Cape Town Region: Head of Maintenance posted by Virgin Active South Africa Pty Ltd

Your Purpose Is to change peoples lives for the better through wellness ; We deliver social wellness experiences that enable people to meet their personal wellness goals, through holistic physical, mental nutritional and social wellbeing. As the Head of Maintenance, you will be the driving force behind keeping our clubs in impeccable condition, ensuring everything from the member-facing areas to the behind-the-scenes machinery runs smoothly. You ensure our Social Wellness Clubs truly reflect the premium experience we promise our members. As a senior leadership role in the business, you lead the Regional Facilities Managers to assess our assets, develop maintenance plans, set replacement standards, and oversee the daily operations and maintenance throughout the lifecycle of our facilities and equipment. This role manages the annual maintenance budgets, optimizes costs, and enhances efficiency, including the effective management of utilities to ensure our operations are both cost-effective and sustainable. Your Duties and Responsibilities Leadership and Management: Drive a high-performance led culture within the facilities team. Lead and manage a team of Regional Facilities Managers and maintenance specialists in club. Provide training and support to Regional Facilities Managers and on-site maintenance teams. Maintenance Operations: Oversee the upkeep of all club facilities, including HVAC systems, plumbing, electrical, fitness and associated equipment (pools, spas, saunas, etc.). Develop and implement modern maintenance policies, procedures and Ensure strict compliance with health and safety Budget and Resource Management: Develop and manage the annual maintenance budget with Ensure cost-effective procurement of high-quality maintenance supplies and Coordinate proactive maintenance schedules and Quality Control: Conduct regular, thorough inspections of facilities to uphold our high maintenance standards. Swiftly address and resolve any maintenance Drive continuous improvement initiatives to elevate maintenance Collaboration and Communication: Work hand-in-hand with the Regional Facilities team to ensure the National Maintenance Framework and practice is applied consistently across all regions and club locations. Communicate effectively with Club General Managers and other stakeholders regarding maintenance activities and schedules. Foster a collaborative and supportive work environment that encourages innovation and excellence. Support Project teams in the implementation of refurbishment and equipment deployment projects. Our Minimum Requirements We cant live without Relevant tertiary qualification in Facilities, Engineering, Technology, or a related field. Minimum of 7 years experience in multi-site Facility Management, Maintenance Management, or the Built Environment role. Proven remote leadership experience in leading high performing teams. 9 years proven technical knowledge and experience of managing Facilities systems, structures and components. Ability to analyse complex data, identify trends, and develop actionable insights. Strong problem-solving skills with a first-principles approach. Have proven multi-site (across South Africa) management experience within a national or international organization. Commercial acumen essential including the development and management of financial budgets. Must have proven experience in working alongside stakeholders across the business at various levels. Must be adaptable to change. Must have exceptional People (EQ) skills Must be resilient and be comfortable to operate at scale and at pace. Must be willing to travel regularly across regions. Must be able to work independently. Must have a valid drivers license and own transport (private vehicle). Must be able to work extended hours as required. Core Interpersonal Skills: Emotional Intelligence- proven ability to anticipate the needs of others before they are voiced Active Listening- Able to genuinely hear concerns with the ability to defuse tense situations and ensuring members and staff feel heard and valued Cultural Awareness and Fluency- understand international norms, etiquette and diverse backgrounds to provide a welcoming environment for our international and VIP members Empathy be able to understand, or and be aware of, someone elses feelings especially during stressful situations, such as travel delays or billing disputes Ability to operate across the board from the operational to the executive levels. High level of accuracy and attention to detail in all aspects of work. Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and influence others to adopt energy-saving practices A genuine passion for the impact that facilities have on the lives of people. Operational & leadership Skills Required: Attention to Detail, noticing the small things Resilience and Composure, be able to remain calm and optimistic under extreme pressure, during peak or periods or system failures Problem solving and conflict resolution be able to turn challenges into opportunities by thinking and acting quickly to resolve issues before they impact a members experience Adaptability: be flexible to handle unpredictable shifts in processers, resource changes, last minute VIP guest arrivals, or sudden changes in event plans. Relatability the capacity to connect with diverse stakeholders across all backgrounds Situational Awareness constantly monitoring the environment to identify members who need support or help Curiosity- the ability to seek out and transform standard transactions into personalised stories and memorable experiences Time Management the ability to efficiently meet stringent deadlines while maintaining a relaxed and unhurried demeanor for guests. Digital Fluency must be proficient in new age technology and systems