Director of Resort Wellness & Sports

Troon•Sarasota, FL

17h•Onsite

About The Position

Esplanade at Skye Ranch seeks an experienced, collaborative, hospitality-focused leader to provide strategic and operational leadership for the community’s wellness and recreational offerings. The Director oversees fitness, personal training, group exercise, spa services, aquatics, swim instruction, court and field sports, youth programming, leagues, clubs, and community wellness experiences. The role develops and continuously improves programming that supports member wellbeing, active living, social connection, and lifelong participation, while delivering an inclusive, elevated resort lifestyle experience. The Director leads the Wellness Manager and other wellness, fitness, sports, recreation, spa, and aquatics personnel, as well as contracted providers. Responsibilities span departmental strategy, team development, operating standards, budgets and financial performance, revenue growth, member engagement, risk management, safety, and regulatory compliance. The Director reports directly to the Association’s General Manager and serves as the community’s primary liaison for resort wellness and sports operations. The role includes oversight of two fitness center operations; adult and youth sports; aquatic facilities and programs; spa services; staffing and service providers; budgets, pricing, reporting, reservations, and departmental records. Work takes place in office settings and across indoor and outdoor resort amenities, including fitness centers, spa areas, pools, courts, and recreation fields. Evening, weekend, and holiday availability is required as operational and programming needs dictate. The position pays $105,000 annually. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage; a 401(k) with employer match for employees age 19 and older; and paid time off and leaves of absence, subject to applicable plan terms and eligibility criteria.

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, multidisciplinary teams and managing employees, independent contractors, instructors, coaches, or service providers.
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 ability to obtain certification within a defined period following hire.
Excellent written, verbal, organizational, interpersonal, and conflict-resolution skills.
Ability to lead a multidisciplinary team and coordinate comprehensive resort wellness and sports operations.
Strong planning, organizational, and delegation skills, including 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.
Ability to develop inclusive programming for varied ages, abilities, interests, and experience levels.
Proficiency with business software and 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.
Ability to work a flexible schedule that includes evenings, weekends, holidays, and major community events as necessary.

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 an annual wellness and fitness strategy aligned with the Esplanade brand, community demographics, operating goals, and member interests.
Oversee fitness center operations, group exercise, personal training, wellness education, recovery experiences, special events, and spa programming.
Develop group exercise schedules and personal training, wellness coaching, fitness assessment, and specialty service offerings; assess participation, member feedback, and financial performance to guide improvements.
Introduce appropriate wellness trends and create signature experiences, seasonal campaigns, educational programs, and community challenges.
Lead adult and youth sports programming, including instruction, clinics, camps, open play, leagues, tournaments, exhibitions, and events across available sports and recreation activities.
Establish and support member-run groups, clubs, and other 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 providers; establish operating procedures, participation guidelines, league rules, and safety protocols.
Collaborate with Lifestyle and Food and Beverage leaders on social sports events, tournaments, viewing events, celebrations, and community traditions.
Provide operational leadership for recreational swimming, lap swimming, aquatic fitness, swim lessons, youth programming, and seasonal aquatic events.
Recruit, train, schedule, and supervise lifeguards, swim instructors, and aquatic professionals; maintain safety compliance, certifications, emergency procedures, and required documentation.
Coordinate with Facilities to maintain water quality, pool systems, aquatic amenities, and related equipment; maintain emergency action plans and ensure staff training in CPR, AED use, first aid, rescue, and incident response.
Develop swim instruction and aquatic programming for children and adults with varied skills and needs.
Oversee spa operations, licensing, insurance, sanitation, operating procedures, treatment offerings, wellness enhancements, retail strategies, promotions, and events.
Monitor spa utilization, revenue, expenses, retail performance, member satisfaction, and provider productivity; maintain service standards, treatment protocols, intake procedures, sanitation practices, and guest recovery processes.
Directly manage the Wellness Manager and provide coaching, performance feedback, professional development, and operational direction.
Lead and evaluate employees, instructors, coaches, professionals, contractors, and vendors; set expectations, service standards, training requirements, schedules, and accountability measures.
Foster a collaborative, member-focused culture and conduct department meetings, coaching sessions, training, and performance reviews; partner with Human Resources and community leadership on recruitment and employee matters.
Maintain a visible presence across wellness, sports, spa, fitness, and aquatic areas; build member relationships, gather feedback, and respond to questions, concerns, service recovery needs, and program requests.
Design inclusive programming for varied ages, abilities, interests, and experience levels, and collaborate across departments to deliver cohesive resort experiences.
Develop and manage the annual operating budget; monitor revenue, payroll, expenses, contractor payments, commissions, inventory, and overall financial performance.
Recommend pricing and evaluate participation, cost recovery, profitability, member value, and operating capacity for services and programs.
Prepare monthly reports on participation, revenue, expenses, staffing, member feedback, operational needs, and upcoming initiatives.
Manage scheduling, reservations, point-of-sale processes, billing, payroll documentation, inventory controls, and vendor relationships.
Develop, review, and approve departmental communications with community leadership and Marketing.
Maintain records for certifications, licenses, insurance, waivers, incident reports, inspections, vendor agreements, and procedures; develop and maintain standard operating procedures for safety, consistency, service, and compliance.