General Manager Pre Opening Earth

About the Role

Earth Hotels is seeking a General Manager, Pre-Opening for its new property in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This full-time role involves leading the establishment of Earth Riyadh from the construction handover through to its opening day and subsequent operations. The General Manager will be responsible for creating a hotel environment focused on community, design, food, wellness, creativity, and human connection, aligning with the Earth Hotels philosophy.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the entire pre-opening process, from project handover to launch and stabilization.
• Collaborate with Development, Design, Technical Services, Brand, Finance, and Citizen & Culture teams to achieve critical milestones.
• Develop and implement the opening critical path, ensuring operational readiness across all departments.
• Participate in design reviews, mock-up rooms, operational planning, and owner walkthroughs.
• Oversee procurement, OS&E installation, testing, commissioning, and departmental readiness.
• Recruit, onboard, and develop the opening leadership team and wider staff.
• Establish an opening culture that reflects the values of Earth Hotels.
• Manage all hotel operations, including Rooms, Food & Beverage, Wellness, Retail, Engineering, Finance, and People & Culture.
• Ensure high standards of service, cleanliness, presentation, and safety.
• Monitor guest feedback and continuously refine the guest experience.
• Engage with guests and staff daily to maintain a visible presence.
• Position Earth Riyadh as a prominent lifestyle destination within the city.
• Drive activations across F&B, wellness, retail, music, art, and community events.
• Build relationships with local creators, artists, wellness practitioners, brands, and entrepreneurs.
• Ensure the property maintains authenticity to the Earth Hotels identity of creativity, inclusivity, and connection.
• Achieve annual revenue, GOP, and EBITDA targets.
• Manage budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and asset protection.
• Collaborate with Revenue, Sales, and Marketing teams to optimize occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, and total hotel revenue.
• Identify new partnerships and commercial opportunities to strengthen the brand and improve profitability.
• Ensure the hotel's F&B, retail, and wellness facilities become destination venues.
• Recruit, inspire, coach, and develop a high-performing leadership team.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, entrepreneurial, and accountable culture.
• Ensure strong succession planning and talent development.
• Act as the guardian of the Earth Hotels brand on property, ensuring consistent reflection of the Earth philosophy.
• Drive innovation across operations, guest engagement, technology, and sustainability.
• Build relationships with local partners, suppliers, government stakeholders, and the wider community.
• Champion sustainable operating practices and support initiatives for positive environmental and social impact.
• Ensure full compliance with all Saudi regulations, licensing requirements, health and safety legislation, and Earth Hotels policies.
• Maintain operational readiness for audits and inspections, and oversee emergency procedures.
• Provide regular operational and commercial updates to ownership and corporate leadership.
• Monitor and report on key financial, operational, guest satisfaction, and people metrics.
• Represent Earth Hotels professionally within the market and industry.

Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in hospitality management.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in pre-opening phases of hotel operations.
• Proven ability to build and manage operational teams from the ground up.
• Experience in lifestyle hospitality environments is preferred.

Required Skills

• Strong leadership and team development capabilities.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Financial acumen with experience in budgeting, forecasting, and revenue management.
• Ability to foster a guest-centric environment and maintain high service standards.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for engaging with guests, staff, and stakeholders.
• Adaptability and problem-solving skills in a dynamic pre-opening environment.

Work Environment

This role is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is a full-time position. The General Manager will operate in a hands-on capacity, being highly visible throughout the property and actively involved in daily operations and community engagement.

Application Process

Further details regarding the application process will be provided upon inquiry. The salary for this position will be disclosed during the recruitment process.