General Manager

Ballers; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 108,000 - 132,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health benefits

Free access to Ballers facilities

Job summary

Ballers Philadelphia is seeking a seasoned General Manager to lead our 55,000 sq ft sports and social club in Fishtown. You will oversee a 100-seat restaurant and bar, events sales, and membership programs, ensuring premium service and strong financial results.

The role requires managing budgets, staffing, and a multi-department leadership team. Ideal candidates bring 8+ years in hospitality leadership with P&L responsibility, experience running large events and private clubs, and a network in

Qualifications

• 8+ years in hospitality leadership with P&L responsibility.
• Experience leading events or membership sales teams to targets.
• Experience building operating systems and KPI reporting.
• Knowledge of hospitality service standards in high-volume environments.
• Philadelphia network in hospitality, sports or corporate circles preferred.
• Evenings, weekends and holiday availability; CPR/First Aid cert within 60 days.

Responsibilities

• Lead food and beverage operations for a 100-seat restaurant and bar, oversee service standards, costs, labor and compliance.
• Head events sales and execution for private, corporate and community events up to 1200 guests.
• Oversee membership sales, onboarding, retention and benefits.
• Supervise sports programming, leagues, clinics and tournaments across multiple sports.
• Maintain cleanliness, safety and facility standards for all spaces.
• Collaborate with marketing to drive member growth and event bookings; use networks for business development.
• Hire, train, schedule and manage staff; develop department heads.
• Build and manage the operating budget; report weekly on targets to Ballers Management.

Skills

Hospitality leadership

P&L management

Staff leadership

Budgeting

Events sales leadership

Job description

About Ballers

Ballers is a sports and social club in Turbine Hall at the Battery in Fishtown, a 55,000 square foot space in what was once the largest power plant in the PECO system. The club has 6 pickleball courts, 3 padel courts, 4 golf simulators, 2 squash courts and an indoor turf field for sports and events, along with a 100 seat restaurant and bar, a gym, locker rooms and event spaces that host groups of up to 700. We run a private membership, and the club is also open to the public to book courts, play and dine.

About Ballers

Ballers is a sports and social club in Turbine Hall at the Battery in Fishtown, a 55,000 square foot space in what was once the largest power plant in the PECO system. The club has 6 pickleball courts, 3 padel courts, 4 golf simulators, 2 squash courts and an indoor turf field for sports and events, along with a 100 seat restaurant and bar, a gym, locker rooms and event spaces that host groups of up to 700. We run a private membership, and the club is also open to the public to book courts, play and dine.
Ballers was founded by the team behind Fitler Club. Its investors include Andre Agassi, Kim Clijsters and Tyrese Maxey. Philadelphia is our flagship, and we also run a smaller outdoor club in Boston.

What Makes Ballers Different

Ballers combines sport and hospitality in one building. Members and guests play, then stay for dinner, watch a match at the bar, or join a league and get to know other players. Ballers stands out for its service, people, setting and community, and the General Manager is responsible for keeping that standard consistent.

The Opportunity

We are building the Ballers operating model in Philadelphia and want to prove it here before looking at further growth. That covers service standards, staffing, membership terms, event pricing and weekly reporting. Working with the management team, the General Manager will write this playbook for use in Boston and at any future clubs.

The Role

The General Manager has full authority over the operation of Ballers Philadelphia and reports to Ballers Management. Department heads for events, membership, sports programming, food and beverage, and facilities report to the General Manager. That authority covers hiring and replacing staff, approving spending within the budget, and setting standards for every part of the building, with accountability for the guest experience, financial results and team performance.

We are hiring a hospitality leader. Racquet sports expertise is not required, as the coaches and sports leads run programming day to day and report to the General Manager. Candidates should know how a premium restaurant, bar and events business operates and how to run a club where private members and public guests share the same space.

Responsibilities

• Food and beverage: Lead the 100 seat restaurant and bar, including the Executive Chef. Oversee service standards, menu execution, food and beverage cost, labor, inventory, vendors, and health and liquor compliance.
• Events: Lead the events sales and execution team across private, corporate and community events of up to 1200 guests, from inquiry and pricing through contract and execution.
• Membership: Lead the membership sales team, covering new member sales, onboarding, retention and member benefits.
• Sports programming: Oversee the coaches and sports leads, and the leagues, clinics, ladders and tournaments across pickleball, padel, golf, squash and turf sports.
• Gym, locker rooms and facility: Maintain cleanliness, maintenance and safety standards across every member and guest space.
• Sales and marketing: Set priorities with the marketing team, track which efforts produce members and event bookings, and use a personal network to bring in business.
• People: Hire, train, schedule and manage the team, and develop the department heads.
• Financial results: Build and manage the budget, and report weekly to Ballers Management against targets for membership, events, food and beverage, court use and labor.

First Year Priorities

• Put in place an operating framework with KPIs for every department and a weekly scorecard.
• Base pricing, staffing and programming decisions on that data.
• Improve profitability across membership, events, and food and beverage.
• Improve member retention, grow the membership and strengthen the club’s reputation.
• Build awareness of the Ballers brand in Philadelphia.
• Document an operating playbook for Boston and future clubs.

Qualifications

• 8 or more years in hospitality leadership, including at least 3 as GM or AGM of a venue with fullservice food and beverage and an events business. Private clubs, members’ clubs, boutique hotels, and upscale sports or entertainment venues are all relevant.
• Direct P&L responsibility, including budgeting, forecasting, labor planning and cost control.
• Experience leading events or membership sales teams to targets.
• Experience building operating systems and KPI reporting used by a team every week.
• Experience with a membership or private club model is preferred.
• Experience maintaining service standards in high volume operations, including dining and large private events running at the same time.
• A Philadelphia network in hospitality, sports or corporate circles is preferred.
• Availability for evenings, weekends and holidays, and CPR and First Aid certification within 60 days of starting.

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary range of $120,000+ depending on experience
• Annual bonus target of 15% to 20% of base, tied to agreed operating targets
• Comprehensive health benefits and free access to all Ballers facilities and programs