Are you passionate about enhancing community wellbeing through leisure activities? Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre is seeking a dynamic and driven General Manager to lead the centre into its next phase of growth and success, as it undergoes an exciting period of modernisation and redevelopment.
The General Manager will oversee all aspects of daily operations, maintaining the highest standards to deliver safe, clean, and welcoming environments that align with organisational and financial objectives. The role leads and supports a dedicated team of staff and duty managers to deliver exceptional customer service, while managing resources responsibly within agreed budgets. In addition, the General Manager drives activity levels and works closely with the Head of Operations and the Head of Health, Safety and Compliance on site development and continuous improvement initiatives.
The General Manager will work with colleagues to deliver a balanced programme that meets both commercial and charitable objectives, supporting traditional leisure services as well as inclusive activities for disadvantaged and hard to reach groups. As part of the Corporate Management Team, the postholder will contribute to achieving Abbeycroft’s wider organisational goals, fostering a safe, welcoming, and high performing environment for all members of the community.
37 hours per week – salary DOE, starting at £35,000 per annum
Key Responsibilities:
* Lead the day‑to‑day running of the centre, ensuring an exceptional, safe and welcoming environment.
* Inspire, develop and motivate your team to foster a culture of excellence and teamwork and delivers outstanding customer service.
* Drive strong financial performance and commercial growth by managing budgets, controlling costs and achieving commercial targets.
* Champion health & safety, ensuring full compliance, robust audits and a culture of safe working.
* Elevate the customer experience by acting on feedback and continuously improving the customer journey.
* Engage with the community through hosting events and supporting local programs.
* Maximise facility usage, support service development and deliver high‑quality operational standards.
* Own and monitor key performance indicators, taking proactive action to improve results.
Requirements:
Essential:
* A relevant management qualification (e.g., HND, NVQ Level 3, or equivalent) and/or proven leisure industry or similar management experience
* First Aid at Work certification
* IOSH qualification
Desirable:
* Fitness Level 2 qualification
* Pool Plant Operator licence
* National Pool Lifeguard Qualification
* Swim Teaching qualification
* National Pool Management Qualification or NEBOSH National Certificate
Successful candidates will also demonstrate:
* A genuine passion for leisure, health and wellbeing, supported by experience in a leisure‑management setting.
* Confident, motivating leadership with the ability to mentor and develop teams.
* Strong knowledge of health & safety standards and a commitment to maintaining a safe environment.
* Solid financial awareness, including experience managing budgets, analysing performance and controlling costs.
* Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills, with a strong customer‑service focus.
* Effective project management abilities and a proactive, solutions‑focused approach to challenges.
* Flexibility, adaptability and a hands‑on attitude, including the ability to support operational shifts when required.
An Enhanced DBS Check will be required for this post.
Benefits:
* A Multisite membership
* A discounted multisite membership for someone that lives with you
* Free child swims*
* A generous annual Leave entitlement
* Pension Scheme with NEST
* Opportunities for career development and progression
*Not lessons
Health Benefits:
* Mental, physical health and financial support
* 24/7 DoctorLine
* Access to Togetherall
* Generous Highstreet discounts and cashback
Closing Date: 13th March 2026. Early applications are encouraged as Abbeycroft reserves the right to close the vacancy before the stated closing date if a suitable applicant is found.
Interviews may take place on a rolling basis as applicants meeting the criteria are identified.
Join us at Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre and become part of a fulfilling journey where your contributions make a real difference to the community. Apply now to embark on a rewarding career with us!
We look forward to welcoming you to our team!
As a Disability Confident Employer we encourage you to let us know If you require reasonable adjustments to any part of the recruitment/selection process. We will guarantee an interview to a candidate with a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010, if they otherwise meet the minimum selection requirements.
Abbeycroft is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Focused on Equal Opportunities, we value diversity and inclusion in our workforce and positively encourage applications from all sections of the community.
Please note that we are only able to reply to those who have been shortlisted. If you do not hear from us within four weeks of the closing date then regrettably your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
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