Fitness centre manager

Fitness centre managers need great people skills and business acumen to run a sports club or leisure centre

In the role of fitness centre manager, you’ll generally work in a centre or club that contains a fitness suite or gym, and often some or all of the following:

• swimming pool
• sports halls or courts
• spa, sauna or therapy area.

You may also be known as a health club manager, leisure club manager, gym manager or sports centre manager.

Large centres may have a team of several managers specialising in certain areas. For example, a large leisure facility may have a gym manager, a studio manager and a spa manager, with each manager reporting to an overall general club manager.

Responsibilities

Tasks vary according to the size and facilities of the centre, and there are some differences between more profit-focused privately run establishments and local authority ones, which are more concerned with local activity provision.

Responsibilities usually cover the broad areas of marketing the facility and any special events, managing staff and dealing with the technical aspects of fitness provision and health and safety. A fitness manager is also at least partly accountable for the overall profitability of the centre.

In general, working as a fitness centre manager, you'll need to:

• design and promote activities to meet customer demand and generate revenue
• advertise and promote the centre to increase usage, which may include commissioning and considering market research
• maintain high levels of customer care, often with a particular focus on avoiding loss of existing users
• prioritise target activities and user groups, especially in local authority centres
• manage maintenance, insurance, repairs and cleaning
• recruit, upskill and supervise staff, including managing staff rotas
• carry out health and safety checks on the equipment and site
• handle complaints and incidents, such as accidents, emergencies or theft
• ensure own and staff members' first aid training is up to date
• deliver some fitness training or coaching in sports activities - subject to having the necessary fitness instructing/sports coaching qualifications
• prepare and check budgets and generate income
• cash up and keep stock records
• purchase equipment and supplies
• write monthly or weekly reports and prepare cash projections for centre owners or more senior management.

Salary

• New entrants to the profession are likely to start as assistant or trainee managers, on salaries of around £22,000 to £25,000.
• As a fitness centre manager, with experience and having completed further training, you can earn in the region of £25,000 to £35,000.
• With significant experience, working for a large leisure or health club that has a large turnover (e.g. over £2million) you may earn £35,000+.

Salaries vary depending on the size and location of the centre, and whether it's privately owned or under the control of the local authority.

In addition to a base salary, bonuses related to targets, such as membership retention or attracting new members, are often available, especially in the private sector.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are typically 40 per week and include regular unsocial hours, with early and late shifts and weekend working. Fitness centre managers may be called in to cover events or staff absences.

Most positions are full time. However part-time management opportunities are sometimes available.

What to expect

• The need to meet key performance indicators and financial targets may be stressful.
• Most organisations provide a sportswear uniform, although some managers may wear business dress.
• The job is primarily office based but with frequent visits to different parts of the facility.
• Jobs are available in most areas. Fitness centres are widespread throughout the UK but are more commonly found in urban areas.
• Overseas work or travel may occasionally be required. Some chains of clubs are expanding into Europe. Jobs can also be found in expatriate communities abroad.

Qualifications

It's possible to enter this career with a degree, HND or foundation degree in any subject, but the following may be particularly helpful:

• business, management, marketing or other business-related subjects
• sport, leisure or recreation management
• sports science
• travel, tourism or leisure studies
• events management.

Entry without a degree, HND or foundation degree is possible, but this will usually be at a lower level. Candidates often start in a duty manager role within the facility and move up to assistant or trainee manager and then may progress to general manager of the facility after gaining substantial experience and professional qualifications.

Having a degree will allow you to apply directly for management positions. In some cases, larger, privately-owned centres offer graduate trainee schemes. These provide experience in different areas of the facility and often involve training for professional qualifications as well.

Employers often value personal qualities, business and management skills and relevant fitness qualifications as much as the degree you have studied, so try to provide evidence of all of this in applications.

Related fitness qualifications in areas such as fitness instruction, sports coaching and pool operation or a national pool lifeguard qualification (NPLQ) can be useful. All fitness and leisure qualifications must be recognised by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).

It’s also useful to become a member of CIMSPA to keep your knowledge of the industry current and to access networking event opportunities and career-related news and information.

Skills

You'll need to show you have:

• an interest in physical fitness and sport
• good interpersonal, time management and organisational skills
• good teamworking skills and the ability to lead and motivate a team
• business acumen, creative thinking and problem-solving
• energy and resilience
• flexibility and multi-tasking skills
• computer literacy
• a customer-focused, approachable and outgoing personality
• the ability to relate to the requirements of customers from all age groups and sectors of society.

Work experience

Pre-entry experience in fitness or leisure centre operations is almost always essential when applying for a fitness centre manager role.

There are often operational vacancies in fitness and leisure centres for part-time and casual staff, particularly for evening and weekend shifts, in roles such as swimming pool attendant, membership sales adviser or fitness centre assistant. Use roles such as these to build up your experience and be prepared to show your commitment by taking on as much responsibility as possible.

When pursuing a fitness centre manager career, it’s advisable to learn as much as you can about the management of the centre, find out how other centres are run and start to establish a network of contacts. If possible, attend relevant events and listen to the key speakers from the fitness sector.

In addition to experience in operational fitness and leisure, experience in management, marketing, sales or finance will also be advantageous.

Employers

Employment opportunities can be found in a range of different fitness and leisure settings, including:

• local authorities
• health authorities
• universities
• private health clubs and fitness centres
• corporate gyms
• on board ships.

Typically, a fitness centre manager will be employed within a fitness centre or leisure centre, however, some alternative avenues can be explored. For example, hotel chains are increasingly offering guests on-site fitness facilities, and many large companies and organisations offer employees a gym or fitness centre in the workplace.

It may be possible to work abroad for one of the national chains of health and fitness clubs that have expanded into Europe. Get more tips on how to find a job.

Look for job vacancies at:

• LeisureJobs
• Leisurejobs.net
• Leisure Opportunities
• Local Government Jobs.

Find out more information on how to create a successful CV and cover letter, and prepare for interviews.

Professional development

For any fitness centre manager, it’s important to keep professional development up to date. This may mean undertaking ongoing in-house and/or completing external training in topics, such as:

• corporate membership
• payroll management
• teamworking skills
• health and safety
• customer care
• employment law
• business planning
• IT skills
• fitness instructing.

Training and professional development should continue throughout your career and can be undertaken in many ways. For example, CIMSPA provides a range of education and development opportunities for their members along with information on industry-recognised training and qualifications. Details of CIMSPA-endorsed education providers can be found on CIMSPA’s directory.

There are different levels of membership available with CIMSPA depending on your experience and qualifications and you should contact CIMSPA to explore what membership category best suits you.

In general, to be eligible for CIMSPA membership you must have achieved CIMSPA recognised qualifications, so this is always important to check before spending money on training.

Advice on fitness and leisure education and qualifications can come from various sector companies, including:

• CIMSPA
• Study Active
• Active IQ
• YMCA Awards.

Career prospects

Promotion prospects are usually good if you've gained the right experience, though career development often means moving to a larger centre where you can take on greater responsibility.

Internal promotion is possible once sufficient experience has been gained. Progression may be to jobs such as centre manager, operations manager, general manager, or to regional manager where you may manage several centres. It's also possible to move into a sales or marketing role, either for a large centre or chain of centres.

The broad base of transferable management skills gained in the fitness industry may also make it possible to move into other aspects of general management.