Community Leisure Manager, The Portland Centre - Notts County Foundation

Overview of the role

This is an exciting and significant leadership opportunity to shape the future of The Portland Centre — the Foundation’s most important community asset and a central part of our new strategy Transforming Communities – the Notts County Way 2026–2028.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Community Leisure Manager will combine strong operational and commercial management with a genuine commitment to community development. The postholder will lead a safe, compliant, efficient and financially sustainable Centre while helping transform Portland into a modern, inclusive and community-focused holistic wellbeing hub.

• Lead the strategic and day-to-day development of The Portland Centre.
• Own operational performance, health and safety, compliance, budgets and commercial growth.
• Increase utilisation and earned income while protecting affordability and community accessibility.
• Build meaningful relationships with residents, partners and local leaders so the community has a genuine voice in Portland’s future.
• Develop Portland as a convening space for health, education, employment, housing, voluntary sector and statutory partners.
• Lead and develop a customer-focused, community-centred and commercially aware workforce.

The developing offer at The Portland Centre builds on the work of our award-winning coaches that deliver impactful programmes including; Cancer and Rehabilitation, Healthy Hearts, Premier League Kicks, Holiday Clubs, Walk & Talk, Youth Employability and our Alternative Provision. During the life of this strategy, we will provide a food pantry, well-being spaces, social clubs and a social prescribing approach that signposts people to services within the building and to trusted local community partners; an eco-system that will provide wrap around support to those in need.

STRATEGIC & OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP

1. Strategic Leadership

• Act as a key member of the Foundation’s Senior Leadership Team.
• Lead the strategic development of The Portland Centre in accordance with Transforming Communities – the Notts County Way 2026–2028.
• Develop and implement the annual Portland Centre Business and Development Plan.
• Position Portland as an inclusive community wellbeing hub rather than solely a traditional leisure centre.
• Contribute to wider organisational strategy, planning and decision-making.
• Provide the CEO and Board with clear reporting on performance, risks and opportunities.

2. Operational Management

• Maintain overall responsibility for the effective day-to-day operation of the Centre.
• Ensure high standards of customer experience, cleanliness, accessibility and service.
• Ensure effective management of swimming, fitness, sports, community and ancillary facilities.
• Develop clear operational procedures and standards.
• Ensure appropriate staffing arrangements are maintained across operating hours.
• Establish effective management information covering usage, income, costs and service performance.
• Respond effectively to operational incidents and business-continuity issues.

3. Health, Safety & Compliance

• Provide senior operational leadership for health and safety at The Portland Centre.
• Ensure statutory and regulatory obligations are understood and met.
• Maintain appropriate risk assessments, operating procedures, inspection regimes and compliance records.
• Ensure plant, equipment and facilities are maintained appropriately.
• Ensure staff receive relevant health and safety training.
• Maintain robust incident and accident reporting arrangements. Work with specialist contractors and advisers where technical expertise is required.
• Ensure appropriate emergency and business-continuity arrangements are maintained.

COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

4. Financial & Commercial Performance

• Take ownership of The Portland Centre’s delegated income and expenditure budget.
• Work with the Head of Finance to develop robust budgets and forecasts.
• Increase utilisation and maximise appropriate earned income.
• Develop commercially viable services while maintaining affordability and community accessibility.
• Review pricing, memberships, bookings, swimming, health services and other income opportunities.
• Identify efficiencies without compromising safety or quality.
• Develop partnerships capable of bringing additional investment and activity into Portland. Ensure commercial decisions remain consistent with the Foundation’s charitable purpose.

5. Community Development

• Establish The Portland Centre as a trusted and welcoming community asset.
• Develop meaningful relationships with residents, community organisations and local leaders.
• Ensure the community has a genuine voice in shaping the future of Portland.
• Establish regular consultation and engagement mechanisms.
• Identify barriers preventing residents from accessing the Centre and develop appropriate responses.
• Increase participation among communities experiencing inequality or exclusion.
• Ensure Portland contributes directly to stronger community connection and cohesion.

PLACE-BASED WORKING, HEALTH & ACCESSIBILITY

6. Place-Based Working & Collective Impact

• Support the CEO in developing a place-based model for The Meadows.
• Position Portland as a convening space through which partners can collaborate around shared community outcomes.
• Develop relationships with health, education, employment, housing, voluntary-sector and statutory partners.
• Encourage co-location, referral and integrated service opportunities where appropriate.
• Support development of a collective-impact approach centred on prevention and early intervention.
• Ensure Portland connects effectively with the Foundation’s Health, Education, Sport & Inclusion and Social Mobility programmes.

7. Health & Wellbeing Development

• Work with the Health Manager and Foundation colleagues to develop Portland’s health and wellbeing offer.
• Strengthen links with health systems, primary care, public health and community health partners.
• Develop preventative and rehabilitation opportunities appropriate to community need.
• Ensure the Centre supports physical, mental and social wellbeing.
• Explore opportunities to develop dedicated wellbeing spaces and complementary services.

8. Safe Space & Accessibility

• Lead the development of Portland as an accessible and psychologically safe environment.
• Work towards appropriate Safe Space or comparable accreditation.
• Ensure facilities and services consider disability, culture, faith, gender, age and other accessibility requirements.
• Ensure staff understand the importance of welcome, dignity and inclusion.
• Regularly review the customer journey from the perspective of different community groups.

PEOPLE, PARTNERSHIPS & PERFORMANCE

9. People Leadership

• Lead, motivate and develop Portland’s management and operational workforce.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities and accountability.
• Ensure effective supervision, appraisal and development arrangements.
• Build a customer-focused, community-centred and commercially aware culture.
• Develop succession planning and workforce resilience.
• Promote positive collaboration between Portland and wider Foundation teams.

10. Partnership Development

• Build productive relationships with local organisations and strategic partners.
• Identify opportunities for organisations to deliver complementary services from Portland.
• Develop partnerships which increase Centre utilisation, community reach and financial sustainability.
• Represent Portland and the Foundation professionally within external networks.

11. Performance & Impact

• Develop a balanced performance framework incorporating financial performance, utilisation, customer satisfaction, community participation, accessibility, health and wellbeing outcomes, partnership activity, compliance and community impact.
• Ensure data and community insight inform service improvement.
• Report performance regularly to the CEO and Board.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

• Significant management experience within leisure, community facilities, health, sport, hospitality or a comparable operational environment.
• Demonstrable experience of managing complex facilities or services.
• Strong knowledge of health and safety and operational compliance.
• Experience of budget and commercial management.
• Proven ability to lead and develop multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong customer-service ethos.
• Experience of developing external partnerships.
• Ability to combine commercial awareness with social purpose.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate strategically while maintaining grip on operational detail, especially health & safety, safeguarding and compliance.
• Commitment to community engagement and reducing inequalities.
• Strong alignment with the Foundation’s purpose and personality.

Desirable

• Relevant leisure, facility, business or management qualification.
• Recognised health and safety qualification.
• Pool plant or leisure operational qualification/knowledge.
• Experience of managing a community leisure centre.
• Experience of community development or place-based working.
• Experience of health partnerships or social prescribing.
• Understanding of collective-impact approaches.
• Knowledge of The Meadows and Nottingham’s wider communities.

The successful candidate will combine strong operational grip with strategic leadership, commercial awareness and a clear commitment to social purpose.

WHAT SUCCESS WILL LOOK LIKE

• A safe, compliant and well-managed Portland Centre.
• Improved financial sustainability.
• Increased utilisation and earned income.
• Improved customer and community experience.
• Increased engagement from residents of The Meadows.
• Stronger community and statutory partnerships.
• Development of new health and wellbeing provision.
• Improved accessibility and inclusion.
• Measurable community outcomes.
• Increased integration between Portland and Foundation programmes.
• Demonstrable progress towards Portland becoming an inclusive, holistic community wellbeing hub at the heart of Transforming Communities – the Notts County Way 2026–2028.

Safeguarding

The Community Leisure Manager will ensure safeguarding is embedded throughout The Portland Centre. Facilities, operating procedures, workforce arrangements and partnership activity must provide safe environments for children, young people and adults at risk. Appropriate safer recruitment and DBS requirements will apply.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

The Community Leisure Manager will ensure The Portland Centre actively reflects and welcomes the diversity of The Meadows and the wider communities served by the Foundation. Accessibility and inclusion should be considered in the design of facilities, programmes, communications, recruitment and customer experience.

Our Package Includes

• 20 days of holiday plus 8 public holidays + extra days off during the Christmas period.
• 3% employer pension contribution (upon successful completion of probation).
• Family-friendly flexible working arrangements.
• Gym membership at The Portland Centre.
• Access to home match day tickets to Notts County Football Club.
• Personal growth is key and we invest in learning and development opportunities.

Help us shape The Portland Centre as a community asset at the heart of The Meadows.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £35,000.00-£38,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Free parking
• Gym membership
• On-site parking

Work Location: In person