General Manager - 5 Star Luxury Property
Job Description
General Manager | Landmark 5-Star Ultra-Luxury Property | Zambia | Q1 2027 Opening
We are conducting a retained search for an exceptional General Manager to lead the pre-opening and launch of a landmark ultra-luxury hotel in Zambia, developed in partnership with Hilton and scheduled to open in Q1 2027.
This flagship destination will redefine luxury hospitality in the region, combining refined international standards with a bold leisure offering, including a world-class water theme park. We are seeking a commercially astute, highly visible, and operationally elite hotel leader who can position this property among Africa's most compelling luxury openings.
The opportunity
This is a rare chance to take full ownership of a high-profile pre-opening, shape the commercial and operational strategy from the ground up, build an exceptional executive team, and deliver a market-leading guest experience across rooms, food and beverage, leisure, and resort-style amenities.
Who we are looking for
We are specifically interested in candidates who are currently serving, or have recently served, as General Manager within Hilton or other internationally recognised ultra-luxury / luxury 5-star properties.
Essential profile- Minimum 5 years experience as a General Manager in luxury or ultra-luxury 5-star hotels
- Strong preference for leaders from Hilton or comparable international luxury brands
- Deep Food & Beverage background with a proven ability to elevate dining concepts, quality standards, service culture, and profitability
- Demonstrated success in complex resort, leisure, or destination hospitality environments
- Strong commercial acumen across RevPAR, GOP, F&B revenue performance, guest experience, and owner relations
- Proven ability to lead pre-opening, repositioning, or major launch projects
- High level of executive presence, team leadership, and stakeholder management
- Experience building performance cultures and leading multicultural teams in demanding environments
- Exposure to luxury properties, integrated leisure destinations, or family-led premium hospitality experiences
- Prior experience in Africa, emerging markets, or remote / high-growth destinations
- Multilingual capabilities are advantageous, particularly Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Greek, Swedish, Polish, Danish, Hungarian, Czech, Norwegian, or Romanian
- Strong understanding of international luxury traveller expectations and premium service delivery