Job Title: General Manager
Contract: Full time, 45hrs per week. Your time will need to be reasonably flexible throughout the week. (We are open to accepting candidates who would prefer a 40hr week on a pro rata salary)
Salary: Competitive rate; please enquire for further detail. £40k+ experience depending.
Application closing date: Ongoing. We will make our hire when we find the right candidate so please be prompt with your application if you would like to maximise your chances of success.
Why work for us?
Sourdough Sophia is truly a bakery born in the community. During lockdown we set up a micro bakery from our dining room and founded Sourdough Sophia to change the way in which us Brits consume bread one loaf at a time.
Within a couple of weeks we attracted huge queues down the road from our little flat and quickly ran out of space. So, with the help of a successful kickstarter campaign and nearly 600 backers from the local community, we opened the doors to our bakery in 2020, only 8 months after we baked our very first loaf.
Before we opened, we made the firm commitment to bake the most delicious sourdough, serve the most incredible coffee alongside our delicious bakes and level up how we treat our staff by creating a positive and supportive working environment for all. Well, now that we’ve been serving and inspiring the community for over 2 years now, we need someone to come onboard and drive our business to the next level!
Our priority is people.
Sourdough Sophia is family first. Everyone in our team in valued, supported, loved and their progress is nurtured. Our mission is to fix the way in which staff are treated in the hospitality industry. Working in hospitality is always going to be hard, but it shouldn’t be unfair. We believe that hard work done the right way can be the most rewarding experience for you.
We are set to do things differently. No night shifts, fair pay, supportive and positive working environment in which you can feel safe to take risks, make mistakes and learn.
We are set to expand over the coming years and we are looking for incredible talent to help us achieve our ambitious goals! Help us fix the way in which we perceive bread in society and fix the broken food system together, one loaf at a time!
Join our team, and you will:
Be part of an incredibly close-knit team with a detailed understanding of baking, cooking, hospitality and coffee Have excellent opportunities for career progression in a company with big goals. Be given paid training opportunities Enjoy staff perks, including paid sick pay and overtime, staff massage, free lunch, free coffee, pastries and bread every day, access to specialist third-party staff wellbeing services and more.
Why this role?
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get stuck into leading one of our incredible bakeries. Assist with leading a talented team of baristas and build new relationships with the locals. Our sites are amazing in so many ways, inspiring spaces to visit for our customers but also incredible places to work! This is the perfect role for someone experienced in speciality coffee, with a passion for leading a great team, driving our business to the next level and developing relationships with customers. You will have the opportunity to use your talent, experience and initiative to shape the space, FOH operations and customer experiences to your liking. Develop new relationships with local customers. Flex your coffee skills, and truly be proud of your creation! Along with the support of our leadership team and the owners, you will get the chance to make your mark on this wonderful and fast growing business.
Key responsibilities of the role
As a general manager you have a genuine passion for and appreciation of great speciality coffee, amazing service, driving results and supporting a talented team. An instrumental part of the front of house team, the general manager also enjoys building relationships with both staff and guests, fostering a positive and friendly service environment and driving our coffee to the highest standard.
You will work closely alongside the rest of the leadership team and your team of baristas to shape the direction of our FOH operations in our store. Focusing on an incredible service execution and customer experience. Your role should be split appropriately between floor leadership and have some time admin tasks. You will have the autonomy to manage your own time effectively depending on the business needs, but the vast majority of your time should be spent on the floor supporting your team, delivering training and maintaining standards.
Your responsibilities include:
-You oversee FOH and kitchen staff scheduling and write the schedule three weeks in advance. You balance the needs of the business and the team and ensure that your team have the best possible work life balance. You make sure sure their shifts are approved every day and holiday requests are responded to and actioned in a timely fashion. -You ensure that the bakery is adequately stocked with quality baking ingredients and supplies. Inspect bakery items to ensure that established standards on quality, uniformity, and aesthetic appeal are met. -You interview, hire and train new staff members in the FOH and kitchen departments. You provide a structured and organized approach to hiring, displaying our brand in the best light to any new applicants. You are highly skilled in selecting candidates and have a good understanding of who to hire to foster our existing company culture and performance. You structure well-organized, effective and well-communicated training plans for every new starter and you bring onboard and check in with them regularly to make sure progress in monitored and they are adequately supported. You involve your team in the training of each new starter to gain their buy in. -You are the main point of contact for any problems that may occur on site such as equipment or maintenance issues, or any customer complaints that might happen, resolving these in a professional and efficient manor. -You act as a role model for the entire team, you communicate with your staff and build trusting relationships. You lead your team effectively, fairly and assertively. You lead through your team and delegate tasks effectively, looking for opportunities to train them up and keep them engaged. You hold your team to the highest standard and expect self sufficiently, so you don’t get bogged down in the minutia of the day and are able to focus on longer term strategies and ideas that promote business growth. -You provide the pinnacle of customer service ensuring that all customers are served by everyone to the highest standard and that the bakery maintains an excellent reputation. -You make sure all FOH staff are consistently delivering high quality service, energy is high and all customers are given full attention and speedy service. -You provide positive and negative feedback regularly where needed, appraising staff performance and carrying out the necessary disciplinary measures to address poor performance. -You make sure that the queue is always being managed, seating areas are attended to and all other important focusses are looked after (e.g. display, floor cleanliness, bread rack, retail fridge etc). Ensuring that tools, utensils, and equipment are properly cleaned and sanitised. -You ensure that important tasks such as stock taking duties, setting up and setting down duties, and weekly cleaning schedules are all looked after and done on time. -You take a key role in developing new strategies, initiatives and processes, as well as new retail stock options and drinks. Strategically arranging bakery items in display cases to encourage customer purchases. -You take a role in coordinating operations tasks and logistics for example managing cleaning or delivery schedules for your store and you developing the necessary materials and checklists to create sustainable workflows for your team and for the business as a whole. -You have a strong grasp of what makes our business profitable, are developing an understanding of a P&L, and are able to come up with innovative solutions and ideas that drive our business forward. Evaluating how the bakery is performing on a weekly basis and developing strategies for meeting targets. -You make sure that your team execute their share of administrative tasks and record keeping on time (e.g. fridge temp records). Conduct some administrative duties yourself (e.g., writing reports on progress, email correspondence).
What experience and traits do you need for this role?
-A passion for team development, training and support, this is your main priority. -You are a great shift leader and are comfortable delivering training with your team -A passion for quality coffee and warm and friendly customer service -A minimum of two years working in a high-end speciality coffee environment. Ideally, a minimum of one year in a supervisory or management capacity -Be a workflow perfectionist, always seeking the most efficient way to achieve a goal, and always coaching your team to do the same. -Be a personal fit: Engaging personality, positive attitude, attention to detail, bubbly sense of humour, relaxed and approachable vibe. -Willingness to always go the extra mile for our customers and team.
Benefits:
-Paid sick leave and overtime -Competitive salary - Free massages and other wellness treatments including spa treatments and fitness classes - Unlimited support with professional therapists and councillors and free mindfulness and meditation workshops - Schedule 3 weeks in advance - Birthday celebrations - Staff friends and family discount - Mental health support - 28 day’s holiday pay - Pension scheme - Flexible Hours - No evening shifts - Staff meal provided - Free coffees all day long - Fun, open and inclusive workplace environment
