General Manager

General Manager — Richmond, VA

Position: General Manager
Reports To: Regional Manager
Status: Full-Time, Exempt
Industry: Fitness, Wellness & Hospitality

The Opportunity

We are conducting a search for an accomplished General Manager to lead a high-end, resort-style, family-oriented athletic club.

This is a significant leadership opportunity for an experienced operator who knows how to bring together people, performance, member experience, financial discipline, and operational excellence.

The General Manager will have responsibility for the overall performance of the club and will lead a team of department heads representing multiple areas of the business, including fitness, membership and sales, aquatics, group exercise, food & beverage, childcare, spa/recovery, facilities, and housekeeping.

The successful candidate will be expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy while building a strong leadership team, creating an exceptional member and employee experience, and delivering measurable operational and financial results.

Performance Objectives

1. Build and lead a high-performing leadership team.
Develop a cohesive, accountable team of department heads who understand their performance expectations, communicate effectively across departments, and consistently execute against club priorities. Establish regular coaching, feedback, development, and performance‑management practices that strengthen leadership throughout the organization.

2. Deliver an exceptional member experience.
Create an environment in which exceptional service becomes part of the club's everyday culture. Maintain strong visibility throughout the facility, stay closely connected to members and employees, monitor member feedback and satisfaction results, and ensure concerns are addressed promptly and professionally.

3. Take ownership of the club's financial performance.
Develop a strong command of the club's financial statements, operating budget, capital expenditures, payroll, departmental performance, and budget variances. Hold department leaders accountable for understanding and managing the financial performance of their respective areas.

The existing position specifically requires the GM to participate in annual operating and capital budgeting, review monthly financial statements and variances, and coach direct reports on departmental financials.

4. Drive membership, sales and retention performance.
Partner effectively with sales leadership and department heads to strengthen membership acquisition, retention, engagement, and revenue opportunities. Understand the competitive marketplace and ensure the club delivers a compelling member experience that supports long‑term growth.

5. Establish consistent operational excellence.
Ensure operating procedures, safety protocols, facility standards, scheduling practices, payroll controls, purchasing procedures, and management systems are consistently executed across departments. Continuously evaluate operations and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, service, communication, and performance.

6. Maintain an exceptionally clean, safe and well‑operated facility.
Be highly visible throughout the club and establish clear expectations for cleanliness, maintenance, safety, presentation, and overall facility condition. Identify issues early, establish accountability for resolution, and ensure members consistently experience a well‑maintained premium environment.

7. Strengthen employee engagement, training and retention.
Create an environment where employees understand expectations, receive meaningful coaching and development, and are recognized for strong performance. Ensure new employees are successfully onboarded and department leaders have effective training and development practices in place.

8. Create accountability through measurable priorities.
Translate broader organizational objectives into clear quarterly and annual priorities for each department. Regularly review progress with department leaders, identify performance gaps, establish corrective actions, and recognize strong results.

The source position specifically calls for quarterly action plans with department heads, ongoing coaching and follow‑up, and regular leadership meetings to maintain communication and direction.

9. Build strong cross‑functional relationships.
Develop productive relationships with regional leadership and functional experts while serving as the primary on‑site leader responsible for translating organizational priorities into effective club-level execution.

10. Become a trusted leader of the entire club operation.
Develop sufficient working knowledge across all major departments to effectively coach leaders, identify operational concerns, make informed decisions, and step into critical situations when necessary. The General Manager should be viewed as the leader who understands how the entire business works—not simply one functional area.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first year, the successful General Manager will have established a strong and accountable leadership team; demonstrated command of the club's financial and operational performance; strengthened consistency across departments; maintained high standards for member service, cleanliness, safety and facility presentation; improved communication and accountability among department leaders; and built credibility with employees, members, and regional leadership.

Most importantly, the General Manager will have created a culture where strong leadership translates into measurable business performance and an exceptional experience for both members and employees.

Experience & Background

Rather than requiring candidates to match every traditional qualification, we are interested in leaders who can demonstrate comparable accomplishments in complex, service‑oriented environments.

Strong candidates will typically bring:

• At least five years of progressive leadership or management experience within a high‑end athletic club, fitness, wellness, hospitality, resort, or similarly complex service organization.
• Experience leading multiple departments and developing department-level leaders.
• Demonstrated responsibility for operating budgets, financial analysis, payroll management, expense controls, and business performance.
• A track record of improving customer/member experience and employee engagement or retention.
• Experience operating in a high-service environment where facility standards, customer relationships, and operational execution are critical.
• Strong coaching, leadership, communication, presentation, and relationship‑building capabilities.
• The ability to operate independently, manage competing priorities, and remain accountable for results.

The original position identifies five or more years of leadership experience in a high‑end athletic club or hospitality organization, with customer and employee retention experience considered beneficial.

Leadership Profile

The strongest candidate will be a positive, energetic, motivational and highly accountable leader who combines operational discipline with genuine relationship‑building ability.

This person should be comfortable setting high standards, coaching others toward them, making difficult decisions when necessary, and remaining visible and approachable to employees and members.

They will bring the confidence to lead independently, the humility to collaborate with others, and the business orientation to understand that exceptional service and strong financial performance must work together.

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