Facility Manager – Virgin Active South Africa
Bloemfontein, Free State
Permanent Position
Posted: 29 April 2026 | Closing Date: 03 May 2026
About the Role
This position is for a Facility Manager within Virgin Active South Africa, a leading health, wellness and fitness brand focused on creating an inspiring and active lifestyle environment for its members. The role plays a critical part in ensuring that club facilities are maintained to the highest operational, safety, and brand standards while delivering a seamless and exceptional member experience.
The Facility Manager is responsible for overseeing all maintenance activities within the club, ensuring that both preventative and reactive maintenance tasks are completed efficiently and in line with company procedures. This includes managing building systems, fitness equipment, utilities, and safety compliance requirements.
The role is hands-on, operational, and requires a strong technical background combined with leadership capability, problem-solving ability, and strong attention to detail.
Purpose of the Job
The main purpose of the Facility Manager is to ensure that all club facilities operate smoothly, safely, and efficiently at all times. The role supports the broader Virgin Active mission of inspiring people to live active and healthy lives by maintaining an environment that is safe, clean, fully functional, and welcoming.
The Facility Manager ensures that all maintenance systems are proactive rather than reactive where possible, reducing downtime and ensuring that members experience minimal disruption during their visits.
Key Responsibilities
1. Preventative Maintenance
The Facility Manager is responsible for planning and executing preventative maintenance schedules across all club infrastructure. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Fitness equipment maintenance (including out-of-warranty machines)
- Swimming pool and spa systems
- HVAC systems (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning)
- Hot and cold-water systems
- Saunas and steam rooms
- General building infrastructure maintenance tasks
Preventative maintenance must be carried out consistently according to Virgin Active standards and documented properly for auditing purposes.
2. Reactive Maintenance
The role also involves managing all reactive maintenance requests that arise during daily operations. This includes:
- Responding to logged maintenance issues in the club system
- Attending to emergency breakdowns quickly and effectively
- Ensuring minimal disruption to club operations during repairs
- Escalating complex issues where specialist intervention is required
The Facility Manager must ensure that all breakdowns are addressed timeously and with a long-term solution mindset, not just temporary fixes.
3. Health and Safety Compliance
A major responsibility of the role is ensuring full compliance with Occupational Health and Safety standards within the facility. Duties include:
- Conducting regular safety inspections and audits
- Ensuring compliance with internal H&S policies
- Maintaining updated safety documentation and records
- Monitoring risk areas within the club environment
- Ensuring all contractors comply with safety procedures while on-site
The Facility Manager also plays a key role in promoting a safety-first culture among staff and contractors.
4. Contractor and Supplier Management
The role requires coordination with external contractors and service providers. Responsibilities include:
- Managing contractor performance and service delivery
- Reviewing and approving contractor work before sign-off
- Ensuring compliance with service level agreements (SLAs)
- Coordinating maintenance work requiring external specialists
- Communicating with management before issuing purchase orders for services
5. Budget Management
The Facility Manager is responsible for managing and monitoring maintenance-related budgets, including:
- Maintenance premises budget
- Physical plant maintenance costs
- Pool maintenance expenses
- Water hygiene management
- Grounds and facility upkeep
- Consumables and maintenance supplies
- Health and safety-related expenditure
The goal is to ensure cost efficiency while maintaining high-quality operational standards.
6. Utilities and Energy Management
Another important aspect of the role is monitoring and managing utility consumption within the club. This includes:
- Monitoring water and electricity usage
- Investigating abnormal consumption trends
- Implementing energy-saving initiatives where possible
- Supporting sustainability and efficiency improvements
7. Team Leadership and Development
The Facility Manager also supports the development of technical staff within the club environment. Responsibilities include:
- Supervising maintenance operators or technicians
- Providing training and upskilling support
- Promoting teamwork and collaboration within the maintenance function
- Supporting a positive and productive work environment
The role may also involve acting as a Head of Department (HOD) and assisting in broader club operations when required.
8. Reporting and Communication
The Facility Manager is required to maintain strong communication with club leadership and regional management. Duties include:
- Reporting maintenance status and issues regularly
- Escalating unresolved technical problems
- Maintaining clear documentation of all maintenance activities
- Participating in operational meetings and safety briefings
Minimum Requirements
To be considered for this role, candidates should meet the following requirements:
- Matric (National Senior Certificate)
- Advanced technical qualification in a relevant field (engineering, facilities management, or similar)
- 2–3 years’ experience in maintenance or facilities management
- Strong hands-on experience in plumbing, electrical systems, HVAC, and general building maintenance
- Solid understanding of health and safety regulations
- Experience working independently in a technical environment
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
Key Skills and Competencies
The ideal candidate should demonstrate the following abilities:
- Strong technical problem-solving skills
- Ability to manage multiple maintenance priorities
- Good financial and administrative understanding
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
- Attention to detail and high standards of workmanship
- Ability to take ownership and make independent decisions
- Strong organisational and planning skills
Additional advantageous qualities include adaptability, curiosity, a growth mindset, and a strong commitment to improving operational performance continuously.
Technical Knowledge Required
Candidates should have working knowledge of:
- Chillers and cooling systems
- HVAC systems and controls
- Electrical systems (including medium voltage understanding)
- Pumps, valves, and mechanical systems
- Water treatment systems and hot water vessels
- Steam systems and boilers
- Building management systems
- Plumbing and general building infrastructure
- Fire and safety systems
Work Environment
This is a fast-paced operational environment that requires flexibility and hands-on involvement. The Facility Manager must be prepared to:
- Respond to emergencies outside of normal working hours when needed
- Work independently and manage site priorities effectively
- Engage with multiple departments and stakeholders
- Maintain high standards of service delivery at all times
Final Note
The Facility Manager plays a critical role in ensuring that Virgin Active clubs remain safe, functional, and aligned with global brand standards. This position requires a balance of technical expertise, leadership capability, and operational discipline.
Applicants should be ready to take ownership of facility performance and contribute directly to creating a high-quality member experience through well-maintained, efficient, and safe club environments.
