General Manager

About us: We are one of the top three automotive retailers in the UK, proudly representing 32 manufacturer brands, selling a huge range of new and used vehicles from over 150 dealerships across the UK and Ireland.  

We believe our people are our greatest asset, and we’re committed to recognising the valuable contribution each person makes. That’s why we continue to invest in a leading rewards and benefits package designed to support your career, wellbeing, and life outside of work.

General Manager – Kia Silverlink

New Dealership Launch | Join the Leadership Team

Salary: up to £85k DOE plus generous bonus package, OTE £130k
Contract: Permanent, Full-Time
Start Date: February 2027
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-6:00pm (flexibility required during dealership launch phase)

We're preparing to open an exciting new Kia dealership at Silverlink, and we're looking for an ambitious and driven General Manager to lead the site through its launch and establish it as a high-performing business from day one.

This is a unique opportunity to join a brand-new dealership and play a pivotal role in shaping its culture, customer experience, and commercial success. As General Manager, you'll take ownership of the site's performance across both Sales and Aftersales while building a strong, engaged team and creating a customer-first environment aligned with Kia's reputation for quality and innovation.

As this is a start-up operation, we're looking for a leader who embraces a hands-on approach. During the early stages of the dealership's development, you'll be expected to work closely alongside departmental managers, support weekend operations when required, and help establish the foundations for long-term success. Once the site is fully operational and established, responsibilities and working patterns will transition into a more traditional General Manager role.

What You'll Do

• Lead the successful launch and ongoing development of Kia Silverlink
• Drive performance across Sales, Service and Parts departments
• Work closely with Sales and Aftersales Managers to establish robust operational processes and standards
• Support weekend trading activities during the dealership launch and growth phase
• Create a high-performance culture focused on customer satisfaction, accountability and continuous improvement
• Recruit, develop and retain talented colleagues across all departments
• Set clear objectives, review departmental performance and implement action plans where required
• Monitor budgets, profitability, market share and key business metrics
• Ensure the dealership consistently delivers exceptional customer experiences and manufacturer standards
• Represent the business within the local community and wider Kia network

What You'll Bring

• Proven leadership experience within an automotive retail environment
• Previous experience as a General Manager, Head of Business, Dealer Principal or senior departmental leader ready for the next step
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to drive profitability across multiple departments
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams
• A proactive, hands-on leadership style with a willingness to support operational activity when required
• The resilience and adaptability to thrive in a start-up dealership environment
• A passion for delivering outstanding customer experiences
• Excellent communication, coaching and stakeholder management skills

This is more than a traditional General Manager role. It's an opportunity to help build a dealership from the ground up, influence its culture, develop its people and create a site that sets the standard for customer experience and operational performance within the Kia network.

If you're excited by the challenge of launching a new business, leading from the front and making a lasting impact, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and be part of the journey from day one.

Core Benefits:

• Competitive salaries with structured pay scales and progression as you grow within the business
• Generous annual leave that increases with your length of service
• Enhanced family leave, including 6 months’ full pay for maternity and adoption leave, and 2 weeks’ full pay for paternity leave
• Access to Techscheme for discounted technology purchases with flexible payments

Health & Wellbeing:

• Eyecare vouchers to help cover vision care needs
• Smart Health – 24/7 access to GP services to support your mental and physical wellbeing
• Dental insurance for everyday dental care and unexpected treatments
• Optional critical illness cover for peace of mind during life's most challenging moments

Financial Wellbeing:

• MyView PayNow – access a portion of your pay as you earn, with features to stream, save, and track your money through a user-friendly app
• Free will writing services to help plan for the future
• Flexible life assurance options and partner life assurance for added protection

Leisure & Lifestyle:

• Discounted gym memberships to support an active lifestyle
• Travel insurance to help you explore with confidence
• Access to home and technology vouchers
• bYond card and a wide range of exclusive retail and lifestyle discounts

We strongly believe in nurturing and providing our people with specific manufacturer brand and management training to enhance career development opportunities. We have a great bunch of people, and we like to celebrate and encourage success at all levels.

Lookers and Charles Hurst are an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to a working environment that is free from discrimination, is inclusive, and empowers our people to bring their whole self to work and reach their full potential. 

If your application is successful, we will conduct relevant employment checks prior to you commencing employment with us. These will include verifying your recent employment, address, credit history and a standard criminal record check. For roles that require you to drive, a driving licence check will also be carried out. Please note, all offers of employment are made subject to a 6 month probation period commencing from your start date.

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