Contract Manager -Leisure Management

Leisure People Recruitment; Chichester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading sports and leisure management operator in Chichester is seeking a Contract Manager. This exciting opportunity involves leading a senior team, developing business strategies, and ensuring top-notch service at community centres. Ideal candidates will have at least 3 years of senior leadership experience in the leisure sector, managing diverse teams and significant budgets. You will support project management of CAPX projects while ensuring compliance and strong stakeholder relationships. A full clean driving license is required for travel around Chichester.

Qualifications

• At least 3-years senior leadership experience in fitness/wellness/sports/leisure management.
• Exposure to managing large, diverse management teams.
• History of delivering commercial results and customer experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire the senior leadership team.
• Develop a commercial strategy and business plan.
• Ensure operational compliance and meet customer expectations.
• Build relations with stakeholders to exceed business needs.
• Support project management of significant CAPX projects.

Skills

Senior leadership experience in fitness/wellness/sports/Leisure Management

Managing significant multi-line revenue budgets

Delivering outstanding commercial results

Understanding community objectives for Trust/Charitable Social Enterprise

Managing CAPX projects

Driving positive change in a team

Full clean driving license

Job description

Contract Manager- Sports, Fitness & Leisure Management

We are looking for a Contract Manager in Chichester, West Sussex for one of the U.K.s most progressive sports, fitness and leisure management operators renowned for their quality and innovative service provision and investment in their people.

This is a hugely exciting time to be joining the company with a significant investment programme scheduled to start in 2026 to enhance the three community sports and leisure centres in the contract with new and upgraded facilities and services to benefit the whole community.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead and inspire your senior leadership team, instilling a culture of service excellence and drive for results.
• Develop and deliver a commercial strategy and business plan to grow the business.
• Ensure the centres are safe, operationally compliant and service levels are meeting your customers’ expectations.
• Build strong relations with internal and external stakeholders ensuring you meet and exceed the needs of the business and the community you serve.
• Support with project managing significant CAPX projects to enhance the facilities, service and activities available.

The ideal candidate will have:

• At least 3-years senior leadership experience within fitness/wellness/sports/Leisure Management market managing large diverse multi-disciplined management teams.
• Exposure to managing significant multi-line revenue budgets within a multi-faceted leisure environment as a Contract Manager, Area Manager, Regional Manager, Cluster General Manager or possibly a Senior General Manager managing a big volume site.
• A history of delivering outstanding commercial results and exemplary customer experience.
• A working understanding of fulfilling community objectives working for a Trust/Charitable Social Enterprise.
• Ideally experience of managing CAPX projects.
• Ideally experience in taking a business and team through positive change.
• A full clean driving license and the mobility to travel around Chichester, West Sussex