General Manager - Peckham Pulse Leisure Centre

Why Southwark?

A Unique Opportunity at Peckham Pulse Leisure Centre

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 play a key role in shaping the future of community leisure. We provide high-quality, accessible and inclusive services that support health, wellbeing and social cohesion across our diverse communities. We are an organisation that values openness, accountability and equality, and we’re committed to making a tangible difference to the lives of our residents.

What You'll Be Doing

This is an exciting time to join Peckham Pulse Leisure Centre, one of Southwark’s flagship leisure facilities and a key asset at the heart of the Peckham community. While the centre itself has already benefited from recent investment, the wider Peckham Square and High Street area is undergoing a significant regeneration programme, presenting exciting opportunities to build on the momentum and further enhance the centre’s role in the community.

Recent investment has already delivered:

• A brand-new gym with modern, state-of-the-art equipment.
• Two new fitness studios to expand the class offering.
• A full upgrade of all existing equipment to improve user experience.
• Installation of Solar PV panels, improving energy efficiency and supporting the borough’s climate commitments.

Looking ahead, there is further scope to increase the centre’s offering to residents, aligning with the wider regeneration and creating new opportunities for growth. This makes the role particularly dynamic, you will be leading an established facility during a period of broader change, ensuring it remains at the forefront of community health and wellbeing.

This is a challenging but rewarding opportunity for a strong operational leader who can maximise potential, navigate change and inspire a team to deliver outstanding services.

As General Manager, you will be responsible for the effective, efficient and safe operation of Peckham Pulse Leisure Centre. You will:

• Lead and motivate a team to deliver exceptional customer experiences while meeting ambitious financial and operational targets.
• Manage the day-to-day running of the centre, ensuring it remains safe, clean and welcoming for all users.
• Align the centre’s strategic direction with the wider regeneration of Peckham Square and High Street, identifying opportunities for growth and partnership.
• Develop business plans and operational strategies that balance community needs with commercial viability.
• Manage and monitor budgets, analyse financial performance, and drive operational efficiencies.
• Handle customer feedback and complaints professionally and promptly, ensuring a positive and inclusive experience for all.
• Promote continuous improvement and support the achievement of accreditations such as Quest.
• Ensure compliance with all policies, procedures and health & safety standards.

This is a dynamic, hands-on leadership role, requiring strong operational knowledge, commercial awareness, and a genuine commitment to community engagement.

What We're Looking For

We’re seeking a forward-thinking, resilient leader who can deliver results and shape the future of a major leisure facility. You’ll be passionate about health and wellbeing, skilled in operational excellence, and confident in driving growth in line with broader regeneration opportunities.

You will bring:

• Proven experience in managing the day-to-day operations of leisure or sports facilities.
• A strong understanding of health and safety requirements and performance management.
• Excellent financial management skills and the ability to interpret and act on financial information.
• A track record of leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills to engage with partners, contractors and the local community.
• The ability to thrive in a challenging, evolving environment.
• Flexibility to work shifts, including evenings and weekends (subject to an enhanced DBS check).

This is a fantastic opportunity to lead a well-established leisure centre with a strong foundation and help position it at the heart of an evolving community.

Additional Information

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

Recruitment timetable:

Closing date: Sunday 2nd November 2025 at 23:59*

Interviews and assessments: tbc

*We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role, in which case we will move the key dates for the process. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Attachments

• Click here to view the Job description and Person specification