General Manager (Learn to Swim)

We Are Swim; Greater London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A family-focused swim organization is seeking a General Manager to oversee daily operations and lead a team, ensuring a premium customer experience. This role involves community engagement, staff motivation, and maintaining high safety standards. The ideal candidate is an energetic leader experienced in leisure or customer service environments, ready to build strong relationships with families and local organizations.

Benefits

Competitive salary with bonus potential

Birthday off

Funded training and development

Discounts on lessons for family and friends

Recognition and rewards

Qualifications

• Leading a team in leisure or hospitality settings.
• Coaching and motivating staff effectively.
• Delivering premium customer experiences.
• Community engagement and relationship building.

Responsibilities

• Lead operations to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment.
• Motivate and support your team daily.
• Maintain operational and safety standards.
• Manage staffing schedules and sales growth.
• Engage with local community for awareness.

Skills

Leadership

Customer service skills

Communication

Team motivation

Job description

Job Details

Our purpose-built, state-of-the-art venues are designed especially for families, safe, secure, and inspiring environments where children learn, grow, and have fun in the water. We’re proud of our people and our product, and high standards should run through everything we do. From the quality of our teaching to the way we support every swimmer and family as well as safe, clean, warm venues.

The Role

As a General Manager at swim!, you’ll lead your venue and team to deliver an exceptional customer experience every day. You’ll oversee operations, safety, and performance ensuring the centre runs smoothly, looks its best, and meets the highest standards of teaching, maintenance, and service. You’ll also play a key role in growing your local swim! community, connecting with families, schools, and local organisations. With your Assistant Manager and Team Leader by your side, you’ll create a welcoming, efficient, and energetic environment that families love returning to.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the daily operations of your swim! venue, ensuring a safe, clean, and enjoyable environment for all customers.
• Motivate, coach, and support your team including Assistant Manager, Team Leader, Teachers and Operations Assistants to deliver a premium experience every day.
• Maintain the highest operational and safety standards, including responsibility for pool plant operations (training provided if required).
• Manage staff rotas, schedules, and resources in line with the 3-week operating pattern and cost of sale budget.
• Take ownership of local sales and membership growth, conducting follow-up calls with leads and enquiries and supporting parents through their swim! journey.
• Deliver hyperlocal community engagement building relationships with schools, nurseries, and local groups to raise awareness and drive new sign-ups.
• Retain existing customers through high standards, quality lessons and customer service.
• Monitor and analyse performance data and customer feedback to continuously improve service quality.
• Lead on recruitment, onboarding, training, development and retention of new team members.
• Collaborate with colleagues across swim! centres across your region and swim@ venues to share good practice and deliver a great experience for every family.

About You

You’re an energetic, people-first leader who thrives in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment. You’re just as comfortable on the poolside as you are leading your team or chatting with local families. You take pride in high standards, enjoy building relationships, and love seeing your venue and team succeed.

Essential Experience

• Leading a team, ideally in a leisure, hospitality, or customer-facing environment.
• Excellent leadership, able to coach, motivate, and inspire others.
• Confident communicator, both in-person and over the phone, with strong customer service skills.
• Passion for delivering premium experiences and building community connections.
• Capacity to work a 3-week rota (including some evenings / weekends).

Desirable Experience

• Managing facilities, ideally leisure or pool operations.
• Knowledge of health & safety, safeguarding, or compliance frameworks.
• Pool Plant Operator qualification desirable (training provided if not yet held).
• Sales or business development experience, ideally in a customer-service environment.
• Understanding of performance reporting.

Why Join swim!

• Competitive salary with bonus potential.
• Your birthday off, on us.
• Fully funded training and ongoing professional development.
• Bright, positive working environment in modern, purpose-built facilities.
• Discounts on lessons for family and friends.
• Recognition, rewards, and regular team events.
• Career progression opportunities from venue leadership to regional and central opportunities.