General Manager

Dundas Castle is privately owned. An important part of the activities of the estate is Dundas Castle Ltd. This is a hospitality business specialising in Weddings, Business Conferences, Leisure Activities, Golfing Groups and Private Functions. The company has five star status and is operated as an Exclusive Venue. Importantly, Dundas Castle is also the Private Home of Sir and Lady Stewart-Clark, who have their own wing in the main house. The rest of the castle, which consists of an early fifteenth century Keep, the main state rooms and bedrooms, the north wing and the courtyard and stables bedrooms, make up the buildings which are available for Wedding and Corporate functions. There is also a large Pavilion Marquee on the site of the old tennis courts which can accommodate up to 200 people.

The General Manager will report to Sir Jack Stewart-Clark, who is Chairman of Dundas Castle Ltd. Sir Jack takes a hands on approach to running the company. Therefore the relationship between him and the General Manager has to be a close one. This means that delegation of the day to day running of the business goes hand in hand with excellent communication and a sharing of responsibility for the strategic direction and the efficient running of the company.

It is essential that the General Manager shows particular skills, not only in running the day to day business of the company but also in bringing in new business in an increasingly competitive market place. He or she must, therefore, be able to demonstrate a strong and successful record in sales and marketing and also to be fully conversant with developments in the field of social media.

The responsibilities of the General Manager will include the following:

• Creating and controlling an annual budget. Thereafter providing regular forecasts to ensure taht income generation and cost control are in line with budgets
• Directing all Sales and Marketing activity. Ensuring that there is a Marketing focussed culture amongst all employees and our partner suppliers
• Maintaining a dynamic contact with our Advertising Agents and Occupancy Marketing and also with key partners such as our caterers Prestige Scotland
• Creating an intelligent pricing structure which ballances the facilities and service which Dundas has to offer with conditions in the market
• Ensuring that both the high quality of the facilities and the attendant service we provide are maintained at all times
• Working through our Operations Manager to ensure that all events are effectively run and that the Castle is kept in immaculate condition
• Conducting select sales calls along with site and familiarisation visits with existing and prospective clients either alone or with the Sales and Events managers as appropriate
• Networking at a senior level through trade memberships and with corporate contacts examples of which are Cha,ber of Commerce, Visit Scotland and Unique Venues in Edinburgh
• Working closely with the Dundas Estates Manager and the Maintenance team to ensure there is proper cooperation and support between all departments in the Castle and on the estate
• Understanding that it is imperative that the ‘can do’ spirit at Dundas continues and that constant attention is given to ensure that those working for us are listened to and have real satisfaction in their work. Recognising that this needs to include delegation and appreciation for work well done