Group Manager Leisure

Job Description

• High Caliber Leadership role
• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Permanent, Full-time
• Join the City Service & Living team

Hume City Council is one of Australia’s fastest growing and culturally diverse councils. We put the customer and our community at the centre of all that we do, ensuring our services are efficient and accessible.

The Group Manager Leisure plays a pivotal role in promoting and enhancing the health, wellbeing and social inclusion of the Hume community. This position supports the Manager of Active Living to oversee the strategic planning, development, and implementation of leisure, sports, and recreation programs and spaces aimed at fostering active living and inclusive participation across Hume’s diverse community. The active living team exist to empower, activate and connect our community.

What you’ll be doing:

• Leading and managing the development and provision of high-quality aquatic, fitness and leisure services through the management of the business units including staff recruitment, induction and development.
• Providing exemplary leadership of the Hume Leisure team to ensure a positive and high performing staff culture with high levels which delivers excellent customer service.
• Ensuring the management, presentation, maintenance and renewal of each facility is of the highest standard.
• Developing, managing and reporting on budget planning and forecast targets, ensuring best practice financial management.
• Undertaking business planning and analysis of the leisure business including marketing and merchandising strategies, programming, and resources, to drive business growth across all leisure facilities.
• Aligning strategic initiatives with business plans to ensure programs and services support broader organisational goals, KPI’s and community outcomes.
• Actively fostering and developing a range of community and commercial relationships and partnerships to maintain each facilities overall development and financial success.
• Developing and fostering internal stakeholder relationships to deliver facilities, programs and services that maximise community health and wellbeing outcomes and social justice objectives.

The skills and experience you’ll bring to the role:

• Demonstrate exceptional people leadership skills, including the ability to supervise, delegate, motivate and develop employees. Build a high performing culture and support both tertiary qualified and experienced staff to deliver quality community services in a fast paced, highly regulated environment.
• Implement and ensure adherence to Council policies and procedures, including human resources practices relating to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) and employee development.
• Demonstrate highly developed time management skills, with a demonstrated ability to plan, prioritise and organise both personal and team workloads, to achieve objectives within set timeframes, despite conflicting pressures, budget/resource allocations, complex work environments and operating with little direction.
• Demonstrate proven capability to deliver organisational objectives by aligning strategies with internal capacities, whilst considering external constraints and new opportunities
• Substantial experience in planning, managing and operating aquatic and leisure facilities, preferably experienced managing multiple facilities / leisure services simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated experience in inspiring and fostering a positive, collaborative and high performing culture and is a leader that shows up and is present.
• Exceptional communication and engagement skills, with the ability to communicate and connect with diverse audiences and stakeholders.
• Well-developed networks in the leisure and aquatics industry.
• Demonstrated experience in conflict resolution and managing complex situations involving both staff and patrons.
• Lead and actively participate in recruitment strategy development, coaching and mentoring initiatives, and collaborates on designing and implementing comprehensive training plans to build a high-performing team. Substantial experience at a senior leadership level, including strategic oversight of sport and leisure facility management, business development and operations, leisure infrastructure capital works delivery and sport and recreation programs and services.
• Highly developed conceptual, analytical, and strategic skills with a track record in leading change and business development within a complex and diverse organisation.
• Experience in change management and demonstrated capacity to liaise, negotiate, influence and gain co-operation and assistance from all employees, managers and the community.
• Strong understanding of contemporary challenges and opportunities relevant to local government, including community inclusion, social justice and climate change.
• Demonstrated experience with Occupational Health & Safety and best practice Risk Management within a high-risk environment.

Required Certifications & Qualifications: 

• Post-graduate qualification in Recreation, Sports Management, Business Management and several years relevant specialist experience, or lesser qualifications with extensive experience in recreation, leisure services or facility management.
• Current Victoria Drivers Licence
• Employee Working with Children Check.

The closing date for applications is 17th July 2025.

Why Hume City Council?

A leader in local government, we’re committed to creating an inclusive and collaborative work environment that is guided by our values:

We’re better, every day: We give things a go and value progress over perfection. We have permission to go for it and are expected to reflect and learn.

We’re in it together: At Hume, everyone matters. We Welcome and include all. Respect and safety are expected.

We show up: We empower and trust others and own our work. We rise to the challenges and are expected to do what we say we will.

All for Hume: We strive to achieve our best for the Hume Community. We are proud and passionate about working towards better outcomes and expect they are at the centre of everything we do.

We offer a competitive salary package, professional development opportunities, and a supportive work environment.

A child safe organisation and an equal opportunity employer. Council encourages people of all ages, people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, LGBTIQA+ people and people from culturally diverse backgrounds to apply.

All candidates will be required to undertake background and probity checks including Reference Checks, Working with Children Check, and a Criminal Record Check.

Additional Information

Position Description