Senior Leisure Operations Manager | Staffordshire | £37,000-£43,000 | Permanent
If you’re looking for a high-impact operational leadership role where you can genuinely shape team performance, culture, and guest experience, this is a standout opportunity within a large-scale leisure environment.
This is a newly created role following a recent restructure, designed to bring stronger leadership, accountability, and performance management into a busy, guest-facing operation. You’ll step into a business with strong foundations but clear opportunity to elevate standards, improve behaviours, and drive consistency across a diverse team.
You will take ownership of a high-volume leisure function operating at significant scale, leading large teams, influencing senior stakeholders, and embedding a culture of safety, engagement, and continuous improvement. It’s a role where you won’t just maintain performance; you’ll be expected to raise it.
This position also offers strong long-term career value, with exposure to senior leadership and progression opportunities within a wider group.
Senior Leisure Operations Manager Responsibilities
- Operational Leadership: Driving high service standards across all leisure facilities, ensuring operational excellence, uptime, cleanliness, and commercial performance.
- KPI & Performance Management: Monitoring, analysing and improving departmental KPIs, embedding accountability and consistent performance frameworks.
- Team Leadership & Development: Leading, coaching, and developing a large team including zonal managers, team leaders, and lifeguards, fostering a high-performance and engaged culture.
- Health & Safety Ownership: Ensuring full compliance with all H&S standards, risk assessments, audits, and legislative requirements, maintaining a strong safety-first culture.
- Guest Experience Delivery: Continuously improving the guest journey through strong operational planning, feedback utilisation, and service excellence.
- Financial & Commercial Responsibility: Managing departmental budgets and identifying opportunities to maximise revenue across the operation.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Working closely with wider teams to ensure seamless operations and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
- Duty Management & Incident Response: Stepping into Duty Manager responsibilities when required, leading on incident management and operational decision‑making.
Ideal Senior Leisure Operations Manager
- Leadership Experience: Proven experience leading large, diverse teams within a leisure, hospitality, or high-volume operational environment.
- People & Performance Focus: Strong track record of driving behavioural change, improving team dynamics, and managing performance effectively.
- Operational Expertise: Solid understanding of operations management including safety, compliance, and service delivery in a fast-paced setting.
- Guest-Centric Mindset: Passionate about delivering exceptional guest experiences and continuously improving standards.
- Resilience & Presence: Confident, adaptable, and able to manage pressure, strong personalities, and operational challenges.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Strong communicator with the ability to influence across teams and senior stakeholders.
- Hands‑On Approach: A visible and proactive leader who leads from the front and drives standards on the ground.
Qualifications
- National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ)
- NPLQ Trainer Assessor Qualification (TA)
- Pool Plant Operator Qualification (PPO)
- Swimming Pool Technical Operator Qualification (SPTO)
- National Pool Manager Qualification (NPMQ
Candidates who hold the majority of these certifications and can obtain any gaps within a reasonable timeframe may also be considered.
Location & Working Arrangements
Fully site‑based role in Staffordshire.5 days out of 7, including weekends and bank holidays.Flexible working hours aligned to operational requirements.
Salary
£37,000-£43,000 depending on experience.
Benefits
- Performance‑related bonus up to 12.5%.
- Attractive leisure‑related perks and access benefits.
- Additional company benefits available.
Equal Opportunities
Ford & Stanley Talent Services Group Ltd is a Disability Confident employer that is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for all.
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