Chichester boat sales office now open! Read more.

*Currently closed for applications*

 

Job Opportunity:

General Manager – People & Performance, 2026

 

THE ROLE

This is a newly created role, built for someone with the right values and leadership instincts.

Working closely alongside our Managing Director, heads of Sales and Marina operations, you will share responsibility for the business and help lead it through its next chapter.

This is a broad, hands-on leadership role. You’ll span commercial and P&L performance, day-to-day operations, and people development, with genuine authority and accountability.

You’ll be working with an already strong and loyal team. This role is about elevating what’s already working, building on it, and helping good people become even better. Our main base is Wargrave, Berkshire, with scope to develop our growing Chichester sales office as the business continues to expand.

You’ll be the consistent presence the team needs day to day – developing junior staff, building capability for the future, and bringing the kind of on-the-ground leadership that turns a good team into a great one.

What you’ll be responsible for:

  • Partnering with the MD to lead and grow the business
  • Driving boat sales sustainably while protecting recurring marina revenues
  • Leading, motivating, and developing the team
  • Maintaining the exceptional customer relationships we’re known for
  • Identifying opportunities for improvement, innovation, and growth
  • Contributing across the business wherever you’re needed

 

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

You’re an experienced commercial or operational leader – possibly from leisure, marine, hospitality, retail, or another relationship-led sector – and you’re ready for something broader and more meaningful than your current role offers.

You have:

  • A proven track record in commercial or operational leadership
  • Natural ability to lead, develop, and motivate people
  • Sound commercial judgement – you understand margin, customer impact, and long-term sustainability
  • Experience working in or running a small or medium-sized business
  • High emotional intelligence and self-awareness
  • Curiosity, adaptability, and the confidence to turn your hand to a wide range of challenges

You’re not looking for a large corporate environment. You want to be close to the work, close to the team, and close to the customer. You collaborate rather than control, bring ideas while respecting what already works, and are happy to roll your sleeves up.

Marine experience is a bonus, not a requirement.

This role may suit someone with a background as a Commercial Manager, Commercial Director, Operations Manager, Operations Director, General Manager, or Senior Sales Leader – or someone who has run their own business and is ready to bring that energy to an established team.

 

WHAT WE OFFER

Salary:  £65,000–£75,000 depending on experience

Performance Bonus:  Linked to business results – we want this role to share meaningfully in the success it helps create

Private Health Insurance:  Employer contribution towards your health cover

Hours:  42.5 hours per week, with occasional weekend cover (day in lieu given)

A Genuine Perk:  Use of our luxury river boats for you, family, and friends

Location:  Wargrave, Berkshire – a beautiful riverside setting, with scope to develop our Chichester office

Stability:  An independently owned business with 180 years of history and ambition for what comes next.

 

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter telling us why this role appeals to you, to [email protected]. Shortlisted candidates will receive a full brief about the role and the business, followed by a structured interview process.

All applications are treated with complete confidentiality.

 

ABOUT US

Val Wyatt Marine is an independent Thames marina and boat sales business established in 1845. We have a long heritage, but we’re not bound by legacy thinking.

Female-owned and deliberately different from the traditional marine sector – our culture, leadership style, and customer approach set us apart, and we intend to keep it that way.

We’re a close-knit team with strong customer relationships and a focus on sustainable growth: the kind that’s good for everyone involved. We care about our environment and look for better, more innovative ways of working while protecting what’s around us.

Val Wyatt runs on relationships, reputation, and pride in what we do. Now we’re building the leadership structure to help us be more deliberate, more strategic, and clearer about where we’re headed.

Because of our size, the right person will feel the impact of what they do every day.

 

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