Fitness centre manager

Fitness centre managers use their great people skills and business acumen to run a sports club or leisure centre, overseeing exercise classes and managing staff

As a fitness centre manager, you'll work in a sports centre or club that contains a fitness suite or gym, using your knowledge of fitness and strong organisational skills to maintain a successful place for people to come and stay or get fit. Such places may also offer 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 managers specialising in certain areas. For example, a large leisure facility could have a gym manager, a studio manager, and a spa manager, with each one reporting to the fitness centre manager.

Responsibilities

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

Responsibilities usually cover broad areas, including marketing the facility and any special events, as well as 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.

As a fitness centre manager, you'll need to:

• design and promote activities to meet customer demand and generate revenue for the centre
• advertise and promote the establishment to increase usage, which may include commissioning and considering market research and/or use of social media
• 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, motivate, and supervise staff, including managing staff rotas
• carry out health and safety checks on all equipment and site itself
• handle complaints and incidents, such as accidents, emergencies, or theft
• ensure your own and any staff members' first aid training is up to date
• deliver fitness training or coaching in sports activities, which will depend on you having the necessary fitness instructing/sports coaching qualifications
• prepare and check budgets and generate income
• cash up and keep stock records
• complete general centre maintenance tasks, such as purchasing 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, with salaries averaging from £24,000.
• With experience and having completed further training, you can expect to earn up 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 upwards of £39,000.

Much like the role, salaries vary depending on the size and location of the centre. It also depends on 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. While there's no exact figure, bonuses can run from a few hundred to a couple of thousand per year.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are typically around 40 per week and will include regular unsocial hours, including early and late shifts, as well as weekends. Fitness centre managers may also 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 or business-casual attire.
• The job is primarily office-based, but with frequent visits to different parts of the facility.
• Fitness centres are widespread throughout the UK but are more commonly found in urban areas.
• Overseas work or travel may occasionally be required. Some larger chains, such as PureGym and Fitness First, 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 or exercise science
• travel, tourism, or leisure studies
• events management.

Entry without a degree, HND, or foundation degree is also 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. From there, they may progress to general facility manager after gaining substantial experience and professional qualifications.

Having a degree in a relevant subject 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 value personal qualities, business management skills, and relevant fitness qualifications as much as the degree you have studied, so try to provide evidence of this in your 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), which oversees the sports and activity sector across the UK.

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.

Skills

You'll need to show you have:

• a passion for physical fitness and sport
• good interpersonal, time management, and organisational skills
• good teamworking skills and the ability to lead, as well as motivate, a team
• business acumen, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills
• boundless energy and resilience
• flexibility and multi-tasking skills
• computer literacy, which may include basic knowledge of digital marketing, such as posting on social media channels
• 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 sports or leisure centre operations is vital when applying for a fitness centre manager role.

Often there are vacancies in 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 career in fitness management, it's advisable to learn as much as you can about the running of the centre; find out how others operate and start to establish a network of contacts. If possible, attend relevant events and listen to 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 cruise ships.

Typically, a fitness centre manager will be employed within a specific establishment However, some alternative avenues can be explored, such as hotel chains, which are increasingly offering guests on-site fitness facilities. Many large companies and organisations also 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 continuing professional development (CPD) up to date. This may mean undertaking in-house and/or 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 done 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 in CIMSPA's directory.

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

In general, to be eligible for 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 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 may 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 oversee a number of 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.