Sport, Leisure and Libraries Manager

Royal Greenwich
About the role

Sport, Leisure and Libraries Manager – 1 year fixed term contract to work from the Woolwich Centre, with regular visits to 7 leisure centres and 12 libraries. Salary: £52,194 (PO5). Responsibilities include senior client management of the GLL leisure contract, strategic oversight of the library service, leading service modernisation, shaping capital programmes and partnerships, and contributing to the borough’s Physical Activity and Sport Strategy.

Your responsibilities

• Act as senior client manager for the GLL leisure contract, ensuring strong performance, robust service monitoring, financial integrity and value for money.
• Lead service modernisation, savings programmes and contract reviews to improve outcomes for residents.
• Contribute to strategic oversight of the library service.
• Report progress to the Head of Sport, Leisure and Libraries, Directors and Members.
• Contribute materially to refreshing the Physical Activity and Sport Strategy in partnership with Public Health, and to operational delivery of the refreshed Playing Pitch Strategy and a new Libraries Strategy.
• Represent sport, leisure and library infrastructure needs within the Thamesmead Infrastructure Delivery Plan and other major regeneration frameworks.
• Work with internal and external partners on capital projects, including Section 106 and CIL funded schemes.
• Represent the service at internal and external forums and deputise for the Head of Service when required.

Who you are

• Substantial experience of leisure and facility management with a strong track record of managing complex external contracts and driving performance improvement.
• Experience working with strategic partners across sport, physical activity and wellbeing, including NGBs, Sport England, Arts Council England, the NHS and the GLA.
• Developed or contributed to strategies and action plans in sport, physical activity or related fields.
• Excellent communication skills, able to speak confidently at all levels, from operational delivery to senior leadership audiences.
• Ability to operate at pace with multiple workstreams, tight deadlines and competing priorities.
• A background in leisure, sport, libraries or a related public service area is essential.
• Knowledge of local government procurement and contract management is highly desirable, as is report writing (decision reports) and interpreting complex information into briefings for Directors and Members.
• Willingness to apply relevant skills from adjacent fields, if not all essential criteria are met.

What we offer

• Meaningful role at the heart of Greenwich’s sport, leisure and library services.
• Base at the Woolwich Centre with regular visits to leisure centres and libraries; scope for some remote working.
• Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Generous annual leave entitlement.
• Access to discounted GLL leisure facilities and a range of staff benefits.
• Learning and development support to help you grow in your role and progress in your career.

Reasonable adjustments

We want to remove any barriers candidates might face during the recruitment process. Please let us know if you have a disability and would like the advert in an alternative format, or if you would like to discuss how we can adjust the interview process to best support you. Contact Asad Sajid at or .

Diversity Statement

Royal Borough of Greenwich values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this. We encourage applications from all sections of the community.