Crafting careers at Greene King: A Pub to Head Office success story
At Greene King, careers grow, evolve, and sometimes surprise you. We’re proud to say that pub career growth is built into our DNA. Whether you start behind the bar, in the kitchen, or supporting our teams from Head Office, there’s always room to progress, learn, and take your career wherever you want it to go.
One of our company values, Freedom to Succeed, says it all. It’s about giving our people the freedom to explore new ideas, new roles, and new challenges, with the support they need to make it happen. Because in a business as diverse as ours, there’s no single path to success.
Meet Avril, a great example of what career development in hospitality looks like at Greene King. Her story shows how pub experience can open the door to exciting new opportunities across our business, from local pubs to the heart of Head Office.
From pubs to people: Avril’s career journey at Greene King
Avril began her Greene King journey as a Business Development Manager (BDM) within our busy Urban Pub Division, overseeing 18 pubs across Edinburgh City Centre and North East England. It was a role that offered challenge, variety, and plenty of room to grow.
"I was attracted to Greene King by a combination of factors, from the scale and diversity of our business formats to our unwavering focus on people and continuous development.
Being part of a team is very important to me. I enjoyed building the business and driving our KPIs in line with our Dartboard measures but wanted to try something new within a people-focused role."
My current role is Change Manager within the transformation team. This is a new role within the Change team and supports the people experience projects within the business.”
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How pub experience is valuable in Head Office jobs
Moving from a pub-based role to a Head Office one might sound like a big leap, but for Avril, it was a natural next step. The transition from pubs to Head Office was seamless, thanks to the invaluable skills and experiences gained from their pub job.
"The understanding of how things work in pubs, the challenges, and the ways of working were immensely valuable."
These learnings provided a solid foundation for their new role and helped to build supportive relationships along the way.
Career growth and support at Greene King
At Greene King, no one grows alone. With unwavering support from their manager and the broader team, they were encouraged to explore new opportunities and expand their skill set. At Greene King, we are committed to employee development.
“I am immensely grateful for the support I received from my manager, who not only helped me network and take the lead on our ER cases but also facilitated my entry into the people network.
From there, the people team provided invaluable support in accessing other opportunities that eventually led me to my new role.
It was truly heartening to see other teams recognise the value of my skills and potential for growth in a new role."
Your pub experience can take you further than you think
For Avril, the skills learned in pubs, from people management to problem-solving, were key to making the transition.
“The knowledge you gain in pubs is a real advantage,” she says. “It helps you understand what people need, how to adapt, and how to bring teams together.”
That’s why so many of our Head Office colleagues started in pubs. With the right training, support, and encouragement, you can take your hospitality experience and turn it into a long, successful career, wherever your ambitions take you.
Carve your own path at Greene King
At Greene King, we don’t just offer jobs. We offer journeys. You might start with us in one of our 2,700 pubs across the UK, but where you go from there is entirely up to you. We’ll give you the tools, support, and confidence to grow, whether that’s moving into management, training, HR, marketing, or beyond.
If you’re ready to find your own path and be part of a business that invests in its people, now’s the time. Start your story today and see where a Greene King career can take you.
Explore our Pub or Head Office jobs today.
Here's to crafting your success story with Greene King!
4 TIPS TO KICKSTART YOUR HR CAREER WITH GREENE KING
If keeping people happy and fulfilled gets you fired up, we’ve got a spot for you on the Greene King HR team. You’ll help team members get the recognition, training and support they need to thrive and build a place where everyone wants to work. We put our people first and our fantastic HR team plays a key role in achieving this.
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