Betriebsleiter/Betriebsleiterin - Gesundheitswesen/Freizeit/Fitness

Information about this profession can be found in various media sources: body LIFE, Das Gesundheitswesen, Der Betriebsleiter, Euro Amusement Professional (EAP), FNG - Fitness News Germany, Prävention und Gesundheitsförderung.

Business managers in the healthcare, leisure, and fitness sectors primarily work in offices. They may also work from home or remotely if necessary.

Core competencies generally required for this profession include business management, business administration, controlling, purchasing, financial planning, and calculation. Other competencies that may be significant for practicing this profession include accounting, bookkeeping, nutritional counseling, financing, fitness training, health pedagogy and counseling, preventive healthcare, group fitness, cost and performance accounting, customer consulting and support, marketing, market research, member acquisition and support, human resources, quality management, rehabilitation, sports pedagogy, organizing and supervising sports events, wellness, and advertising.

Business managers in the healthcare, leisure, and fitness sectors are responsible for steering operational processes. This requires commercial thinking, organizational talent, a sense of responsibility, and an independent, goal-oriented, and cost-conscious way of working. Social competence and assertiveness are also necessary for guiding and motivating employees. Business managers demonstrate strong communication skills in discussions with customers, employees, or suppliers. Service orientation in customer contact is also required, as is a confident demeanor and polite manners. The frequent shift between different tasks – for example, from supplier controlling to an employee discussion – requires flexibility. Business managers primarily work in an office and handle administrative tasks on the computer. They participate in discussions with customers, employees, or suppliers in meeting rooms.

Example gross basic monthly salary: 3,806 € to 5,053 €. Source: Collective bargaining agreements collection of the Bavarian State Ministry for Family, Labor and Social Affairs. Please note: This information is for orientation purposes only. No claims can be derived from it.

The sectors for this profession include healthcare (including other healthcare services not elsewhere classified), sport, fitness, wellness (operation of sports facilities, sports and leisure instruction, especially sports schools, fitness centers), personal care (day spas, saunas, steam baths), leisure industry, entertainment (provision of other entertainment and recreation services, e.g., trampoline and bouldering gyms, indoor playgrounds).

Employers often expect a commercial Weiterbildung (advanced vocational training) or a relevant Studium (university degree).

Health management, -economics (undergraduate); health management, -economics (postgraduate); health promotion, -pedagogy (undergraduate); health promotion, -pedagogy (postgraduate); health science, public health (undergraduate); health science, public health (postgraduate); sport management, -economics (undergraduate); sport management, -economics (postgraduate).

Operations managers in the healthcare, leisure, and fitness sectors find employment in healthcare and leisure facilities, and in sport, fitness, and wellness establishments.

Operations managers in the healthcare, leisure, and fitness sectors plan, coordinate, and monitor the economic activities of companies in these areas.

Aufstiegsjobs.de, Gesundheit.Jobs, Joborama, KU-Stellenmarkt, leisurejobs, socialnet, Sport Job, StaffSanté.fr, www.fitnessjobs.de.

Professional Association for Health Services and Welfare (BGW), German Society for Public Health e.V., German Fitness and Aerobics Association e.V., DSSV e.V. Employer Association of German Fitness and Health Facilities, ver.di - United Services Union, Association of German Fitness and Health Companies e.V. (VDF e.V.).

This profession involves responsibility for people (e.g., guiding and leading employees), responsibility for assets (ensuring economic business management in operational functional areas such as sales, purchasing, or finance), and customer contact (maintaining business relationships with customers, also in English or another foreign language in internationally operating companies). Tasks and work situations frequently change (switching between tasks in investment and financing, controlling, auditing, quality assurance, customer service, and personnel management). Screen work (e.g., creating organizational, economic, financial, and investment analyses), office work, work in medical facilities/practices (e.g., caring for medical and nursing provisions in hospitals, elderly and nursing homes), and work in sports facilities (e.g., designing various leisure and fitness activities in fitness centers and sports facilities) are also part of this profession.

The work items and tools used in this profession include documents such as operational accounting sheets, statistics, closing and balance sheet reports, accounting documents, feasibility studies, operational, personnel deployment, and scheduling plans, cost calculations, and legal regulations. Office equipment such as PCs, internet access, and telephones are also used.

Operations managers in the healthcare, leisure, and fitness sectors ensure that businesses can operate economically successfully. They ensure that operational processes run smoothly and that the necessary resources are available. Furthermore, they create business plans and carry out investment and financial planning, budgeting, or controlling, among other tasks. They ensure that staffing needs are met and take on tasks in personnel development. In the marketing area, they deal with market and competitor analyses, for example, and participate in the planning of advertising campaigns.

Access professions and activities for this role include Business Administrator (Fachschule - vocational college) for Management in Healthcare/Bachelor Professional in Economics, Fitness Specialist, Certified Specialist in Health and Social Services, Specialist in Cosmetics and Wellness, Certified Sports Specialist, Specialist for Dance Schools, and Wellness Consultant.

Adaptation training helps to keep professional knowledge current and adapt it to new developments (e.g., in the areas of health management, finance and accounting, or personnel planning).

Further professional and career opportunities arise – depending on prior professional education – through a Bachelor's (Studium) or Master's degree (e.g., in the field of health management, -economics). Under certain conditions, a degree is also possible without a general higher education entrance qualification. For more information: Access to higher education in the individual Bundesländer (federal states).

Defines and designs organizational processes in companies and facilities within the healthcare and leisure sectors. Defines, plans, and implements work processes. Organizes the provision of work and operating resources. Organizes and coordinates procurement, creates planning guidelines. Ensures smooth internal communication and information flows. Specifies and enforces quality guidelines. Undertakes commercial-administrative leadership tasks. Organizes business accounting, e.g., cost and performance accounting, prepares economic plans, annual financial statements, and balance sheets. Conducts organizational, economic, financial, and investment analyses, performs controlling. Takes over commercial management of projects or operational functional areas. Carries out personnel management tasks. Organizes personnel needs assessment. Plans and coordinates personnel deployment. Instructs new personnel. Conducts market and competitor analyses in the marketing area, carries out advertising activities.

The following lists professions or activities that show similarities to the initial profession. These professions represent a possible alternative for applicants. Furthermore, employers can consider professionals from these fields as alternatives for filling a position in the initial profession. Some alternative professions only cover partial activities of the initial profession, while others require an induction period, which can vary in length in individual cases. The following immediate employment and staffing alternatives are available for the profession of operations manager in the healthcare, leisure, and fitness sector: Job and staffing alternatives for the overall activity (usually short induction): Business Administrator (Fachschule) for Healthcare Management/Bachelor Professional in Economics, Fitness Specialist, Certified Specialist in Health and Social Services, Certified Sports Specialist, Specialist.