General Manager

Strike Padel; Bradford; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Strike Padel, Bradford’s first indoor padel club, seeks a General Manager to lead daily operations of the venue and cafe, grow occupancy and deliver excellent customer service. You will work with the Head Coach and Facility Manager, implement systems, and drive a strong community presence.

This hands-on role offers influence over partnerships, social media and service standards as the club expands to a second site.

Qualifications

• Minimum proven management experience in leisure, sport, hospitality or retail.
• Track record of hitting commercial targets such as revenue, occupancy or footfall.
• Ability to use KPIs and performance data to drive decisions.
• Strong communication with customers, partners and directors.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the team, including coaching and performance conversations.
• Drive commercial performance through occupancy, partnerships and sponsorships.
• Deliver an outstanding customer experience across courts, café and pro shop.
• Run the operation with daily oversight of club and café.
• Maintain health, safety and compliance across the venue.

Skills

Management experience

Leadership

KPIs & data

Communication skills

Customer service

Flexibility

Ambition

Education

IOSH or health & safety qualification

Tools

Planday

Booking systems

Rota systems

Job description

Beckside Business Park, Bradford BD7 2BR|Full-time, Permanent

Lead Bradford’s Home of Padel. Grow the Club. Develop the Team.

About Strike Padel

Strike Padel is Bradford’s first indoor padel club. Founded by Bradford-born healthcare professionals, we set out to get our city moving, using the UK’s fastest-growing sport to bring people together and improve health and wellbeing.

In just over a year we’ve grown from 5 to 12 panoramic courts under a 9m roof, alongside a café with an onsite barista, a pro shop, a mezzanine viewing area over our show court, and a busy programme of coaching, leagues, tournaments, socials and corporate events. We’re an official partner of Bradford City AFC, and our second site at Weaverthorpe Retail Park is on the way.

About the Role

As General Manager, you’ll lead the day-to-day running of the club and café and be responsible for how it performs: court occupancy, customer experience, team performance and standards across the venue.

You’ll lead an established team, including our Head Coach and Community Engagement & Facility Manager, and work closely with the directors to grow the business. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who wants to shape a fast-growing club.

Why Join Strike Padel

• Lead a 12-court venue at a key point in its growth
• Inherit an established team, including a Head Coach and a Community Engagement & Facility Manager
• Have real influence on how the club runs, from systems and standards to partnerships and social media
• Join a business that’s expanding, with a second site on the way
• Work in a venue built around community, health and the UK’s fastest-growing sport

Key Responsibilities

Lead & Develop the Team

• Line manage the Head Coach and Community Engagement & Facility Manager, supporting them to hit their KPIs
• Manage all front-of-house staff, including recruitment, training, appraisals and performance conversations
• Plan and manage staff rotas using Planday
• Keep recruitment and compliance documentation up to date
• Lead by example on the floor with visibility, professionalism and energy

Drive Commercial Performance

• Take responsibility for court occupancy across peak and off-peak times
• Sell court sponsorships and build partnerships with local businesses and brands
• Set and deliver the club’s social media strategy, working with the wider team on content and promotion
• Manage operational budgets, with director sign-off on spend
• Use weekly KPI reports on court occupancy, class occupancy, café and retail to spot and act on opportunities

Deliver an Outstanding Customer Experience

• Create a welcoming, inclusive environment for every player, from first-timers to competitive teams
• Make sure coaching, leagues, events and community activity run smoothly across the club
• Handle customer feedback and resolve issues promptly
• Maintain high standards of presentation across the courts, café and pro shop

Run the Operation

• Oversee the daily running of the club and café
• Digitise how the club runs, including digital checklists, training videos and training modules
• Manage stock control and ordering across the café, pro shop and merchandise
• Work with the Community Engagement & Facility Manager to keep the facility well maintained

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Take responsibility for health & safety and fire safety across the venue
• Make sure company policies and procedures are followed and kept up to date
• Maintain a safe environment for customers and colleagues

What We’re Looking For

• Management experience in leisure, sport, hospitality or retail
• A track record of hitting commercial targets such as revenue, sales or occupancy
• Confidence using KPIs and performance data to make decisions
• Solid working knowledge of health & safety and fire safety responsibilities
• Experience with staff scheduling, recruitment and appraisals
• Strong communication skills, comfortable dealing with customers, partners and directors
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and bank holidays when required
• Ambition to grow your career within a fast-growing business
• Experience in padel, racket sports or a sports and leisure venue
• Experience with booking and rota systems
• Experience selling sponsorships or building business partnerships
• Experience planning social media or marketing activity
• IOSH, first aid or a similar health & safety qualification