IPSWICH SCHOOL

APPOINTMENT OF SPORTS CENTRE MANAGER School Sports Centre,

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THE SCHOOL

Ipswich School has been listed as of the top 100 schools in the country and is certainly one of the foremost independent schools in East Anglia. It was established prior to 1399, although it moved to its present site in 1852. It has over 1,080 pupils aged between 3 and 19 and is fully co-educational.

The most recent Inspection of the Senior School (November 2014) rated it as excellent in all categories, a judgement of which we are very proud. The School operates a 5 day week, with representative sports played during the week and on Saturdays.

The Lodge Day Nursery opened in January 2018 and provides the very best care for younger children aged from 3 months to 3 years.

Find out more about the School by visiting our website: www.ipswich.school.

IPSWICH SCHOOL SPORTS CENTRE (ISSC) Rushmere St Andrew

ISSC is a multi-million pound training venue which is part of Ipswich School offering first class sports and events facilities. The site was first developed as a sporting facility back in 1977 by Willis Faber and following a period of private ownership and investment it was taken over by the School in 2012. One of the key requirements for the site was the continued community participation in sport.

Situated just 10 minutes outside Ipswich and close to Woodbridge and Felixstowe, we are conveniently located and have hosted tournaments for regional sporting events. Our facilities are used regularly by local sports clubs and community organisations for fixtures, training and social events. The café, bar and lounge area has recently undergone a major refurbishment and provides an ideal venue for meetings, weddings and private parties.

The centre is also used extensively by the Senior and Prep Schools during term time for School sports and activities, and in the School holiday periods for holiday sports camps.

Specifically we provide facilities for:

Hockey

Our state-of-the-art astro turfs (3 pitches, 2 floodlit) are some of the finest in Eastern and are used regularly by the School, local hockey clubs and Hockey.

Netball/tennis

We have six courts (4 floodlit) used regularly by the School and local teams.

Football

Our pitches are used for training and matches by local teams.

Athletics and other outside sports

We host a popular local running club and a range of other community and school sporting events, including our popular holiday clubs and camps for children.

Indoor facilities

The Sports Centre has a full-sized sports hall for indoor sports and events such as badminton, table tennis, Zumba and dancing. Community groups and clubs use our facilities regularly.

We have extensive changing facilities and a large lounge area with a balcony overlooking the centre grounds, which includes a bar, café and dance floor - perfect for social events, parties and weddings. We also have a meeting room ideal for business or social meetings and training events.

THE POST

You will manage the operational and commercial activity of Ipswich School Sports Centre and oversee the continued development and evolution of our activities and facilities. Key to this will be the management of relationships with the school community, regular users of the centre and community groups and associations. Most importantly you will ensure our customers’ needs are met whilst ensuring that planning and development for the Sports Centre remains consistent with the School’s charitable, educational and community involvement objectives.

You will focus on the operational management of the Sports Centre, staff deployment, performance appraisal and development/training, business development and stakeholder and customer engagement.

Our Sports Centre team includes the Grounds staff, Duty Officers, Caretaker, Receptionist and Administrator, Chef, Bar and Café staff and Marketing Officer.

To find out more about us visit the ISSC website: https://www.ipswichschoolsportscentre.co.uk/.

RELATIONSHIPS

You will report to the Bursar, and other Directors of Ipswich School Enterprises Ltd (the School’s trading company). Your day to day working relationships will be with the Sports Centre staff, the School’s Estates’ team, the Director of Sport, other sports staff and managers at the School and regular users of the centre.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The principal responsibilities of this post will include the following:

Operational management  Ensure the Sports Centre facilities are maintained to the highest possible standards (in liaison with the centre staff)  Ensure the security and safety of the site in accordance with Health and Safety at Work regulations  Manage the Sports Centre bar and hold the appropriate license to sell alcohol at the premises.  Positively balance, and actively manage the School’s requirements for use of the centre with opportunities to hire and let facilities to generate external income that will be reinvested in the Sports Centre/School to fund future improvements.

Staff recruitment, management and performance  Work with the HR Manager/Bursar to oversee the recruitment of new staff  Performance manage all staff at the centre and set personal training and development plans/targets  Ensure staff are deployed effectively and rotas are well managed.

Business development/commercial awareness  Have an entrepreneurial approach to management and show good commercial awareness  Nurture new ideas and promote the Centre’s facilities (both sporting and non-sporting) to a wide audience, working with the Centre’s Marketing Officer to develop activities to encourage optimum use of the Sports Centre’s facilities to maximise income  Manage costs and expenditure within agreed budgets  Manage booking rates and terms and conditions of hire  Have high standards and expectations and encourage staff and regular users to actively promote the Sports Centre  Manage key relationships with regular users (for example Ipswich and East Suffolk Hockey Club, local football clubs, Suffolk Hockey etc) to ensure customer engagement and satisfaction  Maintain excellent relationships with neighbours, community groups, the Parish Council etc to nurture the School’s community involvement aims and objectives  Maintain excellent internal working relationships to ensure operational efficiency – in particular with the Director of Sport and Heads of Sport to understand their requirements.

Other responsibilities  Attendance at termly ISE Ltd meetings to provide reports to the Directors and other Senior Managers on the Sports Centre’s performance and progress against aims/objectives.

This list is not exhaustive and duties may be changed or added to as determined from time to time.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

You will need to demonstrate the following key skills and have appropriate experience to effectively fulfil the responsibilities of this role. You will be hard working, determined, focused and ambitious with excellent attention to detail.

Essential Skills/Experience Highly desirable A passion for sports, physical activity and healthy Demonstrable experience in a similar lifestyles, together with an appreciation of the School’s role requiring stakeholder and charitable, educational and community aims and customer engagement. objectives.

An ability to drive income generation activities, and Experience of working in a similar develop long term plans for the future development of managerial post and meeting income the Sports Centre. You must have good commercial targets. awareness.

Experience in helping to set a budget and business targets and reviewing progress against objectives, reporting to senior management at regular intervals as required.

Experience in staff management, developing individuals Training/qualifications in staff and managing a positive and dynamic team. management and performance review.

A positive mind set and a ‘can-do’ approach, with the Project management experience. drive and enthusiasm to explore best practice and seek continual improvements.

The ability to work flexibly (including some evenings and Experience of working in a role that weekends) and understand the particular requirements of requires a flexible approach to the sector/post. working hours to meet customer needs.

Operational management experience in a similar sector Relevant qualifications (e.g. NVQ (for example in the Sports, Leisure or Hospitality levels 2/3) sectors).

Knowledge of, and experience in the application of, Relevant H&S qualifications and Health and Safety policies and procedures training

Experience of working and managing a bar and/or Practical knowledge of maintaining a hospitality setting. bar/cellar and holding a licence to sell alcohol.

Good ICT skills and the ability to work with a range of Experience/knowledge of booking software. Knowledge of Microsoft Office, Excel and management systems. Google Documents/Mail.

A clean, valid driving licence is essential

Relevant mandatory training relevant to the role, including First Aid at Work, Safeguarding Children etc.

HOURS OF WORK, SALARY AND BENEFITS

 This appointment is full-time, permanent (subject to the completion of a 6-month probationary period) and is likely to commence in January/February 2020.  Some flexibility with working hours will be required in this role as the Sports Centre is open in the evenings and weekends throughout the year and needs to be staffed appropriately to ensure safety is maintained for users and staff.  You will work a mixture of core office hours as well as some evenings and weekends (you will determine your own working pattern, taking into account fully the needs of the Sports Centre and the School). This will be discussed further at interview.  Total working hours will be 40 hours per week to be worked throughout the year. Overtime is not payable.  The starting salary for this post is likely to be between £26,000 and £28,000 per annum (depending on skills and experience). Salaries are paid monthly in arrears on the last working day of each month by BACS and are reviewed annually, usually in September.  You will be entitled to 25 working days’ paid holiday per year, plus public holidays, rising to 30 days plus bank holidays after 5 years’ service. The holiday year runs from 1 September to 31 August.  No more than 10 working days may be taken at any one time and holiday should be spread throughout the year and agreed in advance with the Bursar.  After 3 months’ service and/or in line with workplace pension legislation, you will be entitled to join a defined contribution pension scheme and will receive 3x death in service cover.  Free lunch is provided during term time in the School Dining Hall when the kitchen is in operation and you are present on the main school site.  Staff are able to use the School swimming pool and fitness gym free of charge (in compliance with appropriate rules and regulations).  The School runs an appraisal scheme for its support staff to assist in the review and development of their role and you will participate in this scheme.

CLOSING DATE AND INTERVIEW ARRANGEMENTS

Please advise us of any special requirements you may have if you are called for interview. If your special requirements mean that you need to submit this application in a different format please contact us.

Completed application forms should be returned by noon on Wednesday 27 November 2019 to: Alison Knights, HR Manager, Ipswich School, 25 Henley Road, Ipswich, IP1 3SG. Please mark the envelope Private and Confidential.

Candidates shortlisted for interview will be advised as soon as possible after the closing date and interviews are likely to be held in the week commencing 2 December when we may also ask candidates to undergo a competency assessment. If we have not been in touch with you by 31 December, then we regret that your application will have been unsuccessful, but we would like to thank you for your interest.

PLEASE NOTE

 Ipswich School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. Having a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining the position. The Ipswich School policy on the recruitment of ex offenders and the Code of Practice relating to the Disclosure and Barring Service are available on request.

 Ipswich School’s employees are responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people they are responsible for, or come into contact with. The post holder must adhere to and ensure compliance with the School’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Children Policy at all times. If, in the course of carrying out his/her duties, the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of children in the School he/she must report any concerns to the School’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (the Senior Pastoral Deputy for Senior School pupils, the Prep Head for Prep pupils).

 Ipswich School’s employees are expected to attend training in safeguarding children as directed.

 Applicants are advised that in the interests of the health and safety of all its pupils and employees, Ipswich School operates a No Smoking Policy and employees are expected to comply with the statutory restriction on smoking in public places.

November 2019