Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
In this bespoke leadership role, I bridge the gap between high-level HR strategy and the daily operational excellence of a large-scale leisure facility. I was specifically appointed to formalise and lead the organisation’s Human Resources and Learning & Development (L&D) frameworks. Key Responsibilities & Impact: Strategic HR & L&D Leadership: Design and deliver comprehensive HR and L&D strategies tailored to organisational goals. People Management & Coaching: Directly line-manage and coach a team of 10, fostering a high-performance culture and professional growth through structured mentorship. End-to-End HR Operations: Lead the full employee lifecycle, including talent acquisition, disciplinary proceedings, Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), and payroll management. Leadership Development: Design and facilitate internal management training programs to upskill emerging leaders and standardise excellence across the team. Operational Excellence: Oversee all Front-of-House operations, ensuring staff are trained to provide exceptional customer service and maintain efficient guest-facing workflows. Compliance & Safety: Spearhead the development of organisational policies and ensure rigorous adherence to Health and Safety standards and industry qualifications. Workforce Planning: Orchestrate complex staff scheduling and rotas to optimise centre coverage while maintaining strict budgetary alignment. Facility Management: Balance administrative leadership with hands-on daily operational management of the centre.
Cross-Site Operational Support: Provide strategic assistance to Operations and Systems Managers across multiple locations to ensure brand consistency and procedural efficiency. Daily Facility Oversight: Execute lead-level management of centre operations, overseeing facility maintenance, safety protocols, and daily staff deployments. Strategic Decision Making: Exercise high-level autonomy in daily decision-making, prioritising time-sensitive tasks and optimising staff allocation to meet fluctuating demand. Shift Leadership: Serve as the primary Authority on Site, managing all personnel and maintaining accountability for team performance during active shifts. Technical Instruction & Safety: Deliver professional, safety-critical climbing instruction to diverse groups and individuals, ensuring strict adherence to technical standards and risk assessments. Logistics & Inventory Coordination: Liaise with regional centres to manage e-commerce fulfilment and streamline inter-site stock transfers and inventory control.
Senior Management Support: Partnered closely with the Senior Duty Management team to execute operational objectives and maintain centre-wide performance standards. Collaborative Operations: Contributed to a high-functioning leadership team, ensuring the seamless daily operation of a multi-faceted leisure facility. Technical Instruction & Safety: Delivered expert coaching and safety inductions to diverse customer groups, upholding rigorous risk management and climbing industry standards. Shift Supervision: Provided active leadership for on-site personnel during shifts, managing task delegation and maintaining service quality. Staff Mentorship: Facilitated informal professional development and ad-hoc training for team members to improve operational skills and service delivery. Incident & Facility Response: Acted as a key point of contact for real-time problem solving, ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for all users.