Leisure Team Leader - Southwark Council : Job Details

Why Southwark?

Southwark is a large, ambitious and progressive council with a ‘can do’ attitude and enviable reputation. As a Council, we are successful, passionate and forward-thinking. We are committed to our ‘Fairer Futures for All’ promise which ensures that our residents and businesses are central to everything we do. If you want to make a difference at a local level, apply to Southwark Council today.

We are an organisation that 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 initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

What You'll Be Doing

As a Leisure Team Leader, you’ll be responsible for overseeing daily operations, ensuring the highest standards of safety, cleanliness, and customer service, and leading a fantastic team of Recreation Assistants. Your leadership will drive the success of the centre, ensuring smooth operations while delivering a great experience for our visitors.

Your Key Responsibilities:

• Maintain the highest standards of safety, cleanliness, and security across all areas of the leisure centre, in line with all policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Provide effective, visible leadership to your team, ensuring high performance and adherence to procedures.
• Ensure your team deliver top-notch customer service, addressing customer queries and complaints professionally and promptly.
• Support the Duty Manager in maintaining operational standards, records, and financial procedures. Take on specific areas of responsibility as needed.
• Ensure the leisure centre opens on time and closes securely at the end of each day, following all necessary protocols.
• Maintain effective communication with the Line Manager and team ensuring smooth shift transitions and operational efficiency.
• Support the ongoing training and development of your team, conducting performance reviews and offering feedback to ensure continuous improvement.

What We're Looking For

About You

We’re looking for a proactive and enthusiastic leader with a passion for customer service and team development. You’ll bring:

• Experience in a leisure or customer service-focused environment
• Strong leadership and team management skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
• The ability to stay calm under pressure and handle emergencies effectively
• A commitment to maintaining high operational standards
• A flexible, proactive attitude with a keen focus on continuous improvement

Additional Information

Closing Date: Sunday 31 August 2025

Interview Date: W/C 8 September 2025

• Job Type: Permanent, Full Time 36 hours a week .
• Some weekend and evening work will be required to meet service needs.
• Southwark Council is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Southwark Leisure Services operates across several sites, seven days a week from early morning to late night. There is a requirement for the post holder on occasions, to work outside normal office hours and at different venues to meet the needs of the service.

Benefits and more information

https://jobs.southwark.gov.uk/why-us/

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.

Attachments

• Click here to view the Job description and Person specification