General Manager

Bright Stars Gym; Egg Harbor Township (NJ); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Bright Stars Academy is seeking an experienced General Manager to lead the day-to-day operations of our youth sports and recreation organization. This is primarily a people- and operations-leadership role, directly overseeing Department Leaders and ensuring company standards, financial goals, and priorities are carried out.

The General Manager will serve as the primary operational link between ownership and the management team, making decisions, addressing employee concerns, reviewing

Qualifications

• Strong management experience leading multiple departments
• Proven ability to coach, develop, and hold employees accountable
• Comfortable making decisions and solving problems under pressure
• Excellent communication, organization, and follow-through
• Experience with budgets, payroll, and financial reporting

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the team: manage, coach, and set clear expectations for Department Leaders; drive performance and accountability.
• Oversee operations and customer experience: ensure staffing, safety, and efficient operation; maintain visibility during peak hours; address issues.
• Manage KPIs and financial performance: set goals with ownership, monitor enrollment, revenue, payroll, and costs; report KPIs and take action.

Skills

People leadership

Department leadership

Coaching & development

Decision making

Conflict resolution

Communication

Operational oversight

Budget & payroll oversight

Data-driven management

Accountability & follow-through

Job description

Schedule

Full time leadership position and not a traditional Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM role. Bright Stars' peak operating hours are approximately 4:00-8:00 PM on weekdays and Saturday mornings. The General Manager is expected to maintain a meaningful presence during key operating times. Evening and weekend availability is required.

Position Overview

Bright Stars Academy is seeking an experienced, confident, and highly organized General Manager to lead the day-to-day operations of our growing youth sports and recreation organization.

This is primarily a people and operations leadership role. The General Manager will directly oversee our Department Leaders, strengthen management performance, create accountability across departments, and ensure company standards, financial goals, and operational priorities are consistently carried out.

The General Manager will serve as the primary operational link between ownership and the management team. This individual should be comfortable making decisions, solving problems, addressing employee concerns, reviewing business performance, and ensuring routine operational matters are handled effectively without unnecessary escalation to ownership.

We are looking for a leader who can bring structure, consistency, accountability, and strong follow-through to a busy, people-centered organization.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead & Develop the Team

• Directly manage, coach, and support Department Leaders
• Establish clear expectations, priorities, and performance standards
• Hold Department Leaders accountable for the performance of their departments and teams
• Help Department Leaders strengthen their leadership, communication, organization, and employee-management skills
• Address performance concerns, employee issues, and workplace conflicts professionally and promptly
• Support recruiting, onboarding, training, development, and employee retention
• Promote a culture of teamwork, professionalism, accountability, and continuous improvement

Oversee Operations & Customer Experience

• Provide leadership and oversight for the daily operation of Bright Stars
• Ensure programs are appropriately staffed, organized, safe, and operating efficiently
• Maintain a visible presence throughout the facility, particularly during peak operating hours
• Identify operational challenges early and implement practical solutions
• Ensure policies, procedures, safety standards, and company expectations are consistently followed
• Maintain high standards for program quality, customer service, organization, cleanliness, and facility presentation
• Oversee higher-level customer concerns and ensure appropriate follow-through
• Identify opportunities to improve programming, enrollment, retention, efficiency, and the overall family experience

Manage KPIs & Financial Performance

The General Manager will work closely with Department Leaders and ownership to establish goals, review results, understand department performance, and take action when expectations are not being met.

Key performance indicators will include:

• Enrollment, retention, and program growth
• Class capacity and utilization
• Revenue performance by program or department
• Payroll percentages and staffing efficiency
• Employee attendance, turnover, and retention
• Customer experience and retention trends
• Department productivity and follow-through

Financial responsibilities will include:

• Monitoring payroll and staffing costs against established targets
• Reviewing department revenue, expenses, and overall financial performance
• Working with Department Leaders to improve scheduling and labor efficiency
• Monitoring operating expenses and identifying opportunities to control costs without compromising program quality or customer service
• Supporting annual budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning
• Reviewing financial and operational reports to identify trends, concerns, and opportunities
• Holding Department Leaders accountable for understanding and managing the financial performance of their departments
• Providing ownership with clear, concise updates on KPIs, financial performance, operational concerns, and recommended action steps

The General Manager should be comfortable using data to make decisions and translating business goals into measurable expectations for the management team.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have:

• Strong management and people-leadership experience
• Experience managing managers, supervisors, or department leaders
• Demonstrated ability to coach, develop, motivate, and hold employees accountable
• Confidence handling difficult conversations and performance concerns
• Strong judgment and independent decision-making skills
• Excellent communication, organization, and follow-through
• Ability to manage multiple departments and priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Experience working with budgets, payroll, financial reports, and performance metrics
• Ability to use data and KPIs to evaluate performance and drive improvement
• A professional, dependable, approachable, and solutions-focused leadership style

Experience in youth programming, athletics, recreation, childcare, education, fitness, hospitality, or another service-based organization is a plus. Strong leadership and management experience are more important than direct gymnastics or swim experience.

If you are an experienced leader who enjoys developing people, improving operations, understanding the numbers behind the business, and helping a growing organization perform at a higher level, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you