General Manager

Places Leisure; Portishead; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Real Living Wage

Pension with matched contributions up

Bonus scheme

Annual leave trading

Healthcare cashback plan

Wellbeing support

Place Rewards discounts

Training and progression

Recognition programmes

Inclusion and wellbeing focus

Free gym membership

Life Assurance

Job summary

Places Leisure Group is seeking an experienced General Manager to lead Parish Wharf and Strode leisure centre sites, driving exceptional service, community impact and strong financial performance.

You will own the operational and commercial results, develop a high-performing leadership team, and work closely with clients and partners to deliver social value and excellent customer experiences. This role requires strong governance and safeguarding awareness.

Qualifications

• Experience leading and developing a multi-functional operational team.
• Experience managing a leisure facility or similar customer-focused operation.
• Proven ability to manage operational, commercial and financial targets.
• Confident using performance information and KPIs to improve results.

Responsibilities

• Lead Parish Wharf and Strode leisure centre sites, delivering excellent services to communities.
• Own the site's financial, commercial and operational performance using KPIs to identify opportunities and take action.
• Oversee membership sales, retention and revenue while ensuring high-quality customer experiences.
• Develop your leadership team, set objectives and support colleagues through induction and development planning.
• Collaborate with clients, community groups, health and wellbeing partners and wider colleagues to meet contractual commitments and social value targets.

Skills

Multi-functional leadership

Leisure facility management

Commercial targets

KPI analysis

Job description

Places Leisure is part of the Places for People Group, we're changing lives by creating active places and healthier people for communities to thrive. As one of the UK's leading Social Enterprises, Places for People believes it's people who make a community, which is why we build homes, deliver services and create opportunities that help communities flourish. At Places for People, we hire People, not numbers. We're looking for individuals who share our values, do the right thing, support their communities and are motivated to grow. We apply the same philosophy to our colleagues as we do to our communities, ensuring everyone feels valued, supported and empowered to succeed. Here, you're more than just a colleague, you're part of our cause. Join a community that cares about you.

More about your role

As General Manager, you will lead Parish Wharf and Strode leisure centre sites and teams, delivering excellent services that help create active, healthy and thriving communities. You will take ownership of the site's financial, commercial and operational performance, using key performance indicators to identify opportunities and take effective action. You will oversee membership sales, retention and revenue, while ensuring customers consistently receive a high-quality experience. You will develop your leadership team, set clear objectives and support colleagues through effective induction and development planning. Working collaboratively with clients, community groups, health and wellbeing partners and colleagues across the wider business, you will ensure contractual commitments are met, social value targets are delivered and the site is recognised as an example of excellent leisure management.

Essential criteria

• Previously experience of leading and developing a multi-functional operational team.
• Experience of managing a leisure facility or similar customer-focused operation.
• Proven ability to manage operational, commercial and financial targets.
• Confident using performance information and KPIs to improve results.

More about you

You will be an inspiring and visible leader who can bring people together around clear operational and financial goals. You will be results-focused, comfortable managing a range of responsibilities and passionate about providing an excellent service for customers and communities. You will understand how to manage financial performance and use commercial and operational information to make informed decisions. Experience within leisure facility management would be beneficial. You will also be confident working with clients and partners, developing your team and creating an inclusive environment in which colleagues and communities can thrive. This role requires an Enhanced Disclosure check.

Benefits

• We pay the Real Living Wage as a minimum
• Pension with matched contributions up to 7%
• Bonus scheme
• Option to buy or sell annual leave days
• Healthcare cashback plan for everyday medical costs, with private GP and health support services available
• Comprehensive wellbeing support including counselling, flu jabs, our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and access to our Wellbeing Hub, supporting your mental, physical and financial wellbeing
• Access to Our Place Rewards, offering discounts and savings on groceries, travel, shopping, home products and other lifestyle purchases
• Ongoing training, professional qualifications, internal development programmes and career progression opportunities
• Recognition programmes including Star Awards and Colleague Awards, celebrating achievements and recognising great work
• Strong focus on inclusion, wellbeing and colleague engagement
• Free membership to Places Gyms
• Life Assurance to provide financial security for your loved ones, alongside access to will writing services to help you plan for the future with confidence

At Places for People, safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. We are committed to creating safe communities for our customers and colleagues by protecting children, young people, and adults at risk from harm, abuse, and neglect.

We follow robust safeguarding policies and procedures, ensuring all employees, volunteers, and contractors uphold the highest standards of safeguarding and accountability. Our recruitment process includes pre-employment checks, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks where applicable, to promote a safe and secure working environment.

By joining Places for People, you are expected to contribute to our safeguarding culture, following our policies and reporting concerns to protect those in our communities.