Head of Service – Sport and Leisure – Colchester City Council

Essex County Council; Colchester; On-site; GBP 63,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional local government authority is seeking a Head of Service for Sport and Leisure in Colchester. The successful candidate will lead the delivery of services, manage significant budgets, and drive transformation. Candidates should have a degree or equivalent, substantial management experience in a related field, and a strong track record in operational leadership. The role offers flexibility and various employee benefits, including a pension scheme and generous leave entitlement, making it an exciting opportunity for a dynamic leader committed to community well-being.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Flexible working

Gym, travel and online retail discounts

Training and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven track record of leading high-quality operational services.
• Substantial management experience within sport and leisure or a related field.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of the Sport and Leisure Strategy.
• Manage significant budgets, ensuring value for money.
• Champion transformation and cultural change within the service.

Skills

Leadership

Communication Skills

Financial Acumen

Team Motivation

Strategic Planning

Education

Degree level education or equivalent experience

Management or coaching qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Project planning tools

Job description

About The Role

Head of Service – Sport and Leisure - Colchester City Council

Colchester City Council

Permanent, Full Time

£63,489.21 - £83,507.19 per annum

Location: Colchester

Closing Date: 5th December 2025

Essex County Council are delighted to be advertising for the role of Head of Service – Sports and Leisure on behalf of Colchester City Council.

Apply HERE! All applications need to be made through the Colchester City Council website, please click the link HERE to complete an application form.

Colchester City Council is committed to delivering high-quality and accessible services to residents, visitors and businesses. We are a local government authority providing a diverse range of public and commercial services across Colchester, the second largest district in Essex.

An exciting opportunity has become available to manage Colchester City Councils Sport and Leisure Services. This sort of opportunity to lead an extensive sports and leisure operation, within a forward-thinking council that is actively working in partnership across health and multiple agencies, does not come about very often.

We are looking for a dynamic and engaging individual who can work across multiple disciplines, combining commercial expertise with social value and provision of an empathetic service. As the Head of Service for Sport and Leisure you will:

• Lead and manage Sport and Leisure Services across council-owned and dual-use sites.
• Drive transformation, cultural change, and innovation.
• Manage budgets, income streams, and ensure compliance with health and safety and data protection.
• Build partnerships and promote physical activity and wellbeing.

Duties of the role

As an essential member of the Council’s Senior Leadership Team, you will lead the delivery of the Sport and Leisure Strategy and business plan, ensuring alignment with the Council’s priorities and statutory obligations. You will champion transformation and cultural change within the service, fostering innovation and collaboration to enhance community health and wellbeing. The role requires managing significant budgets, developing income streams, and ensuring value for money through effective financial oversight, while providing inspirational leadership across workforce planning, recruitment, and performance management. Working closely with councillors, stakeholders, and partners, you will build strong networks, promote physical activity, and deliver healthy lifestyle initiatives that support the Council’s vision and values.

In addition, you will lead change programmes, integrate services, and ensure compliance with data protection legislation while embedding a “one council” approach. You will take responsibility for delivering the highest standards of customer service across all Sport and Leisure operations, creating a culture of responsiveness, inclusivity, and continuous improvement to enhance user experience. Furthermore, you will ensure full compliance with health and safety legislation, policies, and best practice, implementing robust risk management, staff training, and maintaining safe environments for customers, staff, and partners.

Qualifications And Skills Required

To be successful in this role, you will need to be a dynamic leader educated to degree level or with equivalent experience, ideally supported by a management or coaching qualification. A relevant qualification in the service industry would be an advantage. You will bring a proven track record of leading high-quality operational services and substantial management experience within sport and leisure or a related field, including policy development, strategic planning, and change management. Strong commercial and financial acumen, along with experience managing large budgets and delivering complex projects, is essential.

You will demonstrate inspirational leadership, with the ability to coach, mentor, and motivate teams while driving transformation and embedding organisational values. Excellent communication and negotiation skills, political awareness, and the ability to build strategic partnerships are key. We are looking for someone who is visionary, collaborative, and committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 and project planning tools, alongside an understanding of data protection legislation, will ensure you succeed in this role.

What We Offer

The Council encourages all employees to maximise their potential. You will be entitled to join an attractive pension scheme and will receive a generous annual leave entitlement, including two extra company holidays during the Christmas period.

Other benefits include:

• Flexible working
• Gym, travel and online retail discounts
• Excellent training, development and progression opportunities

For an informal discussion about this vacancy, please contact Nick Cave, Interim Head of Service, [e-mail].

How to apply will be added by the HR Service Centre.

Closing date: 5th December 2025

Colchester City Council has a wide range of services and facilities that can involve dealing with children or vulnerable adults. We treat our obligations for the safety of children and vulnerable adults seriously and expect our staff to be committed to the principles of our published policies and to adhere to the procedures contained within them.

Apply HERE! All applications need to be made through the Colchester City Council website, please click the link HERE to complete an application form.