Head of Sport and Leisure

Colchester City Council; Colchester; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in the United Kingdom seeks a dynamic individual for the Head of Service for Sport and Leisure role. You will lead and manage sports services, drive transformation and cultural change, and ensure compliance with health and safety standards. Ideal candidates will have a proven track record in managing operational services, substantial experience in the Sport and Leisure field, and excellent leadership capabilities. Join us to promote community health and wellbeing.

Benefits

Attractive pension scheme

Generous annual leave

Flexible working

Gym, travel and retail discounts

Excellent 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.
• Experience managing large budgets and delivering complex projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of Sport and Leisure strategy and business plan.
• Champion transformation and cultural change within the service.
• Build partnerships to promote physical activity and wellbeing.

Skills

Dynamic leadership

Strategic planning

Financial acumen

Excellent communication

Project management

Education

Degree or equivalent experience

Management or coaching qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Project planning tools

Job description

Contract Type:Permanent

Working Hours:37 hours per week

Location:Multiple sites within the Leisure World portfolio, Civic offices and homeworking

This is a politically restricted (specified) post.

Colchester City Council is committed to delivering high-quality and accessible services to residents, visitors and businesses. We are a local governmentauthority 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. The 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]

For further information regarding this vacancy, please click here.

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.