Job description
We are seeking a highly motivated Head of Sport & Wellness to join King’s Sport & Wellness team at King’s College London reporting to the Director of the King’s Community Business Services. You will be responsible for leading the talented team to achieve engagement goals and commercial budgets.
• Drive a strategy and long-term plan to meet the demands of the university growth ambitions and deliver impact in alignment with Strategy 2026 and Vision 2029 to:
-Improve our support for staff wellbeing, and student and staff engagement.
-Deploy our knowledge in service to society; engage the communities we serve in London, the UK and globally.
• To achieve the King’s Sport & Wellness Ambition to ‘Connect with our Community to Find their Personal Best’, attaining the objectives of the Estate Philosophy and Community Business Service Strategy to deliver; World Class Services at a World Class University.
• To lead the King’s Sport & Wellness staff team with responsibility for their management and development of the staff team to create a positive work culture and environment for success, that ‘puts students and staff at the heart of everything we do.’
• Deliver services with commercial principles that add value to the King’s Community Experience by providing innovative and creative leadership that contributes to the wider learning experiences of our staff and students through interaction with our sport facilities and wellness programmes
If you have what it takes to meet this demanding and challenging role, you could be just the right person we are looking for. In return, we offer competitive salary, excellent pension scheme, staff benefits and career development opportunities.
This post will be offered on an indefinite contract
This is a full-time post – 100% full time equivalent
Key responsibilities
Strategic Vision 2029
• To act in accordance with the guiding principles as set out in the Strategic Vision 2029: to Connect with our Communities to find their personal best, to be an exceptional institution and make the world a better place.
• Contribute to the wider College Strategic themes of Education, Research, Service, London and International as set out in Vision 2026.
• Advocate for Sport and Wellness role in the wider university strategic aims of enhancing mental health and wellness of our staff, student and the wider London Community. Working in collaboration across University Professional Services, Students and Education, Students Union and Faculty
• Support the Director of Community Business Services, to meet the objectives of the Community Business Service Strategy in creating a unique and memorable KCL experience, helping to differentiate the KCL student offer from other London and Russell Group Universities.
• A focus on excellence in Facilities Management; to provide effective stewardship of the estate befitting of the College’s heritage and contemporary outlook; to create an inclusive environment that enables successful endeavour.
• Responsible for stakeholder management; advocating open and active communication; anticipating and prioritising customer needs in service design and delivery; resolving issues which have a detrimental impact on experience.
• Identify transformational capital projects, that will result in the Sport & Wellness Estate becoming a world class student environment.
People & Leadership
• To lead a high performing and motivated teams of Business and Operations, Performance and Workforce and Wellness, Physical Activity, and Digital.
• Ensure staff receive training, support and direction to thrive in their roles and operate with the highest standards of professionalism and customer service.
• Provide motivational leadership in order to drive performance and retain talent through coaching; providing specialist guidance and feedback; constantly up-skilling and developing staff to support their growth.
• Lead the Sport and Wellness leadership team, review shared KPIs and ensure the team is briefed on keys objectives and upcoming changes/events/projects that will affect the team and their teams.
• Seek out and share best practice with the wider team to ensure world-class service delivery in Higher Education. Encourage knowledge sharing across and collaboration across Estates & Facilities and the wider University.
• Nurturing relationships with key external partners, including the NHS, FISU, BUCS, TASS, Sport England, UK Active, local London Boroughs and National Governing Bodies of Sport.
• Ensure the performance appraisals of all staff are completed annually, and identify training needs, initiate development of direct reports, recommend effective action in development plans, recorded in PDRs.
• Follow recruitment guidelines and maintain qualified personnel in all positions reporting directly to them and ensure a consistent and fair approach to staff development opportunities across King’s Sport & Wellness
• Act as a role model for professional behaviour and best practice. Constantly challenge unsafe or inefficient behaviours and/or practices, and follow through to a satisfactory corrective action, in line with King’s Principles in Action.
• Work together with the other members of the Community Business Services team to maximise collaboration and coordinated output.
• Work closely with HR Business Partner(s) for the purposes of resource planning, recruitment and management of underperformance.
Performance Management
• Deliver the King’s Sport & Wellness strategy to develop world class Gym, Wellness Clinic and Sports Ground facilities and innovative Physical Activity and Digital programmes in collaboration for our growing our community.
• Continue a culture of empowerment to drive rapid and consistent improvement to ensure delivery to budget, to quality standards, to the customers’ expectations, and with the most effective use of our resources.
• Ensure positive experience drives decision making throughout the department, with the introduction of co-design practices, so that end-users are brought into the design phase of initiatives, projects and/or services.
• Guide the team to understand, support and consider the needs of the communities it serves; continually learn from successes and failures to advance the performance of King’s Sport & Wellness.
• To lead the development of data and insight across King’s Sport & Wellness – identifying business performance issues and opportunities to the Director for Community Business Services; and communicating with stakeholders. (including committees and boards such as REOB).
• Support the delivery of a World Class Service through the implementation of digital products and marketing road map to ensure the department remains dynamic with effective digital knowledge to drive growth and efficiencies.
• Responsible for the delivery of effective change programmes as required by the strategy and plans of the University and wider Directorate, including appropriate planning, risk assessment and stakeholder engagement.
Finance Management
• Manage and deliver the King’s Sport & Wellness Gym and Sports Grounds Operational budgets, responsible for the financial management of income generation, ensuring services are delivered efficiently and managed in accordance with the university’s Financial Procedures to ensure compliance, value for money and adequate return on investment at all times.
• Prepare and submit budgets for assigned activities in accordance with the budget setting procedure, working closely with Finance business partners.
• Understand the need to be financially sustainable whilst always maintaining the need to keep the student experience at the forefront of all ventures.
• With the support the Director of Community Business Services and Director of Community Experience execute the King’s Sport & Wellness Functional Plan to grow and enhance our Sport & Wellness facilities, increasing access to fitness identifying future sites for development, building robust business plans and grow our revenue generation activities.
Health & Safety and Business Continuity
• Responsible for developing working relationships with Estates & Facilities Operational Assurance Teams, creating a one-team approach, acting as the primary point of contact for Sport and Wellness
• Develop and monitor the King’s Sport & Wellness Business Continuity plan to mitigate risks to King’s Sport & Wellness. Ensure robust normal operating and emergency operating procedures are in place and regularly tested and updated
Diversity & Inclusion
• Champion and advocate for diversity and inclusion as an imperative for King’s, and work to identify and remove the barriers to inclusion and progression for underrepresented groups.
• Hold colleagues responsible for attraction, retention and progression of underrepresented groups within their functions, faculties or directorates.
Sustainability
• Ensure business practices are aligned and support King’s ambition to continue to work towards protecting the environment and embedding alignment to UN development goals into our delivery.
General
• Undertake other duties not specifically stated above, commensurate with the grade of the post, which from time to time are necessary for the effective performance of the University.
The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.
Essential criteria
1. Adaptable, perceptive and self-aware leadership skills to gain respect of colleagues and stakeholders alike, with a commitment to inclusion, equality and diversity.
2. Excellent Leadership skills and significant knowledge of how to develop, lead and inspire high performing teams.
3. Previous leadership experience in educational and/or sport, wellness, health, fitness industry experience – or sector equivalent.
4. Ability to work strategically and contribute to the strategic leadership within the E&F Directorate, developing effective collaborations across the wider institution to ensure University strategic aims are met.
5. Knowledge of developing Strategy and setting benchmarks backed by industry standards/best practice translated into actionable KPIs and impact.
6. Senior-level commercial acumen, with proven record of setting annual financial plans and delivery budgets, demonstrating growth and sustainability.
7. Excellent inter-personal skills that build trust, respect and rapport, and creates mutually beneficial relationships with a wide variety of people to influence perceptions, opinions and outcomes.
8. In-depth understanding of how to deliver exceptional customer and staff experience to enhance both individual and community wellbeing, while delivering to financial targets – ideally in a Sport / Wellness environment.
9. Previous experience of stakeholder management, internal & external with a track-record of building partnerships and diversifying income.
10. Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, e.g. board reporting and presentation level, to convey complex information to a diverse range of audiences and stakeholders using a variety of techniques.
11. Ability to analyse, evaluate and assess information to make necessary recommendations that are commercially sound and viable solutions to maximise business opportunities.
12. Knowledge of risk management and compliance/H&S Regulations pertaining to facility management and project and programme delivery.
Desirable criteria
1. Educated to graduate level or equivalent.
2. PRINCE2 or other Project Management qualification.
3. Previous experience of working in a multi-site environment, prioritizing complex and often conflicting demands.
4. NEBOSH/IOSH Qualification.
Interviews will take place on Monday 9th and Wednesday 11th January 2023
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