General Manager – Shipley Golf Club – Bingley, West Yorkshire

We are seeking a forward-thinking, commercially minded manager who can drive membership growth, attract new members, and appreciate the value of retention strategies.

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Job Description


About Shipley Golf Club

Founded in 1896 in the town of Shipley, just a few miles from Bingley, the Club has a proud history spanning well over a century. In 1921, it relocated to its current home in Bingley, where members continue to enjoy an outstanding 18-hole course designed by the renowned golf course architect Alistair McKenzie. The course is widely recognised as Shipley Beckfoot.


Today, our Club is a welcoming, progressive members’ club that celebrates its rich heritage while embracing an exciting vision for the future. More than simply a place to play golf, we are a thriving community where members forge lasting friendships, enjoy a vibrant social calendar, and benefit from excellent bar and catering facilities. Whether you’re an experienced golfer or new to the game, you’ll find a warm welcome both on and off the course.


With a diverse and inclusive membership, we are proud of our traditions while embracing new golfers and actively growing our membership to ensure the Club continues to thrive for generations to come. We are now seeking an inspiring and commercially focused Manager to help shape the next chapter of the Club’s journey.


Package & Benefits:

  • Salary £50,000 pa.
  • Contracted hours, 40 hours per week.
  • Employer pension contributions 3%.
  • Holidays 20 days + 8 bank holidays.
  • Professional Membership subscriptions paid.
  • Subsidies food on duty.
  • Complimentary use of the Golf course

Position Overview:

As General Manager, you will provide leadership across a diverse management team spanning Office Administration, Greenkeeping, Bar & Catering, and Golf Operations, creating a culture built on excellence, collaboration, and member service. Working closely with the Board and wider team, you will play a pivotal role in strengthening the Club’s commercial performance, enhancing its social value, and ensuring the Club continues to deliver an outstanding experience for members, guests, and the wider community.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Operational oversight, lead all clubhouse and course operations, ensuring facilities and grounds are maintained to the highest standards through proactive and reactive maintenance.
  • Support Heads of Department to deliver excellence in performance, service, and accountability.
  • Manage suppliers, contracts, and facilities to ensure quality, compliance, value, and property standards are maintained.
  • Deliver successful Club events and enhance member activities and experiences.
  • Work closely with the Board to achieve the Club’s vision, strategy, and objectives.
  • Drive membership growth through effective recruitment, retention, and engagement strategies.
  • Promote open communication and create a positive, motivated, and engaged team culture.
  • Build strong member relationships and foster a sense of community within the Club.

The Ideal Candidate:

We are seeking a forward-thinking, commercially minded manager who can drive membership growth, attract new members, and appreciate the value of retention strategies. With experience of operating within an SME environment, you will be comfortable taking ownership of profit and loss performance and balancing commercial success with the values and traditions of the Club.

  • Strong leadership skills with success managing multidisciplinary teams and working with Boards and Committees.
  • A minimum of three years’ experience in hospitality or leisure management, ideally gained within a subscription-led club, golf club, or similar customer-focused environment.
  • Commercially astute with a proven track record of developing and growing business.
  • Based within a one-hour commute of Shipley Golf Club, or a willingness to relocate.
  • You play golf with a strong understanding of the culture of club environments.

Application Process:

Applications close on Sunday, 23rd August, please respond with your CV and a letter of introduction to: [email protected]

By Tony Moon

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Allister Frost


A former Microsoft Digital Strategy leader who now inspires audiences to discover the life-enhancing benefits of having a Future Ready Mindset. As a tech pioneer, Allister gained unique insights into how to transform uncertainty into opportunity, and now loves giving others the positive mindset and simple habits needed to:

  • Stay resilient in the face of uncertainty and change
  • Spot quick win opportunities for improvement
  • And *create* a brilliant future!

 

With AI and robots coming for our jobs (hint from Allister: they won’t, if we know how…), many people are anxious about the future. But Allister asserts that we’ve nothing to fear when we leverage our human superpowers and ingenuity to thrive alongside emerging technologies. That’s why having a Future Ready Mindset is now a must-have skill to remain competitive and relevant to the people we serve, our golf club members and the local community. And the best bit: everyone can do it!

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John Steele


John Steele is a former professional athlete, sports coach, Olympic Leader and is the Executive Director of Sport at Loughborough University. He has been Chief Executive across a range of sectors. Drawing on leadership experience of nine different Olympic and Paralympic Games (including the amazing events at the Rio Games), John reflects on the lessons from this unique period in British sport and relays his fascinating views on creating high performing teams.

Indeed, inspired from PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, by the most successful performance ever for Team GB, he has a whole host of new business and leadership insights into how this was brilliant performance was achieved and how it can translate back into your organisation.

John moved into the corporate world, before he enjoyed an outstanding career as a professional rugby player achieving international honours. After his playing career, he turned his hand to coaching and achieved the highest accolade for a British club coach by winning the European Cup with Northampton Saints. He then became Executive Director on the Saints Board during a period of unprecedented growth, and served on the England Rugby Board during the successful world cup campaign of 2003. It was no surprise that John’s talents were called upon to drive through a change and modernisation programme as CEO of the Rugby Football Union – a challenge that became controversial and ended in his departure from the post after only a year, but with his dignity and professional pride intact.

Headhunted by UK Sport, John took up post as CEO the day before London won the 2012 Olympic bid – and this promising start was sustained as he embarked on developing the UK’s high performance sport system, which he led for a six-year period of unprecedented success through the Beijing and London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Post-London 2012, with the Olympic legacy in place and an obligation to continue inspiring a generation, John took up his post as Group Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust. He has also succeeded Steve Cram as Chairman of the English Institute of Sport, an organisation described as ‘the team behind the team’, which delivers a range of performance impacting solutions to over 40 Olympic and Paralympic sports and some non-Olympic sports.

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Dr Jo Salter MBE


Dr Jo Salter MBE is famed for becoming the first female fast jet pilot, having flown the Panavia Tornado ground attack aircraft during her services in the Royal Air Force. Joining the RAF aged 18, Jo has since taken Air Cadets into the skies as part of Air Experience Flights, become the Director of Global Transformative Leadership for PWC, and most recently become a Global Advisory of GenAI for PwC.

Jo has piloted flights in the Air Cadets Air Experience Flights and inspired countless budding armed service members to pioneer a male-dominated sector, having been the leader of an all-male squadron. Since leaving the military behind, Jo has established a strong business career working in roles such as Head of Technical Services for NetConnect, European Operations Manager for Automated Power Exchange and Managing Director of Saltin Ltd.

Having developed first-class expertise in leadership, analytical thinking and performing under pressure, Jo is now a highly sought-after public speaker to share stories from her time in the skies.

Jo is a passionate Trustee of The Royal Air Force Club and an Ambassador of the Global Angels charity, an organisation that gives communities around the world access to clean water, education, healthcare and encourages female and youth empowerment. Jo has also authored two books, titled Energy: 52 Ways to Fire Up Your Life and Become an Energy Angel and Energize: Spring Clean Your Mind and Body to Get Your Bounce Back Today and Every Day.

In recognition of her achievements throughout her career, Jo has also been named as one of the 50 Most Inspiring Women in the World by Harpers & Queen. She is now working as the Director of Global Transformation Leadership at PWC, after working in other roles such as Director of Risk Technology Strategy, Director Chief of Staff to Head of Technology & Investments and the Director of People & Organisations.

In 2022, Jo was invited personally by Tom Cruise to attend the premiere of Top Gun: Maverick. Most recently, Jo received an honorary doctorate of Arts from Bournemouth University.

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Colin MacLachlan


Colin Maclachlan, star of Channel Four's captivating reality TV drama SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5’s ‘Secrets of the SAS’, is an operator with over 25 years of security and risk related experience who is a popular and frequent fixture on the speaking circuit.

Colin Maclachlan, celebrated for his roles on Channel Four's SAS: Who Dares Wins and Channel 5’s Secrets of the SAS, brings over three decades of expertise in security and risk management. Colin's military career began in 1989, and after serving nine years with the Royal Scots, he joined the elite 22 SAS at just 23. His time in the SAS saw him participating in numerous high-stakes operations, including the notable rescue of hostages from the West Side Boys in Sierra Leone—a mission so perilous it was dubbed Operation Certain Death.

Colin was also pivotal during the longest hostage siege on UK soil, when a hijacked Afghan plane landed in London in 2000. The standoff lasted four days with Colin as the first sniper on the scene.

After leaving the SAS, Colin exchanged insights with international forces such as Delta Force and Seal Team 6 and provided security consultancy to the Saudi Royal Family and various celebrities. His academic pursuits led him to earn a First Class MA (Hons.) in History from Edinburgh University and an M.Litt in Terrorism from St. Andrews University.

Today, Colin extends his expertise through television, books, radio, and video games. He supports numerous charities and has founded Who Dares Cares, which assists veterans and those experiencing stress. As a speaker, Colin excels in discussing Resilience, Teamwork and Leadership.

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