General Manager (New Opening)

Salary Details

Salary Description: Competetive Salary Offered

Job Description For General Manager (New Opening)

Description

General Manager • New Opening • The Standard, Lisbon

Let's Go Lisbon! slated to open 2026, The Standard, Lisbon marks our long-anticipated arrival in one of Europe's most happening cities.

The Standard, Lisbon, located at Palácio Santa Clara rises above the colourful alleyways of Alfama, one of the most picturesque neighbourhoods in Lisbon to offer first-row seating to the best river views in town. Built upon the ancient College of St. Francis Xavier which has continuously served as the Portuguese Royal Navy Hospital for over 200 years. Samuel Torres de Carvalho is a leading architect dedicated to reimagining the property to a forward-facing Lisbon, that promises to expect the unconventional, whist carefully respecting the buildings heritage.

Anchored in food, music, art, and culture, The Standard, Lisbon brings the brand's design, culture and activation-driven philosophy to Portugal and will be a place for both locals and travellers to soak up the best of Lisbon. With 165 guestrooms (plus adjacent residences), this expansive property features numerous spaces for The Standard's renowned day- and nightlife programming. The ground floor welcomes guests and locals into the lobby lounge, pharmacy bar, all day dining restaurant, and multiple terraces, gardens and pool deck. Upstairs, there is the Café, Spa & Gym, plus event spaces. The Rooftop features its own dedicated bar and roof terrace-set to become a neighbourhood destination. Throughout the building, additional public and private event spaces are platforms for happenings.

The Standard's signature mix of playful, sophisticated, unexpected hospitality finds roots and resonances in local culture in Lisbon's oldest neighbourhood and the city's cultural hub. Fado's holy land and a charming labyrinth of alleyways, curled staircases and hidden patios, this hole-in-the-wall mecca will surprise and delight time and again, juxtaposed by The Standard, which will of course be anything but!

We are defined by our richness of personality, diversity of background and lifestyle and are now looking for a General Manager who will embody our 'Anything but Standard' ethos as we commence our pre-opening period.

Your role

As the General Manager for The Standard, Lisbon you will work in partnership with the Head of Lifestyle Operations EAME, Ownership and our Senior Leadership team to oversee our critical path and pre-opening period of the hotel, to ensure that the project runs to schedule, pre-opening budgets are managed and the property is successfully launched.

This role is a pivotal within the business to ensure to ensure that strategic commercial decisions flow through all areas of the operation to ensure productivity and profit is maintained at optimum levels. You will lead and guide the senior team through revenue generation, labour productivity and cost control are in line with our pre-opening and operating budget. With this in mind, you will Lead and manage the Annual Budget, Annual Marketing Plan, Annual Capital Expenditure Plan, and Forecasts/Re-forecasts in conjunction with our ownership and ensure strategic objectives are communicated to the team so to share the 'big picture'.

Naturally you will be a strong operator with a solid background within both Rooms and F&B to enable you to take a pragmatic & creative approach to the business in order to develop new concepts, take an active role in hotel programming & events and develop partnerships to support revenue generation across all areas of the business. Your keen eye for details means that you never miss a thing, and your presence within the operation will ensure that our property is maintained meticulously and each area staged to optimise our guest's experience.

We are of course The Standard, and you will play an active role in hosting our guests, from our many parties and events to daily meet and greets with our regular guests. Equally important are our team and you will work closely with our HR team to ensure that effective communication cascades down through all levels through regular meetings and updates, team work is effective and that all team members embody our culture and values.
Finally, you will take overall responsibility across the business for the implementation of company policies and procedures to ensure that all statutory and legal obligations are met, from licencing, fire, health & safety through to insurance and GDPR requirements.

As a natural team leader, you remain calm during challenging situations with the ability to lead, motivate and coach your team to enable them to develop and grow their skills. This is not a 'Standard' General Manager role so you will need to have serious stamina and passion, be highly social, upbeat, and friendly; confident and handle pressure well; thrive in a high-volume, high-energy environment and able to work equally well both independently and as part of a wider senior management team.

Do you have what it takes to be our General Manager at The Standard, Lisbon...

A minimum of 5+ years' experience as a General Manager or Hotel Manager gained within a similar Lifestyle Hotel or large 4- or 5-star Hotel (ideally in the Lisbon region) is essential for this role

In addition to this you may also have....

• Pre-opening Hotel Experience with strong project management skills
• A solid understanding of the Lisbon Hotel market and competitors, local business requirements and understanding of the local labour market
• A background in a High-Volume property with a complex multi-outlet F&B operation
• A solid understanding or experience of managing a busy Nightlife operation
• Excellent understanding of Revenue Management
• Have previously managed the full end to end budgeting process with an excellence commercial acumen
• Be familiar with the arts, music, and entertainment industries
• Have previously led and managed a large team (circa 150 employees)
• Experience across a range of senior management disciplines, with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously
• Be highly social, motivated, and pro-active; you'll need to be the life and soul of the party!!
• You will need to have a flexible approach to working hours including some late nights as we host a regular nightlife programme and parties within the hotel.