Location: RCSI Gym - Main Campus and Connolly Hospital
School/Department: Student Services Office
Reporting to: Student Services Operations Manager
RCSI is a community of academic, research, clinical and professional staff working collaboratively to lead the world to better health. Here, you will thrive in an innovative and inclusive atmosphere and your personal development and wellbeing will be supported. We invite you to join us to help deliver on our exciting mission “To educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health”.
For each of the last six years, RCSI has been positioned in the Top 300 of universities worldwide in the Times Higher World University Rankings. We are proud that RCSI ranks fifth in the world for “Good Health and Well- being” in the Times Higher Education #SDG #SDG Impact Rankings 2024. This reflects our commitment to supporting people of all ages to live healthy lives and our work to promote the concepts of well-being and positive health. Our values of Respect, Collaboration, Scholarship and Innovation continue to unite and direct our purpose.
Innovating for a Healthier Future 2023-2027 is RCSI’s new five-year strategic plan. Through it, RCSI will enhance human health by meeting the health workforce needs of society, creating the insights and inventions that drive health improvements, and working in partnership with patients and the public in support of better health and well-being for all. The strategy unites the RCSI community in supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals – with a particular focus on Goal 3, which targets good health and well-being. More details about RCSI can be found at www.rcsi.ie; in particular.
RCSI is a community of academic, research, clinical and professional staff working collaboratively to lead the world to better health. Here, you will thrive in an innovative and inclusive atmosphere and your personal development and wellbeing will be supported. We invite you to join us to help deliver on our exciting mission “To educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health”. We seek candidates whose experience to date has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to the “Race Equality Action Plan 2025-2029” at RCSI. Our students come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds. This makes our university stronger and ensures we hire the best talent.
Key Responsibilities:
Leadership & Team Deliverables
- Lead the Gym Team, including recruitment, induction, scheduling, training, and performance development.
- Manage rotas for staff and student monitors, ensuring adequate coverage across all facilities, including the gym, studio, and sports hall.
- Foster a professional, motivated, and service-focused team culture.
- Oversee general audits and inspections
- Ensure all team members are fully qualified and trained for the roles and responsibilities they undertake.
- Foster a culture of professionalism, safety, and service excellence.
Operations
- Oversee the day-to-day operational readiness, maintenance, and cleanliness of all health and fitness spaces, including the gym and sports hall.
- Conduct routine inspections of all fitness and sports equipment, ensuring it is safe and functional. Remove faulty items from use and oversee timely repairs.
- Manage the equipment store, maintaining inventory and reordering supplies as required.
- Oversee and conduct internal audits and inspections across all facilities and processes to ensure consistent compliance and quality standards.
- Oversee the setup and readiness of the sports hall for activities and events, ensuring appropriate layout, equipment, and safety measures are in place.
Health & Safety Compliance
- Ensure full compliance with all RCSI Health & Safety policies and relevant legislation, including the preparation, implementation, and review of risk assessments.
- Maintain up-to-date standard and emergency operating procedures for all facilities.
- Oversee accident and incident reporting, equipment safety checks, first aid provision, and general operational safety in collaboration with the Health & Safety Manager.
- Promote a culture of safety awareness and accountability among all team members.
Service Delivery & Engagement
- Deliver a range of member-facing services, such as gym inductions, tailored fitness programmes, reviews, assessments, and group classes.
- Actively engage with members on the gym floor and in the sports hall to provide guidance, support and enhance user satisfaction.
- Prepare facilities for club and sports use, including equipment set-up and venue readiness.
Promotion & Communication
- Develop and manage social media content and internal communications to promote fitness and sports programmes, events, and initiatives.
- Support the wider Student Services communication efforts (e.g., digital screens, newsletters, bulletins) to raise awareness and student engagement.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Collaborate with RCSI Sports Clubs to provide fitness support.
- Represent Student Services and the Gym on relevant committees and working groups.
Budget & Resource Management
- Support operational budgets for the Gym, ensuring effective and responsible use of resources.
Other Duties
- Stay informed of industry trends to ensure delivery of modern, effective services.
- Actively seek opportunities for external validation, accreditation, and awards to recognise and benchmark service quality.
- Undertake ad hoc responsibilities to support the broader aims of the Student Services Office.
Qualifications
- Recognised Gym Instructor Qualification (REP’s)
- Recognised First Aid qualification
Knowledge & Experience (Desirable):
- Demonstrated leadership skills, with experience overseeing diverse teams in a health, fitness, or sports setting.
- Strong understanding of health and safety procedures and risk management in a gym or sports environment.
- Excellent organisational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
- A customer-focused approach with a commitment to service excellence and user engagement.
- Personal training experience desirable including ability to deliver programmes and classes
- Experience of working with sports clubs and teams is advantageous
Skills & Competencies:
- Collaborative Team Player: Works effectively with others to enhance both individual and team performance, ensuring the achievement of required service level
- Learns quickly and responds effectively to changing customer needs and circumstances.
- Understanding of working in a dynamic and culturally rich environment
- Excellent communication skills (written and oral).
- Willingness to work early mornings, evenings and weekends.
- High level of conduct and professionalism.
We are all too aware that imposter syndrome and the confidence gap can sometimes stop fantastic candidates putting themselves forward, so please do submit an application — we’d love to hear from you.
Application Process
Please apply online through the RCSI careers portal on the closing date with your CV and cover letter.
Informal Enquiries:
Informal enquiries are invited in the first instance through Rebecca O’Brien, Human Resources Department (email: rebeccaobrien@rcsi.ie). All applications for this post must be made through the career's webpage www.rcsi/careers. Rebecca can arrange for relevant queries on the academic aspects of the role to be addressed by the hiring manager. Please note we do not accept CVs directly.
Employee Benefits
At RCSI, we help care for our people so they can focus on our mission to Educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health. RCSI truly goes above and beyond to support its employees, ensuring they have everything they need to thrive both personally and professionally. Here's a glimpse of the fantastic benefit available:
Health and Wellbeing:
- Our Inspire Programme promotes the importance of taking care of both our general health and mental health. Inspire manages the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) offered through SpectrumLife. Past events held by Inspire have included, workshops on mindfulness practices, yoga, nutritional advice, financial advice on mortgages, pensions & health insurance from leading experts, fitness challenges, baking competitions, weight loss programmes, annual flu vaccination campaign and many more.
- You can also enjoy access to an onsite gym for just €10 per month.
Work –Life Balance:
- Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial for fostering employee well-being, productivity, and overall satisfaction. At RCSI, we offer flexible working arrangements, study leave, and career breaks. In addition to 20 days of annual leave, employees receive an extra 6.5 days of university privilege days, which occur annually around the Christmas and Easter breaks.
Family Benefits:
- RCSI offers enhanced family leave to our working parents with fully paid Maternity, Adoptive, Paternity and Surrogacy Leave. We also offer the first two weeks of Parents leave fully paid for, as well as the option to take Parental Leave until your child is 18 years old. We provide access to Platform 55, a new Parents Platform to support staff before, during, and after becoming a parent. We also offer flexible working, discounted Giraffe crèche services of up to 20% and a Parents and Carers’ Network.
Financial Security:
- Benefit from automatic enrolment in a pension scheme with Willis Towers Watson with the employer contributions increasing with your length of service, Death in Service of up to 4 times your salary, long-term illness and disability income replacement, and free advice on health, motor, and home insurance.
Discounted Services:
- Avail of discounted GP services, Taxsaver commuter tickets, the BiketoWork scheme, free eye tests at the National Optometry Centre, and discounted parking at St. Stephen's Green/RCSI car park.
Recognition:
- At RCSI, we value and recognise the contributions of our staff through various awards and events, such as Long Service recognition, the Vice Chancellor Staff Awards, and through Research Day.
Professional Growth:
- RCSI’s Staff Learning and Development is committed to providing colleagues with opportunities and support to help them reach their full potential and thrive at work. Offerings include a comprehensive programme of staff training, management and leadership development, mentoring, coaching and funding support for further study.
Staff Networks:
- Additionally, we support a range of staff networks, including the Women’s Network, Postdoctoral Staff Network, Parents & Carers’ Network, Project Manager’s Network, LGBTI+ Network, Age Friendly Network etc. These networks help RCSI to foster a sense of community and inclusivity.
Sports and Social Club:
- Engage in a variety of activities such as Yoga, Pilates and a variety of different Fitness classes. Enjoy social evenings, Book Clubs, Summer BBQs and one-off events like the Taste of Dublin, Bloom, Dublin Horse Show and Dublin Zoo. We also have a variety of discount tickets for shows and events through the year.