General Manager

Serco Limited; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme with employer contrib.

25 days annual leave plus bank hols

Free membership at the Centre

Heavily discounted use of classes and

Training, development and apprenticesh

Career progression across Serco

Employee Assistance Programme and well

Discounts and benefits scheme with ret

Job summary

Serco Leisure is seeking an experienced General Manager to lead Maidstone Leisure Centre and Lockmeadow Health Club, overseeing two high-profile sites, delivering outstanding customer experiences and commercial success.

Based at Maidstone, this full-time role requires senior operational leadership, multi-site management, and a strong commitment to safety, governance, and community impact. 37.5 hours/week, Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00, with up to £51,000 per annum plus benefits.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior operational management role within leisure or facilities management.
• Experience leading multi-site operations and managing diverse teams.
• Demonstrable success in delivering commercial growth and financial targets.
• Strong leadership, people management, and stakeholder engagement.
• Sound health and safety, compliance, and risk management knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage multiple leisure facilities with safe, efficient operations.
• Develop and deliver site strategies and annual business plans.
• Drive commercial performance and growth opportunities.
• Provide visible leadership to site management teams.
• Ensure facilities are safe, clean, and well maintained.
• Build relationships with customers, stakeholders and partner organisations.
• Use performance data to monitor delivery and drive improvements.
• Oversee budgets, profitability and resource management.
• Champion H&S, environmental, data protection and compliance standards.
• Lead recruitment, succession planning and employee development.

Skills

Senior operational management

Leisure/facilities management

Multi-site leadership

Customer service focus

Stakeholder relationship management

Health and safety knowledge

Job description

Base Location: Maidstone Leisure Centre, ME15 7RN (covering multiple sites)

Permanent, Full Time, 37.5 hours per week - Predominantly Mon-Fri 9:00 - 17:00

Up to £51,000 per annum + excellent benefits

Ready to impact a better future?

Serco Leisure acts as the day-to-day operational management partner for Maidstone Leisure Trust, supporting the Trust in delivering its contractual commitments to Maidstone Borough Council. Together, we create welcoming, inclusive, and accessible environments that help people live healthier, more active lives.

We are seeking an experienced and inspiring General Manager to lead the flagship Maidstone Leisure Centre and Lockmeadow Health Club. This is an exciting opportunity to take ownership of two high-profile facilities, delivering outstanding customer experiences, driving commercial success, and creating a positive culture where colleagues can thrive and develop.

As a visible and influential leader, you will be responsible for ensuring the safe, efficient, and customer-focused operation of both sites. You will lead high-performing teams, champion continuous improvement, and work closely with the Contract Manager to deliver operational excellence, sustainable growth, and strong community impact.

The role requires a strong commercial mindset, a passion for customer service, and the ability to build effective relationships with stakeholders, local communities, partners, and customers. You will play a key role in shaping the future of leisure provision across Maidstone, ensuring our facilities remain at the heart of the communities they serve.

If you are a results-driven leader with a track record of delivering operational excellence and inspiring teams, we'd love to hear from you.

Join us and help create healthier communities, stronger teams, and a better future for Maidstone.

What you'll do

• Lead and manage multiple leisure facilities, ensuring safe, efficient, and commercially successful operations.
• Develop and deliver site strategies and annual business plans that meet contractual requirements and business objectives.
• Drive commercial performance, identifying opportunities for growth, increased participation, and improved operational efficiency.
• Provide visible leadership to site management teams, creating a culture of accountability, engagement, and high performance.
• Ensure all facilities are safe, compliant, welcoming, clean, and maintained to the highest standards.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with customers, stakeholders, community groups, and partner organisations.
• Use performance data and KPIs to monitor service delivery, identify opportunities for improvement, and drive operational excellence.
• Oversee financial performance, budgets, profitability, and resource management to achieve agreed targets.
• Champion health, safety, environmental, business continuity, data protection, and compliance standards across all sites.
• Lead recruitment, succession planning, talent development, and employee engagement initiatives to build high-performing teams.

Does this sound like you?

• Proven experience in a senior operational management role within leisure, facilities management, hospitality, or a similar customer-facing environment.
• Experience leading multi-site operations and managing diverse teams.
• Demonstrable success in delivering commercial growth, operational improvements, and financial targets.
• Strong leadership and people management skills with the ability to motivate, coach, and develop others.
• Experience managing stakeholder relationships and working collaboratively with clients, partners, and community groups.
• Sound understanding of health and safety, compliance, and risk management within an operational environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use performance data to inform decision-making.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage and inspire colleagues at all levels.
• Passionate about delivering outstanding customer experiences and continuous improvement.

What we offer

• Pension scheme with employer contributions.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Free membership at the Centre plus heavily discounted use of classes and facilities
• Access to a wide range of training, development, and apprenticeship opportunities.
• Opportunities for career progression across Serco's diverse business areas.
• Employee Assistance Programme and wellbeing support services.
• Discounts and benefits scheme with hundreds of retailers and services.

Vetting Requirements

AnEnhanced DBS checkis required for this role. This includes spent and unspent convictions, cautions, and any relevant information held by local police, in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and safeguarding requirements. You will also complete anOccupational Health Questionnaireto allow us to provide any support needed for you to succeed in the role.