Summary
Area: Leisure - Redhill LC
Salary: £38,510 to £40,444 per annum
Hours: 37 hours per week
Closing Date: 11-Oct-2026@23:59
Description
Ready to take your leisure management career to the next level?
Are you an ambitious and talented manager with a passion for making a difference in the leisure sector? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment where no two days are the same? If so, we'd love to hear from you!
We're looking for an exceptional Operations Manager to lead our high-performing team at Redhill Leisure Centre in Arnold. This is far more than a traditional centre management role. It's an exciting opportunity to shape the customer experience, inspire a talented team, and play a key role in helping more people become active, healthy, and connected within their community.
As our Operations Manager, you'll be at the heart of everything we do. You'll create a safe, welcoming, and vibrant environment where customers feel valued, colleagues are motivated to succeed, and great service is the standard every day.
You'll bring enthusiasm and energy to daily operations, commercial insight to decision-making, and innovative thinking to continually improve the way we deliver our services. We're looking for a confident, people-focused leader who combines strong operational expertise with a sharp commercial mindset. You'll remain calm under pressure, communicate with confidence and clarity, and have a proven ability to turn ideas into results. Most importantly, you'll be passionate about developing people, building strong relationships, and creating a positive culture where everyone feels supported, empowered, and able to achieve their full potential.
If you're ready to lead a successful centre, inspire a fantastic team, and make a real impact in your community, we'd love to welcome you to our team.
Due to the nature of the position and the requirements imposed by the facilities provided at the Centres, the post-holder will be required as a feature of the job to attend work at various times as related to and determined by the requirements of the service. The Centres operate 7 days per week. The 5-day working week will fall anywhere within these opening days.
Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of suitable applications. We therefore encourage interested candidates to submit their application as soon as possible.
Please note, you must have the right to work in the UK at the time of application; we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
Closing Date for completed applications is Sunday 11th October at midnight.
Person Specification
Key: D=Desirable, E=Essential, I=Interview, A=Application Form, T=Test, M=Medical
Relevant Experience
| Requirement | Assessment | Criteria |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Minimum 2 years managerial experience in relevant environment.
|
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Devising and implementing training plans for staff and/or volunteers. |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Experience in the delivery of leisure provision in an operational or strategic capacity |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Practical experience of financial management and budget monitoring. |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Experience in the preparation and implementation of business/service plans |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Experience of all statutory requirements of health and safety. |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Experience of contractor management |
| (D) |
(A/I) |
Experience of planning and delivering small projects |
| (D) |
(A/I) |
Experience of Licensed Bar Management |
Qualifications / Training
| Requirement | Assessment | Criteria |
| (E) |
(A) |
Degree Level Management Qualification in Arts/Entertainment/Sports / Recreation Management or other appropriate degree level qualification |
| (E) |
(A) |
First Aid qualified |
Job Related Skills
| Requirement | Assessment | Criteria |
| (E) |
(A/I/T) |
Ability to supervise, direct and coordinate the work of a diverse workforce |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Able to conduct detailed research, write and present reports |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Detailed understanding of Performance Management and Quality systems |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Proven marketing and promotional skills |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Ability to personally analyse complex information and problems to provide an appropriate solution. |
| (E) |
(A/I/T) |
Confident in communicating both verbally and in writing with customers, staff, contractors and others. |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Ability to motivate others and encourage team working |
| (E) |
(A/I/T) |
Proven time management skills and ability to organise and prioritise workload. |
| (E) |
(A) |
Physically fit, able to meet the physical requirements of the post, which requires occasional physical effort |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Able to demonstrate a practical understanding of building management procedures. |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Practical understanding of financial management and budget monitoring |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Ability to understand and implement corporate and service specific planning frameworks |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Understanding of the Procurement Act and how this is applied to contracted works. |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Knowledge and understanding of the implementation of change management |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Knowledge of all statutory requirements of health and safety |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Understanding of the influences and drivers of local government leisure provision. |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Understanding of the needs of partnership working |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Understanding the principles of GDPR. |
| (D) |
(A/I) |
Ability to understand and evaluate markets and competition. |
| (D) |
(A/I) |
Knowledge of business continuity planning in a leisure environment. |
Personal Attributes
| Requirement | Assessment | Criteria |
| (E) |
(A/T) |
The ability to converse with ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English |
Equal Opportunities
| Requirement | Assessment | Criteria |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
To understand in a way appropriate to the job, how the principles of equality and diversity need to be applied within the Council |
Gedling Manager
| Requirement | Assessment | Criteria |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
To understand the principles of the Gedling Employee and the Gedling Manager in a way appropriate to the role. |
Work Circumstances
| Requirement | Assessment | Criteria |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Flexible to cover at other leisure centres as required. |
| (E) |
(A/I) |
Must be able to drive and hold a current driving licence or be able to arrange independent travel to sites. |
Supporting Documentation
It is very important that you also read the following information:
Other Useful Information