The Director of Health & Wellness leads one of SJJCC's largest and most visible areas: our Health & Wellness Center, including fitness center operations, personal training, group exercise, aquatics and sports. This is a senior operational leadership role overseeing the managers responsible for these areas, with accountability for the overall performance of the department, including member experience, programming, staff, financial performance, safety and operations. We are looking for an experienced leader with a strong background managing fitness center, health club or comparable membership-based fitness and recreation operations. This person may come from a JCC, YMCA, commercial fitness or recreation environment. They should understand how to run a successful fitness operation, what drives membership, participation and retention, and how to evaluate programs, grow revenue, develop managers and make smart decisions about people, programming and resources.
Key Responsibilities: Department Leadership & Operations
- Lead the overall direction and day-to-day operation of Health & Wellness, including fitness, personal training, group exercise, aquatics and sports.
- Lead and develop the managers responsible for each area and ensure clear accountability across the department.
- Evaluate team structure, staffing and operations and make changes or recommendations where needed.
- Maintain high standards for program quality, member experience, safety and operations.
- Stay visible and connected to members, staff and the day-to-day work of the department.
- Work closely with other areas of SJJCC to connect Health & Wellness members to the broader organization. Business & Program Performance
- Develop and manage the department budget, including revenue, expenses and staffing.
- Track membership, enrollment, participation, retention and program performance and use that information to make decisions.
- Identify opportunities to grow participation and revenue across personal training, aquatics, group exercise, sports and other programs.
- Evaluate personal training performance, including utilization, trainer productivity, member engagement and revenue.
- Work with Aquatics leadership to evaluate swim programming, lessons, pool utilization and opportunities for growth.
- Regularly review programs, schedules, staffing and use of space to determine what is working and where changes are needed.
- Evaluate new programs and services based on member needs, community trends and financial viability. Member Experience & Community
- Understand the needs of current members while identifying opportunities to reach and engage new audiences.
- Maintain a strong presence throughout Health & Wellness and build relationships with members.
- Address member questions and concerns promptly and professionally.
- Partner with Membership and Marketing on member acquisition, engagement and retention.
- Identify opportunities to introduce Health & Wellness members to other programs, services and areas of SJJCC.
- Bring forward relevant health, wellness and fitness trends and determine what makes sense for our community. Staff Leadership
- Lead, coach and develop managers and staff across Health & Wellness.
- Set clear expectations and hold leaders accountable for their areas.
- Assess roles, responsibilities and staffing needs and ensure the right structure is in place.
- Recognize and retain strong staff and institutional knowledge while addressing performance concerns and making changes when needed.
- Help long-standing and newer staff adapt as programs, member expectations and the organization evolve.
- Build a professional, collaborative and member-focused culture.
- Partner with Human Resources on recruitment, development, performance management and organizational changes. Safety & Compliance
- Maintain strong oversight of safety and risk across fitness, aquatics, sports and group exercise.
- Ensure required licenses, certifications and staff training remain current.
- Ensure incidents, injuries and safety concerns are documented, addressed and escalated appropriately.
- Maintain clear operating and emergency procedures and ensure staff understand and follow them.
- Partner with Facilities to maintain safe, clean and well-functioning spaces and equipment.
Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in health and wellness, exercise science, recreation, sports management, business or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years of progressive management experience in fitness center, health club, gym, YMCA, JCC or comparable membership-based fitness and recreation operations, including responsibility for staff leadership, budgets, revenue and operational performance.
- Demonstrated experience leading managers and overseeing multiple fitness, aquatics, sports or recreation programs or business areas.
- Experience managing budgets, revenue, expenses and program performance.
- Strong understanding of membership, retention, programming and member experience.
- Experience using financial and program data to make decisions and identify opportunities for growth.
- Knowledge of health, wellness and recreation operations and current industry trends.
- Strong people leadership and staff development skills, including experience managing change and performance.
- Excellent judgment, organization and follow-through.
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
- Experience in a JCC, YMCA, community-based organization or sophisticated fitness/wellness environment strongly preferred.
- Current CPR/AED and First Aid certification, or willingness to obtain upon hire.
- Flexibility to work early mornings, evenings, weekends and occasional holidays based on program needs.
Physical Requirements:- Regular movement throughout fitness, aquatics, gym and office spaces.
- Ability to lift and move equipment up to 50 pounds as needed.
- Ability to respond appropriately in emergency situations.
Compensation details: Yearly Salary PI0f9ad2890a
