Job Description
General Manager
CGLA Penn, Buckinghamshire Senior Leadership
Full time, Office Based
Package: £80-90k plus bonus
CGLA is a high-end landscape design practice based in Penn, Buckinghamshire. We design and deliver exceptional gardens for private clients, architects and professional teams, combining creativity with commercial discipline.
We are entering an ambitious new phase of growth.
Our aim is to increase design value, expand our landscaping pipeline (including through partnerships with external designers), and deliver more projects through a carefully managed mix of in-house teams and trusted subcontractors all without materially increasing fixed overheads.
To achieve this, we are appointing a General Manager.
The Opportunity
This is a genuine leadership role.
You will take ownership of the operational engine of a £3m design-led business, ensuring projects run smoothly, margins are protected, risks are managed early, and the team operates with clarity and confidence.
The Directors will continue to lead creative direction and key relationships. You will lead day-to-day operations and build the structure that allows the business to grow sustainably.
Your key responsibilities
- Lead the daily running of the practice
- Manage team performance and accountability
- Own workflow planning and capacity management
- Provide clear financial and operational reporting
- Protect landscaping margin through disciplined oversight
- Build robust systems for managing subcontracted projects
- Ensure the client experience remains seamless and premium
This role is central to ensuring that growth translates into profit, not stress.
This role will suit you if you are
- A confident and experienced operator
- Commercially aware and financially disciplined
- Calm, organised and reliable under pressure
- Comfortable managing complexity across design and delivery
- Experienced in working in a founder-led or owner-managed business
- Capable of balancing detail with strategic oversight
You do not need to be a landscape designer.
You do need to be comfortable operating in a high-end, client-facing environment where standards and reputation matter deeply.
What this role offers you
- Senior leadership role with real autonomy
- Opportunity to shape systems and operational strategy
- Direct influence on a growing, respected design-led business
- Long-term stability with meaningful impact
Equals One is an advertising and recruitment agency working on behalf of our client to promote this vacancy. You may be contacted directly by the employer should they wish to progress your application. Due to the number of applications we receive, we are unable to provide specific feedback if your application is unsuccessful.
