Experience - Service Manager

Virgin Active; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Complimentary club membership

Flexible working options

Paid parental leave

Personal development opportunities

Wellbeing support

Job summary

Virgin Active Australia is seeking a Head of Department to lead a high‑performing club team, shaping culture and driving performance across People, Commercial, Operations, Service and Member Service leadership pillars. You will elevate member experiences and club standards while managing rosters, budgets and cross‑department collaboration.

You’ll coach, develop and empower your team, recruit top talent, ensure service excellence, and maintain safety and operational discipline across seven‑day

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop your team through regular feedback, performance conversations and structured development plans.
• Create a positive, inclusive and safe team culture aligned with Virgin Active values.
• Recruit, onboard and retain top talent for your department.
• Manage performance issues promptly, fairly, consistently and in line with policy.
• Create fair and transparent rosters that balance business needs with team wellbeing and engagement.
• Role model professionalism, integrity and strong leadership behaviours at all times.
• Drive revenue, retention and key commercial KPIs relevant to your function.
• Translate budgets and targets into clear team priorities and actions.
• Use data and insights to identify opportunities for growth and improvement.
• Ensure your team understands how their role impacts financial performance.
• Plan and manage rosters, productivity and labour spend to achieve budget outcomes.
• Use data to forecast staffing requirements and improve efficiency.
• Support cross-department collaboration to achieve overall club targets.
• Deliver club systems, processes and brand standards consistently across your department.
• Maintain a safe, compliant and well-run operating environment.
• Act as Manager on Duty and First Aid Officer when required, providing calm leadership during incidents.
• Take responsibility for the secure opening and closing of the club.
• Maintain accurate operational records and workforce documentation.
• Identify performance risks early and take action to prevent disruption.
• Continuously improve how your department operates.
• Keep your department organised, prepared and performing at a high standard.
• Work flexibly across the club’s seven-day trading hours to support members when they’re in the club.
• Champion exceptional service standards across your department.
• Ensure your team delivers warm, welcoming and professional interactions with members.
• Respond effectively to feedback, complaints and service recovery opportunities.
• Role model service behaviours and set the tone for the club experience.
• Partner with other departments to create a seamless member journey.
• Embed a culture of accountability for member satisfaction and experience.
• Implement and embed the Virgin Active Host Strategy within the club, translating service principles into consistent daily routines, behaviours and operational execution across the club.
• Provide direct leadership oversight of Reception and Operations Assistant execution, ensuring arrival experience, member support and operational presentation standards are delivered consistently.
• Maintain structured front-of-house operating rhythms that support smooth reception flow, effective queue management and proactive member engagement.
• Embed and sustain operational presentation standards across member spaces, including changeroom hygiene, amenity stocking, uniforms, class changeover readiness and gym floor cleanliness, ensuring environments remain consistently member-ready.
• Maintain accountability for Back of House service routines, including presentation audits, quality checks and readiness standards aligned to brand expectations.
• Track and analyse member feedback via NPS, CSAT and Google reviews, translating metrics, feedback and insight into practical improvements that strengthen day-to-day service execution.
• Maintain oversight of end-to-end service workflows, ensuring enquiries, escalations and cross-department handovers are coordinated and resolved without gaps in the member journey.
• Oversee aquatic service delivery as part of the overall member experience, ensuring appropriate supervision presence and qualified coverage aligned to operational requirements, in partnership with Facilities and Safety governance.
• Partner with club leadership to reinforce shared accountability for service standards, influencing consistent execution across all departments.
• You have 3–5+ years’ experience in customer service, hospitality or member-facing environments, with demonstrated exposure to team leadership and service delivery standards.
• You have aligned experience. You have demonstrated experience running front-of-house operations, resolving member issues and maintaining service and administrative processes in a fast-paced environment.
• You’re pure heart. You lead with authenticity, care and integrity. You show up with empathy and fairness, and create an environment where people feel safe, supported and inspired to give their best.
• You see the big picture. You understand how your role connects to the wider club and business goals. You think strategically, make informed decisions and help your team understand the purpose behind their work.
• You expect growth. You set high standards for yourself and others. You seek continuous improvement, challenge the status quo and drive performance, capability and results forward.
• You value people. You invest in your team’s development and wellbeing. You recognise contribution, build trust and create a culture of inclusion, collaboration and accountability.
• You take ownership. You step up, follow through and take responsibility for outcomes. You don’t wait for direction — you act with intent and lead from the front.
• You don’t shy away from tough conversations. You communicate clearly and respectfully, even when it’s uncomfortable. You address issues early, give honest feedback and use challenges as opportunities for growth.
• Measures of success
• Employee Experience – A highly engaged, inclusive and high-performing team environment is evident through strong retention, positive team sentiment and consistent leadership behaviours.
• Member Experience – Members consistently experience premium, welcoming service standards, reflected in positive feedback, satisfaction and strong engagement with the club.
• Financial Performance – Productivity and commercial targets are achieved through

Job description

The Virgin way

At Virgin Active, our people are our special sauce. We believe great teams create unforgettable member experiences — and that starts with a culture where energy, ownership and individuality are celebrated. You’ll join a team known for pushing boundaries, elevating standards and bringing personality into everything we do. We expect a lot — and in return, we invest in your growth, support your leadership journey and give you the freedom to make an impact. This is a place for people who want to grow, lead and contribute to something bigger than themselves — while having a bit of fun along the way.

The Impact you'll make

As a Head of Department, you don’t just run a function — you lift it. You serve your people so they can serve your members — and when both thrive, results follow naturally. You build strong teams, shape culture, and drive performance in a way that strengthens the entire club experience. Your leadership ensures standards are upheld, people are supported, and members feel the difference every day

What success looks like

Success in this role comes from balancing leadership across five key pillars:

1. People Leadership

You are accountable for building a high-performing, engaged and capable team.

• Lead, coach and develop your team through regular feedback, performance conversations and structured development plans.
• Create a positive, inclusive and safe team culture aligned with Virgin Active values.
• Ensure clear role expectations, accountability and ownership across the team.
• Recruit, onboard and retain top talent for your department.
• Manage performance issues promptly, fairly, consistently and in line with policy.
• Create fair and transparent rosters that balance business needs with team wellbeing and engagement.
• Role model professionalism, integrity and strong leadership behaviours at all times.

2. Commercial Leadership

You are responsible for contributing to the club’s commercial success through your department’s performance.

• Drive revenue, retention and key commercial KPIs relevant to your function.
• Translate budgets and targets into clear team priorities and actions.
• Use data and insights to identify opportunities for growth and improvement.
• Ensure your team understands how their role impacts financial performance.
• Plan and manage rosters, productivity and labour spend to achieve budget outcomes.
• Use data to forecast staffing requirements and improve efficiency.
• Support cross-department collaboration to achieve overall club targets.

3. Operational Leadership

You ensure your department operates efficiently, safely and consistently.

• Deliver club systems, processes and brand standards consistently across your department.
• Maintain a safe, compliant and well-run operating environment.
• Act as Manager on Duty and First Aid Officer when required, providing calm leadership during incidents.
• Take responsibility for the secure opening and closing of the club.
• Maintain accurate operational records and workforce documentation.
• Identify performance risks early and take action to prevent disruption.
• Continuously improve how your department operates.
• Keep your department organised, prepared and performing at a high standard.
• Work flexibly across the club’s seven-day trading hours to support members when they’re in the club.

4. Service Leadership

You lead the delivery of a premium, consistent and engaging member experience.

• Champion exceptional service standards across your department.
• Ensure your team delivers warm, welcoming and professional interactions with members.
• Respond effectively to feedback, complaints and service recovery opportunities.
• Role model service behaviours and set the tone for the club experience.
• Partner with other departments to create a seamless member journey.
• Embed a culture of accountability for member satisfaction and experience.

5. Functional Leadership — Member Service

You provide stewardship of member service execution across the club, embedding and sustaining the Virgin Active Host Strategy at a local level and ensuring every member interaction and environment touchpoint contributes to a seamless, safe and premium experience — integrating front-of-house delivery, operational presentation standards and member workflows into one cohesive member journey.

• Implement and embed the Virgin Active Host Strategy within the club, translating service principles into consistent daily routines, behaviours and operational execution across the club.
• Provide direct leadership oversight of Reception and Operations Assistant execution, ensuring arrival experience, member support and operational presentation standards are delivered consistently.
• Maintain structured front-of-house operating rhythms that support smooth reception flow, effective queue management and proactive member engagement.
• Embed and sustain operational presentation standards across member spaces, including changeroom hygiene, amenity stocking, uniforms, class changeover readiness and gym floor cleanliness, ensuring environments remain consistently member-ready.
• Maintain accountability for Back of House service routines, including presentation audits, quality checks and readiness standards aligned to brand expectations.
• Track and analyse member feedback via NPS, CSAT and Google reviews, translating metrics, feedback and insight into practical improvements that strengthen day-to-day service execution.\
• Maintain oversight of end-to-end service workflows, ensuring enquiries, escalations and cross-department handovers are coordinated and resolved without gaps in the member journey.
• Oversee aquatic service delivery as part of the overall member experience, ensuring appropriate supervision presence and qualified coverage aligned to operational requirements, in partnership with Facilities and Safety governance.
• Partner with club leadership to reinforce shared accountability for service standards, influencing consistent execution across all departments.

To land this gig ... and your ongoing mindset

• You have 3–5+ years’ experience in customer service, hospitality or member-facing environments, with demonstrated exposure to team leadership and service delivery standards.
• You have aligned experience. You have demonstrated experience running front-of-house operations, resolving member issues and maintaining service and administrative processes in a fast-paced environment.
• You’re pure heart. You lead with authenticity, care and integrity. You show up with empathy and fairness, and create an environment where people feel safe, supported and inspired to give their best.
• You see the big picture. You understand how your role connects to the wider club and business goals. You think strategically, make informed decisions and help your team understand the purpose behind their work.
• You expect growth. You set high standards for yourself and others. You seek continuous improvement, challenge the status quo and drive performance, capability and results forward.
• You value people. You invest in your team’s development and wellbeing. You recognise contribution, build trust and create a culture of inclusion, collaboration and accountability.
• You take ownership. You step up, follow through and take responsibility for outcomes. You don’t wait for direction — you act with intent and lead from the front.
• You don’t shy away from tough conversations. You communicate clearly and respectfully, even when it’s uncomfortable. You address issues early, give honest feedback and use challenges as opportunities for growth.

Measures of success

• Employee Experience – A highly engaged, inclusive and high-performing team environment is evident through strong retention, positive team sentiment and consistent leadership behaviours.
• Member Experience – Members consistently experience premium, welcoming service standards, reflected in positive feedback, satisfaction and strong engagement with the club.
• Financial Performance – Productivity and commercial targets are achieved through

What we offer you

• Join one of the world’s most iconic and purpose-led brands, changing people’s lives for the better through wellness.
• Be part of a culture that champions wellbeing, inclusion and growth, where people are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work.
• Competitive performance incentives and a seat at the leadership table, giving you real influence, not just responsibility.
• Complimentary club membership for you and a workout buddy, so you can live the lifestyle you promote.
• Discounted personal training and wellbeing services to support your own health journey.Exclusive perks and discounts with our retail and lifestyle partners.
• Flexible working options that support real work–life balance, because life doesn’t stop when you clock on.
• Paid parental leave, so you can focus on what matters most when welcoming your new little human.
• Ongoing personal and professional development, with learning pathways that help you grow your career, not just your role.
• 24/8 confidential wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Program.A workplace built around movement and wellbeing, where energy and community are part of your everyday. A fun, human culture – we believe great results come from great energy, connection and smiles, not just spreadsheets.

Ready for a career/revolution?

Life’s too short for boring jobs. If you’re driven by people, performance and purpose, this is where you belong