate clients, suppliers, and tourism bodies Ensure compliance with hospitality, labour, health & safety, liquor licensing, food safety, and regulatory requirements Oversee risk management and operational compliance standards