Centre Manager

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils; Greater London; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government council in Greater London seeks a Sports Centre Manager to oversee Teddington Sports Centre. The role involves managing a dual-use facility and developing a balanced sports program, ensuring compliance with health and safety standards. Ideal candidates will have relevant management qualifications and significant experience in a leisure environment. This position offers a competitive salary range with opportunities for progression.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance of 40 paid days per year

Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme

Childcare vouchers and interest-free loans on travel cards

Qualifications

• Experience in a leisure/fitness environment, ideally at management level.
• Good working knowledge of operational management of a sports and fitness center.
• Understanding of diversity and equality in employment and service provision.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Borough’s dual-use Sports Centre.
• Supervise a team of permanent and casual staff.
• Develop adult and junior programs in line with the Council’s Sport and Leisure Strategy.
• Act as Duty Manager when required.

Skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Leadership

Knowledge of health & safety procedures

Education

Relevant management qualification

First Aid qualified

Job description

Overview

Facilities here include a Visiting multi‑purpose sports hall, tennis courts, all‑weather pitch, squash courts, studios, multi‑use games area and beach volleyball courts.

The centre is open to the public weekdays from 5pm to 10pm and weekends from 9am to 6pm.

You will be working 36 hours per week on a rota that includes a mix of daytime, evening and weekend shifts.

Responsibilities

You will manage the Borough’s dual‑use Sports Centre and work with internal and external partners to iche the facilities, develop services and run a comprehensive and balanced adult and junior programme in line with the Council’s Sport and Leisure Strategy.

You will have direct supervision for a team of permanent staff (and a bank of casual staff members), developing your staff through 1‑2‑1s, appraisals and team meetings.

Your workload will cover programming, finance, health & safety, marketing, quality assurance, facility development and staff management.

You will also be expected to step in and act as Duty Manager when required, getting involved in the day‑to‑day operations.

Have a look at the job profile   online for full details on the varied role you can expect to be doing.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Do you hold a suitable sport/leisure/recreation or relevant management qualification and have previous experience in a leisure environment?, You must hold a suitable sport/leisure/recreation or relevant management qualification in order to apply for this role and must be First Aid qualified.
• Good communication and organisational skills are key essential for this role. We’re looking for someone with significant previous experience of working withing a leisure/fitness environment, ideally at management level.
• You will also need a good working knowledge of the operational management of a sports and fitness centre, health & safety procedures, and an understanding of diversity and equality in employment and provision of service.
• Then we need you to join our team and lead on centre and programme development at Teddington Sports Centre.
• Where you’ll be working: Teddington Sports Centre, Teddington School, Broom Road, Teddington Tree11 9PJ.
• Salary: This SO2 level role initially starts at £37,602pa with a progression range of up to £45,564pa.
• You can progress to grade PO1, with additional areas of responsibility; PO1 salary progression range is £38,976 to £47,229pa.
• Progression up a salary scale is achieved through positive annual appraisals.
• Additional learning and development opportunities are available.
• This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such any appointment will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via DBS.

Benefits & Working Conditions

• 36‑hour working week and a generous holiday allowance of 40 paid days per year (includes bank holidays).
• Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme.
• Childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest‑free loans on annual travel cards.
• Discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments.

Application & Interview

The closing date is given as a guide and we reserve the right to close this advert early or once sufficient applications have been received. We strongly advise you complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Interviews are provisionally scheduled for 10 and 11 February 2026 and will be held in person at our offices in Twickenham. Candidates will be required to give a short presentation as part of the interview assessment.

Equal Opportunities & Diversity

Richmond & Wandsworth Better Service Partnership are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We’re committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment and selection process, please let us know. We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.