General Manager - Move Southwark Leisure
Why Southwark?
Southwark is one of London’s most vibrant boroughs – a place where history meets innovation. As a council, we are passionate about making Southwark a place that people are proud to call home. Our vision is a fairer future for all, keeping residents at the heart of everything we do.
By joining our Leisure Division, you will be part of a team that provides high-quality, accessible and inclusive leisure services that support health, wellbeing and social cohesion across our diverse communities. You’ll be working in an organisation that values openness, accountability, and equality, and you’ll have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of our residents.
What You'll Be Doing
As General Manager, you will be responsible for the effective, efficient and safe operation of our leisure centres. You will lead and motivate a team to deliver exceptional customer experiences, meet ambitious financial and operational targets, and maintain the highest standards of safety, cleanliness and service delivery.
Your key responsibilities will include:
Leading daily operations to ensure centres run smoothly and meet council objectives.
Maintaining a safe, clean, and welcoming environment for all customers.
Managing and monitoring budgets, analysing financial performance, and driving efficiencies.
Developing business plans and programmes that balance community needs with financial viability.
Leading, mentoring and developing staff to maximise team performance.
Handling customer feedback and complaints professionally and promptly.
Promoting continuous improvement and supporting the achievement of accreditations such as Quest.
Ensuring compliance with all policies, procedures and health & safety standards.
This is a dynamic and hands-on role, requiring excellent leadership, organisational and commercial skills, as well as a strong commitment to customer service.
What We're Looking For
Make a difference in your community by shaping the future of our leisure services.
We’re looking for a dynamic leader who can inspire teams, deliver outstanding customer experiences, and ensure our facilities remain at the heart of local community life. If you’re passionate about health, wellbeing, and helping people get the most out of leisure, we want to hear from you.
You will bring a strong understanding of leisure centre operations, health and safety requirements, and performance management, alongside proven experience in using booking systems and data reporting tools to track and improve performance. Strong financial skills are essential – you’ll be confident managing budgets and interpreting financial information to ensure services remain efficient and sustainable.
With significant experience in managing the day-to-day operations of leisure or sports facilities, you will have a track record of leading and developing high-performing teams. Equally important is your passion for delivering exceptional customer service to a diverse community and creating a welcoming, inclusive environment for all.
Your excellent communication skills will enable you to build strong relationships with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders, while your commercial awareness will help drive the success of the service. Highly organised and able to prioritise competing demands, you will be confident delegating responsibilities and fostering a supportive, collaborative team culture.
We are seeking someone who is proactive, solutions-focused, and committed to continuous improvement. Flexibility is key, as the role involves working shifts, including evenings and weekends, and is subject to an enhanced DBS check.
Additional Information
Benefits and more information:
Working for Southwark Council – Southwark
If you are ready to lead by example, deliver results and make a meaningful impact in Southwark, we would like to hear from you.
👉 Apply now to become the next MOVE Southwark General Manager.
Closing Date: Friday 26 September 2025
Interview Date: W/C 6 October 2025
Guaranteed Interview Scheme:
As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:
• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition
We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme. We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.
Attachments
Salary range
- £44,430 - £51,663 per year