General Manager, Walton on Thames

Places Leisure; Walton-on-Thames; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus scheme 15%

Health & Fitness membership for you +

Job summary

Places for People is seeking a capable leader to manage Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex and associated facilities. You will oversee contract delivery, lead a team, and drive commercial value while ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment for the community.

Responsibilities include strong stakeholder engagement with the local authority, safeguarding, and maintaining high standards of service and safety across all sites.

Responsibilities

• Lead contact with the local authority client for Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex, Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub and The Hurst Pool.
• Oversee contract delivery across multiple facilities and ensure key metrics are achieved.
• Provide strong leadership, coaching and development for the team while delivering excellent customer service.
• Drive commercial value and ensure facilities are welcoming, safe and well-presented.

Job description

We are Places for People Group, we're a social enterprise that believes it's people that make a community. That's why we build homes and deliver services for everyone in the community to thrive. At Places Leisure we are changing lives by creating active places and healthy people for communities to thrive, and we want to be the UK's leading health and wellbeing enabler.
We aren't your typical company. We apply the same philosophy to our People as we do to our communities, ensuring our team is appreciated and supported. At Places for People, you're more than just a number - you're part of our cause.
More About Your Role
Following significant investment at Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex, this is an exciting time to be joining the team. Reporting to the Area Manager you will take responsibility for ensuring your team deliver exceptional service, well presented and clean facilities at all times. You will identify strategic initiatives that provide real commercial value and make a positive impact to the bottom line. You will also ensure that key metrics are achieved in line with a balanced scorecard.
You will be the lead contact with our local authority client and be responsible for overseeing the contract delivery across Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex, Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub and The Hurst Pool.
You will be responsible for ensuring that your local community engage in a range of sports and activities by ensuring your centre offers facilities that meet their needs, in a welcoming and inclusive environment.
For more information please download our job profile available on our website.
More About You
You will be a strong leader with a commercial brain, you must be able to evidence at interview where you have taken decisions that have improved the bottom line. You will be a skilled manager/coach and be able to motivate and develop your direct reports and wider team. Our business is fast moving and ever changing and you will possess the capability to lead a team through change whilst delivering amazing customer service.
Ideally you will possess a background in leisure, alternatively we would welcome applications from candidates from a retail or hospitality background. However more importantly to us is your ability to lead a fast moving business and maximise commercial value whilst delighting our customers.
Benefits
We are a large, diverse and ambitious business, which will give you all the challenge you could wish for.
We Know That There's Always More We Can Do To Make You Smile, That's Why We Offer a Comprehensive Benefits Package With Each Role, Yours Will Include:

• A bonus scheme for all colleagues at 15%
• Full Health & Fitness membership for you, a nominated adult and up to 4 juniors
• Flexible working (including part time working, shift work and more)
• An opportunity to purchase additional annual leave
• Lots of opportunity to access ongoing personal learning and development
• Access to our Company Pension scheme
• Cashback plan for healthcare costs - up to £500 saving per year
• Discounts of up to 50% on activities, centre shop and cafes
• Extra perks including huge discounts and offers from shops, cinemas and much more

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.