Public house manager

Public house manager job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

Specific duties and the amount of customer and staff contact vary according to the size and type of pub: managers of larger establishments may not be greatly involved in the front-of-house work, whereas managers of smaller public houses often have frequent contact with both customers and employees.

Typical responsibilities include:

• recruiting, training and supervising staff
• managing budgets
• maintaining statistical and financial records
• planning; problem solving
• promoting and marketing the business
• ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation and licensing laws
• serving customers
• placing orders
• stock-taking and re-stocking
• handling administration and paperwork
• organising and promoting social events such as quizzes, karaoke evenings and live music/comedy
• liaising with customers, employees, suppliers, licensing authorities, sales representatives and the police
• marketing products
• making improvements to the running of the business
• setting targets and maximising profitability.

Typical employers of pub managers

• independent pub companies
• small local breweries
• regional brewers
• national and multinational breweries.

Some landlords may also be successful enough to set up shop as a free house, though this requires particularly careful management.

Vacancies are advertised via the internet, by recruitment agencies, in newspapers and in publications such as Caterer and Hotelkeeper, British Hotelier and Restaurateur, The Publican and HCIMA News and Appointments.

Several of the larger breweries operate accelerated graduate management schemes that combine vocational managerial experience and the opportunity to gain relevant examinations. Networking and speculative approaches to employers are advisable.

Qualifications and training required

A degree or HND in a subject such as business, marketing, management, hospitality management, or hotel and catering may be preferred. A small number of universities offer specialist Licensed Retail Management qualifications. Retail, customer service, supervisory and bar work experience is advantageous.

Key skills for pub managers

• confidence
• reliability
• resilience
• excellent interpersonal skills
• communication skills
• leadership skills
• organisational skills
• IT skills.