Director of Resort Wellness & Sports

BallenIsles Country Club • Sarasota, FL

11h • Onsite

About The Position

Esplanade at Skye Ranch seeks an experienced, highly collaborative, hospitality-focused leader to serve as Director of Resort Wellness & Sports. This position provides strategic and operational leadership for the community’s comprehensive wellness and recreational offerings, including fitness, personal training, group exercise, spa services, aquatics, swim instruction, court sports, field sports, youth programming, leagues, clubs, and community wellness experiences. The Director creates an engaging, inclusive, and elevated resort lifestyle experience that supports member wellbeing, active living, social connection, and lifelong participation. This position leads the development, execution, and continuous improvement of programming across tennis, pickleball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, flag football, fitness, aquatics, spa, youth recreation, member-run groups, instructional programs, leagues, tournaments, and seasonal wellness initiatives. The Director provides leadership, direction, and supervision to the Wellness Manager at Esplanade at Skye Ranch, as well as fitness professionals, personal trainers, group exercise instructors, sports professionals, coaches, aquatic staff, lifeguards, spa professionals, program supervisors, and contracted service providers. This position oversees departmental strategy, team development, operational standards, financial performance, revenue growth, member engagement, risk management, safety, regulatory compliance, and consistent delivery of the Esplanade resort lifestyle experience. The Director reports directly to the Association’s General Manager and serves as the community’s primary liaison for all resort wellness and sports operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in wellness, kinesiology, sports management, recreation management, hospitality, business administration, or a related discipline. Equivalent relevant leadership experience may be considered.
• Five or more years of progressive leadership experience in wellness, fitness, recreation, sports, aquatics, club operations, hospitality, or a related environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading large-scale, multidisciplinary teams and managing employees, independent contractors, instructors, coaches, or service providers.
• Proven experience developing programs, managing budgets, evaluating financial performance, and increasing participation or revenue.
• Strong knowledge of member experience, hospitality standards, risk management, employee development, and operational planning.
• Current CPR, AED, and first aid certification, or the ability to obtain certification within a defined period following hire.
• Excellent written, verbal, organizational, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule that includes evenings, weekends, holidays, and major community events as necessary.
• Ability to lead a multidisciplinary team and coordinate a comprehensive resort wellness and sports operation.
• Strong planning, organizational, and delegation skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple amenities.
• Ability to develop budgets, evaluate financial performance, manage expenses, and use participation data and member feedback to improve programming.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to develop inclusive programming for varied ages, abilities, interests, and experience levels.
• Proficiency with business software and the ability to learn scheduling, reservation, member communication, and point-of-sale systems.
• Sound judgment in addressing member concerns, operational challenges, and safety issues.
• Ability to collaborate with community leadership, national wellness leadership, vendors, and member group organizers.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a private club, luxury residential community, resort, hospitality, country club, active adult community, or master planned community.
• Professional certification in fitness, personal training, group exercise, aquatics, recreation, racquet sports, spa management, or a related discipline.
• Certified Pool Operator or Aquatic Facility Operator certification.
• Experience overseeing spa services, aquatics, youth recreation, fitness programming, and sports operations.
• Familiarity with club management, scheduling, reservation, point-of-sale, and member communication platforms.
• Experience supporting community associations or homeowner association environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive annual wellness and fitness strategy aligned with the Esplanade brand, community demographics, operational goals, and member interests.
• Oversee the Wellness & Sports Manager and provide direction for two fitness center operations, group exercise, personal training, wellness education, recovery experiences, special events, and spa programming.
• Establish an engaging group exercise schedule that balances strength, cardiovascular conditioning, mobility, mind and body programming, aquatic fitness, active aging, and specialty formats.
• Develop personal training, wellness coaching, fitness assessment, and specialty service offerings that support member goals while generating sustainable departmental revenue.
• Evaluate participation, utilization, member feedback, and financial performance to guide scheduling, staffing, pricing, and program development.
• Identify emerging wellness trends and thoughtfully introduce experiences that align with the Esplanade brand and the needs of the community.
• Create signature wellness experiences, seasonal campaigns, educational programs, and community challenges that promote sustained member engagement.
• Lead the development and delivery of adult and youth sports programming across tennis, pickleball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, flag football, and other recreational activities offered by the community.
• Develop instructional programs, clinics, camps, open play opportunities, social play, competitive ladders, leagues, tournaments, exhibitions, and special events for a variety of ages and skill levels.
• Establish and support member-run groups, walking groups, running clubs, sports clubs, and other interest-based recreational communities.
• Oversee court and field schedules, reservations, programming allocations, instructional use, maintenance coordination, and member access.
• Recruit, onboard, schedule, and evaluate sports professionals, coaches, officials, volunteers, and contracted program providers.
• Create clear operating procedures, participation guidelines, reservation standards, league rules, and safety protocols for all sports and recreational programs.
• Collaborate with Lifestyle and Food and Beverage leaders to create social sports events, tournaments, viewing events, celebrations, and community traditions.
• Provide operational leadership for all aquatic programming, including recreational swimming, lap swimming, aquatic fitness, swim lessons, youth programming, and seasonal events.
• Recruit, train, schedule, and supervise lifeguards, swim instructors, and aquatic program professionals.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable safety standards, inspection requirements, staff certifications, emergency procedures, and documentation requirements.
• Partner with Facilities leadership to ensure water quality, pool systems, aquatic amenities, and related equipment are properly maintained and operational.
• Maintain aquatic emergency action plans and ensure appropriate staff training in CPR, AED use, first aid, rescue procedures, and incident response.
• Develop swim instruction and aquatic programming for children, adults, beginners, and individuals seeking skill development or water confidence.
• Oversee spa operations and ensure that all services reflect the Esplanade commitment to hospitality, relaxation, wellbeing, and service excellence.
• Ensure all required professional licenses, establishment licenses, insurance documents, sanitation standards, and operating procedures remain current and compliant.
• Partner with the Wellness & Sports Manager and spa professionals to develop treatment offerings, wellness enhancements, retail strategies, seasonal promotions, and special events.
• Monitor spa utilization, revenue, expenses, retail performance, member satisfaction, and provider productivity.
• Maintain consistent service standards, treatment protocols, intake procedures, sanitation practices, and guest recovery processes.
• Directly manage the Wellness & Sports Manager at Esplanade at Skye Ranch and provide ongoing coaching, performance feedback, professional development, and operational direction.
• Lead and evaluate employees, instructors, coaches, professionals, contractors, and vendors supporting wellness and sports operations.
• Establish clear performance expectations, service standards, training requirements, schedules, and accountability measures.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, and member-focused culture centered on hospitality, teamwork, professionalism, inclusion, and operational excellence.
• Conduct regular department meetings, individual coaching sessions, training programs, and performance reviews.
• Partner with Human Resources and community leadership on recruitment, corrective action, performance management, and employee relations.
• Serve as a visible and approachable leader throughout wellness, sports, spa, fitness, and aquatic areas.
• Build relationships with members and actively gather feedback regarding programs, services, schedules, facilities, and emerging interests.
• Respond professionally and promptly to member questions, concerns, service recovery needs, and program requests.
• Design inclusive programming that serves a range of ages, abilities, interests, and experience levels.
• Collaborate with Lifestyle, Wellness, Community Management, Marketing, Food and Beverage, Facilities, and other departments to deliver cohesive resort experiences.
• Develop and manage the annual operating budget for resort wellness and sports.
• Monitor revenue, payroll, program expenses, contractor payments, commissions, inventory, and departmental financial performance.
• Establish pricing recommendations for personal training, spa services, leagues, clinics, camps, lessons, tournaments, and specialty wellness offerings.
• Evaluate program participation, cost recovery, profitability, member value, and operational capacity.
• Prepare monthly reports summarizing participation, revenue, expenses, staffing, member feedback, operational needs, and upcoming initiatives.
• Manage departmental scheduling, reservations, point-of-sale processes, billing, payroll documentation, inventory controls, and vendor relationships.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures that support safety, consistency, service excellence, and regulatory compliance.

Benefits

• Healthcare Benefits – Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage.
• Retirement Benefits – 401(k) with employer match (19 years of age and older).
• Time Off – Paid time off (PTO) and leaves of absence, in accordance with applicable law and eligibility criteria.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager