About the Organisation
Notts County Foundation is the independent charitable arm of Notts County FC. It has spent more than 30 years using sport and physical activity to improve health and wellbeing in communities across Nottingham. The Foundation runs The Portland Centre in The Meadows, a community leisure centre with a pool, gym and sports facilities.
About the Role
Notts County Foundation is looking for a Community Leisure Manager to lead The Portland Centre as it develops into a modern, inclusive and sustainable community wellbeing hub. The job is about running a safe, well-managed centre that pays its way, while making sure it serves local people, especially those who are least likely to take part.
This is a full-time, permanent post based at The Portland Centre in The Meadows. It reports to the Chief Executive Officer and line manages the Duty Managers, the Swim Coordinator, and the leisure and operational staff.
What You'll Do
Strategy and leadership
- Lead the centre's development in line with the Foundation's strategy, "Transforming Communities – the Notts County Way 2026–2028"
- Position Portland as a community wellbeing hub and report on its performance to senior leadership
Operations, health and safety
- Keep service standards high and the facilities well run, with the right procedures and staffing in place
- Lead on health and safety and compliance, including risk assessments, equipment maintenance and incident reporting
- Handle business continuity issues when they come up
Finances and income
- Own the centre's delegated budget and produce reliable forecasts
- Grow usage and earned income while keeping the centre affordable for local people
- Review pricing, find efficiencies and build partnerships that help the centre pay its way
Community, health and partnerships
- Make Portland a trusted and welcoming place for local residents and groups, with the community's voice in its planning
- Identify barriers to access and increase participation from communities who are currently missing out
- Support place-based working and partnerships across health, education and employment
- Work with the Foundation's Health Manager to develop health and wellbeing activity, strengthen links with the health system and create preventative opportunities
- Lead work to make the centre accessible, culturally responsive and psychologically safe, including looking at relevant accreditations
People and performance
- Lead, supervise and develop the team, building a customer-focused culture with clear accountability and succession planning
- Build a performance framework that covers money, usage, customer satisfaction, participation, accessibility, health outcomes and community impact
- Make safeguarding and equality, diversity and inclusion part of everyday operations
What They're Looking For
Essential
- Significant management experience in leisure, community facilities, health, sport, hospitality or a similar operational setting
- Experience of managing complex facilities or services
- Strong knowledge of health and safety and operational compliance
- Budget and commercial management experience
- A track record of leading multidisciplinary teams
- A strong customer focus
- Experience of developing external partnerships
- The ability to balance commercial awareness with social purpose
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Strategic thinking with close attention to operational detail, especially safeguarding and compliance
- Commitment to community engagement and reducing inequalities
Desirable
- A leisure, facility, business or management qualification
- A recognised health and safety qualification
- Pool plant or leisure operations qualification or knowledge
- Experience of managing a community leisure centre
- Community development or place-based working experience
- Experience of health partnerships or social prescribing
- Understanding of collective impact approaches
- Local knowledge of The Meadows and Nottingham
Practical Details
Salary: £35,000 – £38,000 per year, depending on experience
Hours: Full time
Contract: Permanent
Location: The Portland Centre, The Meadows, Nottingham
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Interviews: Week commencing 19 Oct 2026
Benefits include 20 days' holiday plus 8 public holidays and extra time off at Christmas, a 3% employer pension contribution after probation, family-friendly flexible working, gym membership at The Portland Centre, access to Notts County FC matchday tickets, and investment in learning and development.
How to Apply
Download the job description and application form from the Current Vacancies page on the Notts County Foundation website. Complete the form and return it by Thursday 9 October 2026.
Apply for this role →
Notts County Foundation is the independent charitable arm of Notts County FC. It has spent more than 30 years using sport and physical activity to improve health and wellbeing in communities across Nottingham. The Foundation runs The Portland Centre in The Meadows, a community leisure centre with a pool, gym and sports facilities.
About the Role
Notts County Foundation is looking for a Community Leisure Manager to lead The Portland Centre as it develops into a modern, inclusive and sustainable community wellbeing hub. The job is about running a safe, well-managed centre that pays its way, while making sure it serves local people, especially those who are least likely to take part.
This is a full-time, permanent post based at The Portland Centre in The Meadows. It reports to the Chief Executive Officer and line manages the Duty Managers, the Swim Coordinator, and the leisure and operational staff.
What You'll Do
Strategy and leadership
- Lead the centre's development in line with the Foundation's strategy, "Transforming Communities – the Notts County Way 2026–2028"
- Position Portland as a community wellbeing hub and report on its performance to senior leadership
Operations, health and safety
- Keep service standards high and the facilities well run, with the right procedures and staffing in place
- Lead on health and safety and compliance, including risk assessments, equipment maintenance and incident reporting
- Handle business continuity issues when they come up
Finances and income
- Own the centre's delegated budget and produce reliable forecasts
- Grow usage and earned income while keeping the centre affordable for local people
- Review pricing, find efficiencies and build partnerships that help the centre pay its way
Community, health and partnerships
- Make Portland a trusted and welcoming place for local residents and groups, with the community's voice in its planning
- Identify barriers to access and increase participation from communities who are currently missing out
- Support place-based working and partnerships across health, education and employment
- Work with the Foundation's Health Manager to develop health and wellbeing activity, strengthen links with the health system and create preventative opportunities
- Lead work to make the centre accessible, culturally responsive and psychologically safe, including looking at relevant accreditations
People and performance
- Lead, supervise and develop the team, building a customer-focused culture with clear accountability and succession planning
- Build a performance framework that covers money, usage, customer satisfaction, participation, accessibility, health outcomes and community impact
- Make safeguarding and equality, diversity and inclusion part of everyday operations
What They're Looking For
Essential
- Significant management experience in leisure, community facilities, health, sport, hospitality or a similar operational setting
- Experience of managing complex facilities or services
- Strong knowledge of health and safety and operational compliance
- Budget and commercial management experience
- A track record of leading multidisciplinary teams
- A strong customer focus
- Experience of developing external partnerships
- The ability to balance commercial awareness with social purpose
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Strategic thinking with close attention to operational detail, especially safeguarding and compliance
- Commitment to community engagement and reducing inequalities
Desirable
- A leisure, facility, business or management qualification
- A recognised health and safety qualification
- Pool plant or leisure operations qualification or knowledge
- Experience of managing a community leisure centre
- Community development or place-based working experience
- Experience of health partnerships or social prescribing
- Understanding of collective impact approaches
- Local knowledge of The Meadows and Nottingham
Practical Details
Salary: £35,000 – £38,000 per year, depending on experience
Hours: Full time
Contract: Permanent
Location: The Portland Centre, The Meadows, Nottingham
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Interviews: Week commencing 19 Oct 2026
Benefits include 20 days' holiday plus 8 public holidays and extra time off at Christmas, a 3% employer pension contribution after probation, family-friendly flexible working, gym membership at The Portland Centre, access to Notts County FC matchday tickets, and investment in learning and development.
How to Apply
Download the job description and application form from the Current Vacancies page on the Notts County Foundation website. Complete the form and return it by Thursday 9 October 2026.