Lightwaves Community Centre, Wakefield

COMMUNITY CENTRE MANAGER, WAKEFIELD Are you passionate about creating outstanding customer experiences? Are you ready to shape the future of our community centre and make a real difference to our community? Then we want to hear from you! About the Role We have an exciting opportunity, which will suit a candidate who has the drive to promote, develop and effectively manage the smooth running of our community centre in Wakefield. As Centre Manager you will work to ensure that Lightwaves is a friendly, well-managed facility that operates for the benefit of the local community within a sustainable framework. This role will suit someone who is self-motivated and can work autonomously as well as lead and manage their team to deliver effective customer service. We are looking for a can-do and organised Centre Manager with a passion for working with and for the community, and who will manage our centre, support engagement, and foster a sense of belonging within the community. As our Centre Manager you will take the lead working with staff, customers, partners, hirers, and the local community raising awareness of the Centre’s work and ensuring its sustainability. You will be responsible for various aspects of facilities management, health and safety, planning and delivering projects within the centre, managing a small team, and financial management and planning. Your excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, will be matched with a friendly and professional manner. You will need to be flexible in your working approach, working both independently and as part of a team to deliver the charity’s aims. This will involve working evenings and occasional weekends.. About You We are looking for a strong manager with excellent organisational and people management skills. Ideally including: - Experience in Community, Leisure or Sports Centre Management at a senior level (e.g., Senior Instructor, Deputy Manager, or Manager). - It will be desirable that the post holder has a recognised qualification in Leisure/Community Centre Management, Sports Development or related subject or a minimum of 3 years experience - The ability to prioritise workloads and manage multiple responsibilities - First Aid Qualification (minimum 16 hours). - Full UK driving license. - Good IT skills, and specifically Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel. About Us Lightwaves Community Trust operates as a charity to deliver high quality community and sport facilities to the local community. The Centre also provides a home to a number of not-or-profit tenant organisations and Wakefield College, who use the building to provide services, support, advice and information to local people and young people. The Trust’s charitable aims are to provide a space where local people can come to socialise, access support and simply relax and have fun. If you would like to learn more about our opportunity, please request a Full Job Application Pack. We would welcome applications from candidates with experience in roles such as Senior Duty Manager, Assistant Manager, Operations Manager, Fitness Manager, Front Office Manager, Leisure Manager, Club Manager, General Manager, and many others.

Join Us in Building Something Extraordinary Are you a passionate and ambitious Registered Manager ready to make a real difference? This is your opportunity to lead, grow, and create life-changing safe havens for vulnerable children. With a clear pathway to senior leadership, you’ll shape and develop a high-performing team within a quality-focused, fast-growing organisation. This unique role offers the rare chance to build a children’s care provision from the ground up, with an unwavering commitment to delivering outstanding care to those who need it most. It is the chance to: - Be the Care Architect : Starting with our first newly established home, you’ll have the unique opportunity to design and deliver exceptional care from the ground up. - Build your dream team: foster a positive culture, and set the standard for transforming the lives of the children we support. - Be Supported : Join forces with a dynamic and ambitious team with proven expertise in finance, property, HR, technology, and business development. With an experienced RI, established relationships with council commissioners and the first home in place (2 child placement), the business is well positioned to scale. - Be a Leader Ready to Step Up : We’re seeking a quality-focused manager with the drive and ambition to take on a leadership role as we grow. Together, we’ll carefully and strategically expand our network of homes. - Be Rewarded : Just like your impact, your rewards will grow. Enjoy a competitive salary, which will be set based on your experience and will evolve with your role, including bonus opportunities and profit-share incentives. - Be Your Best Self : If you have a vision to do things differently, build a care provision that is impactful and long lasting without compromising on quality, this is the moment to take that step. If this opportunity resonates with you, and you: - are an experienced Registered Manager in a children’s residential care setting (LD or EBD) and are based in West Yorkshire; - possess a deep understanding of child development, a passion for improving outcomes, and exceptional leadership skills; - have a proven track record of achieving Good or ideally Outstanding Ofsted ratings. Bonus points if you’ve successfully set up a new home in the past; - hold a Level 5 Leadership and Management qualification in residential childcare (or equivalent); - Have the ambition to build a quality-focused care provision and ultimately step into a management role in a growing business, but feel your current role lacks the clear pathway forward. Let’s Talk​ If this sounds like the opportunity you’ve been waiting for, we’d love to hear from you. Please do reach out and take the first step toward an exciting conversation with our Directors.