Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Assistant General Manager

💰 $ - $

HospitalityOperationsManagement

🎯 Role Definition

The Assistant General Manager (AGM) is the right-hand leader who drives day-to-day operational excellence, team performance, guest and customer satisfaction, and financial results. The AGM supports the General Manager in executing business strategy, managing cross-functional teams, enforcing standard operating procedures, controlling costs, and ensuring compliance with company policies and industry regulations. This position requires a hands-on operator who can both lead people and translate commercial objectives into measurable operational outcomes across hospitality, retail, food & beverage, or multi-unit environments.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Assistant Manager (F&B, Front Office, Retail) with proven supervisory experience
  • Operations Supervisor or Shift Manager responsible for P&L targets
  • Department Manager (Sales, Housekeeping, Restaurant, Retail) with leadership responsibilities

Advancement To:

  • General Manager (single property or location)
  • Regional Manager / Area Manager overseeing multiple locations
  • Director of Operations or Head of Operations for a cluster, city, or region
  • VP of Operations / Senior Leadership roles in hospitality, retail, or corporate operations

Lateral Moves:

  • Revenue Manager / Revenue Optimization Lead
  • Training & Development Manager / Learning & Development
  • Operations Project Manager / Process Improvement Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Oversee daily operational activities across departments (front desk, housekeeping, food & beverage, sales, retail or production) to ensure consistent delivery of brand standards, operational procedures, and exceptional guest/customer experiences.
  • Act as the operational lead on behalf of the General Manager during their absence, making key decisions related to staffing, guest recovery, financial variances, and emergency responses while maintaining continuity of service.
  • Partner with the General Manager to manage the property/location P&L: prepare, monitor and analyze budgets, forecasts, and monthly financial statements; implement corrective actions to meet revenue and profitability targets.
  • Lead recruitment, hiring, onboarding and retention initiatives for high-performing talent across departments, ensuring staffing plans align with forecasted demand and budget constraints.
  • Develop, implement and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) and quality control programs to ensure compliance with company policies, brand standards and regulatory requirements (health, safety, licensing).
  • Coach, mentor and evaluate department managers and supervisors through regular 1:1s, performance reviews, corrective action plans, and career development roadmaps to build bench strength and succession.
  • Create and manage labor schedules, payroll controls and overtime mitigation plans to optimize productivity while maintaining service levels during peak and off-peak periods.
  • Drive revenue-generating initiatives including upsell programs, local sales outreach, corporate account servicing, event conversions and promotional campaigns in collaboration with Sales and Marketing.
  • Monitor and report on key operational KPIs—occupancy, ADR, RevPAR, average check, table turns, basket size, conversion rate, guest satisfaction scores (e.g., NPS, TripAdvisor, Yelp)—and translate insights into tactical improvement plans.
  • Manage vendor relationships, negotiate contracts, oversee procurement and control inventory levels for food, beverage, retail merchandise and operating supplies to reduce waste and improve gross margins.
  • Lead and coordinate periodic operational audits, safety inspections, HACCP/food safety checks, and internal compliance reviews; implement corrective actions and document outcomes for continuous improvement.
  • Drive guest recovery efforts: personally handle escalated guest complaints, orchestrate service recovery, follow up to ensure resolution and log incidents for root cause analysis.
  • Implement and maintain revenue management best practices: support dynamic pricing, group and catering yield management and inventory allocation to maximize top-line performance.
  • Oversee maintenance and capital projects: coordinate with engineering, vendors and ownership to schedule preventative maintenance, manage capital spending approvals and minimize operational disruption.
  • Manage cross-departmental communication and daily briefings to align teams on priorities, arrivals, VIPs, inspections and service recovery plans.
  • Ensure accurate and timely reporting of operational metrics, financial results and corporate key deliverables to the General Manager and regional leadership.
  • Support public health and safety programs, including emergency preparedness, employee safety training, incident reporting and OSHA or local compliance requirements.
  • Drive digital and technology initiatives (POS, PMS, CRM, inventory systems) adoption and provide feedback for process automation that improves speed and accuracy of service delivery.
  • Champion a culture of guest-centric service and employee engagement: run recognition programs, host team meetings, and lead morale-building activities that reduce turnover and improve guest satisfaction scores.
  • Lead revenue growth efforts for meetings, events, private dining or group business: qualify leads, coordinate proposals, and partner with sales to convert opportunities with positive contribution margins.
  • Analyze departmental cost drivers (food cost, payroll, utilities) and implement targeted cost-control measures while preserving service quality and brand standards.
  • Support sustainability and corporate responsibility initiatives: implement waste reduction, energy conservation and community engagement activities aligned with corporate goals.

Secondary Functions

  • Prepare and administrate monthly departmental budgets and variance reports; assist with long-range strategic planning and capital expenditure requests.
  • Collect and analyze guest feedback, mystery shop reports and social media reviews to draft continuous improvement plans and training priorities.
  • Assist in the design and delivery of manager and staff training programs, operational manuals, and SOP refreshers to ensure standardization and knowledge retention.
  • Participate in corporate or regional projects such as concept rollouts, pre-opening activities for new properties, or rebranding initiatives, providing on-the-ground operational expertise.
  • Coordinate with HR on performance management, employee relations issues, disciplinary actions and exit interviews to maintain a professional workplace culture.
  • Support local marketing and community outreach efforts by representing the property at events, forging partnerships, and driving local account development.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • P&L and budget management: ability to build, monitor and drive profitability through revenue growth and cost control.
  • Revenue management fundamentals: dynamic pricing, group/catering yield management, and channel optimization.
  • Strong operational systems knowledge: Property Management Systems (PMS) like Opera, Cloudbeds, or Maestro; POS systems (Toast, Micros, Clover); and inventory/POS integrations.
  • Advanced Excel and financial analysis skills: forecasting, variance analysis, pivot tables, and financial modeling.
  • HR and labor law familiarity: scheduling, timekeeping systems, payroll processing, and basic employment law compliance.
  • Food & beverage operations knowledge: menu costing, portion control, kitchen workflows, and food safety/HACCP requirements.
  • Vendor and contract negotiation skills: sourcing, RFP management, and supplier performance oversight.
  • Quality and compliance management: experience conducting audits, safety inspections, and corrective action planning.
  • CRM and guest experience tools: experience with guest feedback platforms, email marketing tools and loyalty program operations.
  • Project management: ability to plan and execute capital projects, renovations, or pre-opening checklists on schedule and on budget.
  • Inventory and stock control: cycle counts, shrink reduction strategies and reorder point optimization.
  • Digital literacy: familiarity with PMS reporting, POS analytics dashboards, and integration APIs for operational tooling.

Soft Skills

  • Leadership and people development: proven ability to coach, mentor and motivate multi-disciplinary teams toward measurable goals.
  • Excellent communication: strong verbal and written skills for guest interactions, team briefings, and cross-functional reporting.
  • Problem solving and decision making: calm, data-driven approach to resolving service failures and operational disruptions.
  • Customer obsession: relentless focus on improving guest satisfaction and building memorable experiences.
  • Emotional intelligence: strong interpersonal skills to manage conflict, inspire staff and build rapport with stakeholders.
  • Time management and prioritization: ability to handle high-volume peak periods while maintaining attention to detail.
  • Adaptability and resilience: flexible approach to changing business needs, seasonal demand and unexpected incidents.
  • Negotiation and influencing: ability to secure favorable terms with vendors and persuade internal stakeholders on resource allocation.
  • Strategic thinking: connect daily operations with longer-term commercial objectives and competitive positioning.
  • Coaching and performance feedback: deliver constructive reviews and development plans that improve team capability.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, Hotel & Restaurant Management, or related field (or equivalent work experience).

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree plus certifications such as Certified Hospitality Supervisor (CHS), ServSafe Manager, or MBA/Advanced degree for corporate or multi-unit roles.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Hospitality Management
  • Business Administration / Finance
  • Hotel & Restaurant Management
  • Culinary Arts (for F&B-heavy roles)
  • Human Resources / Organizational Leadership

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–8 years of progressive supervisory and operational experience; commonly 2–4 years as an Assistant Manager or Department Manager plus prior multi-shift supervisory experience.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years in hospitality, multi-unit retail or restaurant operations with documented success in P&L accountability, revenue growth, team leadership, and guest satisfaction metrics.
  • Experience in pre-opening or rebranding projects, multi-department oversight, and use of industry-standard PMS and POS systems.
Explore More Careers