The Role

What's the role of a Trainee General Manager?

The 18 month Trainee General Manager programme will give you an opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills and expertise in a variety of management and business disciplines that are essential in order to be a successful General Manager in our organisation.

The programme is designed with a combination of operational development and professional study to help you become a holistic General Manager and effective leader. The three key areas of your development will be based on our management capabilities of Business, Customers and Team. On your journey to becoming a General Manager you will get regular feedback, coaching and performance reviews to continuously help you improve your performance and ensure you will be ready for a General Manager position at the end of the training period.

The programme is structured as follows:

• Grade One - on commencement you will be placed at a Club and invited to attend an Induction event where you will be provided with an overview of the programme and what is expected of you. This will also include your induction to the Mecca Management Academy. As a Grade One TGM you will be expected to learn as much as possible about our brand, Customer base, service delivery and club operations. You will need to complete this grade successfully before being progressed to Grade two.
• Grade Two - At Grade two you may be asked to move to a different Club in your region to support your development. At this grade you will begin to delve a little deeper into our product range, learn more about our entertainment proposition and delivering excellent Customer service. You will be supported by the General Manager (GM) of the Club and may be asked to undertake specific projects to help develop your business acumen and gain an understanding of the local competition. You would also be expected to pass your Duty Managers Assessment (DMA) and successfully complete steps to obtain your Personal Management Licence (PML). In addition to this you would be expected to completed assignments as part of the Mecca Management Academy.
• Grade Three - You are likely to make a further Club move to consolidate all your learning and complete your personal development plan. Depending on your progress and capability you may be assigned as Temporary In Charge (TIC) of a Mecca Club. This will give you the opportunity to demonstrate your leadership skills and ability to manage your own Club. You will be accountable for your Club KPI's, Club promotions and new initiatives. At the end of the TIC period you will be appointed as GM and thus will have successfully completed your training period.

The Mecca Management Academy (MMA)

The Mecca Management Academy (MMA) is an 18 month management and leadership skills development programme for Mecca's TGMs. We believe that it is unique in our sector and also comparable with the very best within the wider Leisure Industry. On graduation the TGM is awarded the Institute of Leadership and Management's Certificate in Management (Level 5) which is an equivalent level to a second year undergraduate degree.

The MMA consists of a series of 7 face to face workshops tailored to support TGMs making the transition to General Manager. The workshops are facilitated by Mecca people with expert input from specialists within our business and also with significant involvement from senior management.

The seven modules are very practical and tailored to our business. The MMA cover topics such as:

• personality theory
• team working
• emotional intelligence
• corporate strategy
• customer orientation
• financial techniques
• project management skills
• presentation skills
• coaching
• leadership skills.

All theory is underpinned with practical work and assignments that help TGMs apply the techniques to their role as a General Manager.

One of the highlights of the programme is 'The Big Chill' which is a two day workshop held in the grounds of Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, provide in partnership with the 'Outside Adventure' events team. This workshop is all about team working and involves outdoors based team activities, wilderness cooking and accommodation within a luxury Mongolian Ger Tent with spectacular views of the Malvern Hills.

We also believe that developing long term supportive relationships with colleagues is also very important to our TGMs, and this is facilitated and encouraged throughout the duration of the MMA.

What we will offer you:

• A great opportunity to be part of evolving leisure experience and manage a million pound business
• An investment in your development and professional study
• Competitive salary of £26,311
• Weighting allowance of up to £2,000 per annum dependant on Club location
• A contributory pension scheme
• Life Assurance and accident cover
• Holiday entitlement of 28 days including bank holidays

What you will need to offer us

• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends (i.e. 5 days on and 2 days off)
• Positive ‘can-do’ approach
• Commitment and passion to consistently deliver your best performance and give great customer service