At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a vibrant swim venue, ensuring safety and exceptional customer experiences.
- Company: Join a family-focused organisation dedicated to inspiring children in a fun environment.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, birthday off, discounts, and professional development opportunities.
- Other info: Bright, modern facilities with great career progression opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in your community while leading a passionate team.
- Qualifications: Experience in leadership roles, excellent communication, and a passion for customer service.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
Our purpose-built, state-of-the-art venues are designed especially for families, safe, secure, and inspiring environments where children learn, grow, and have fun in the water. We’re proud of our people and our product, and high standards should run through everything we do. From the quality of our teaching to the way we support every swimmer and family as well as safe, clean, warm venues.
The Role
As a General Manager at swim!, you’ll lead your venue and team to deliver an exceptional customer experience every day. You’ll oversee operations, safety, and performance ensuring the centre runs smoothly, looks its best, and meets the highest standards of teaching, maintenance, and service. You’ll also play a key role in growing your local swim! community, connecting with families, schools, and local organisations. With your Assistant Manager and Team Leader by your side, you’ll create a welcoming, efficient, and energetic environment that families love returning to.
What You’ll Do
- Lead the daily operations of your swim! venue, ensuring a safe, clean, and enjoyable environment for all customers.
- Motivate, coach, and support your team including Assistant Manager, Team Leader, Teachers and Operations Assistants to deliver a premium experience every day.
- Maintain the highest operational and safety standards, including responsibility for pool plant operations (training provided if required).
- Manage staff rotas, schedules, and resources in line with the 3-week operating pattern and cost of sale budget.
- Take ownership of local sales and membership growth, conducting follow-up calls with leads and enquiries and supporting parents through their swim! journey.
- Deliver hyperlocal community engagement building relationships with schools, nurseries, and local groups to raise awareness and drive new sign-ups.
- Retain existing customers through high standards, quality lessons and customer service.
- Monitor and analyse performance data and customer feedback to continuously improve service quality.
- Lead on recruitment, onboarding, training, development and retention of new team members.
- Collaborate with colleagues across swim! centres across your region and swim@ venues to share good practice and deliver a great experience for every family.
About You
You’re an energetic, people-first leader who thrives in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment. You’re just as comfortable on the poolside as you are leading your team or chatting with local families. You take pride in high standards, enjoy building relationships, and love seeing your venue and team succeed.
Essential
- Experience leading a team, ideally in a leisure, hospitality, or customer-facing environment.
- Excellent leadership, able to coach, motivate, and inspire others.
- Confident communicator, both in-person and over the phone, with strong customer service skills.
- Passion for delivering premium experiences and building community connections.
- Capacity to work a 3-week rota (including some evenings/weekends).
Desirable
- Experience managing facilities, ideally leisure or pool operations.
- Knowledge of health & safety, safeguarding, or compliance frameworks.
- Pool Plant Operator qualification desirable (training provided if not yet held).
- Sales or business development experience, ideally in a customer-service environment.
- Understanding of performance reporting.
Why Join swim!
- Competitive salary with bonus potential.
- Your birthday off, on us.
- Instant earned wage access, save as you earn and discount vouchers.
- Fully funded training and ongoing professional development.
- Bright, positive working environment in modern, purpose-built facilities.
- Discounts on lessons for family and friends.
- Recognition, rewards, and regular team events.
- Career progression opportunities from venue leadership to regional and central opportunities.
General Manager (Food) employer: We Are Swim
At swim!, we pride ourselves on creating a vibrant and supportive work culture where our team members are empowered to lead and inspire. As a General Manager, you'll enjoy competitive salaries, professional development opportunities, and a bright working environment in our state-of-the-art facilities, all while making a meaningful impact in your local community. Join us to be part of a family-focused organisation that values high standards and fosters personal growth.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land General Manager (Food)
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company culture before your interview. Check out their social media and website to see how they engage with families and the community. This will help you connect your experience with their values during the chat.
✨Tip Number 2
Practice your leadership stories! Think of specific examples where you've motivated a team or improved customer experiences. We want to hear how you’ve made a difference in previous roles, especially in fast-paced environments.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t forget to ask questions during your interview! Show us you’re genuinely interested in the role by asking about team dynamics, community engagement strategies, or how they measure success at the venue.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website for a smoother process! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining the swim! family right from the start.
We think you need these skills to ace General Manager (Food)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion:When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for the role shine through! We want to see how much you care about creating a fantastic experience for families and children. Share any relevant experiences that highlight your love for community engagement and customer service.
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the General Manager role at swim!. Highlight your leadership experience and any relevant skills that match the job description. We’re looking for someone who can motivate a team and maintain high standards, so don’t be shy about showcasing those abilities!
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application clear and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to read. We appreciate straightforward communication, so avoid jargon and focus on what makes you the perfect fit for our team.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen to join the swim! family right from the start!
How to prepare for a job interview at We Are Swim
✨Know the Venue Inside Out
Before your interview, take some time to research the swim! venue and its operations. Familiarise yourself with their mission, values, and community engagement efforts. This will not only show your genuine interest but also help you align your answers with what they stand for.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a General Manager, you'll be leading a team, so be ready to share specific examples of how you've motivated and inspired others in previous roles. Think about times when you’ve successfully managed a team or improved customer experiences, and be prepared to discuss these in detail.
✨Emphasise Customer Experience
Since the role focuses heavily on delivering exceptional customer experiences, come prepared with ideas on how to enhance customer satisfaction at the venue. Discuss any relevant experience you have in customer service and how you’ve handled feedback to improve services.
✨Prepare Questions About Community Engagement
Engaging with the local community is key for this role. Prepare thoughtful questions about their current community initiatives and express your enthusiasm for building relationships with local schools and organisations. This shows that you’re proactive and ready to contribute to their growth.
