Salary range: £90,865 to £111,270 per annum inclusive of London weighting
Contract: Permanent
Hours of work: 36 hours per week
Location: Civic Centre and other locations from time to time

We are looking for a new Head of Physical Activity, Leisure and Sport, this role is a key role to us here in Brent

Brent is one of the most diverse boroughs in the country, with communities, ideas and experiences from across the world helping to shape who we are. Working here means joining a council that is focused on fairness, open to new thinking and committed to improving life for local people.

Our values shape how we work and what people can expect from us. We collaborate proactively, lead inclusively, embrace change, are bold and curious, and celebrate and share our success. For people who care about public service and want their work to matter, Brent offers the chance to make a meaningful difference.

About the role

Our vision is to make it easy for people in Brent to be physically active. We have several amazing leisure centres which we are aiming to bring together into a coordinated offer, this includes the soon to be rebuilt Bridge Park. As well as our leisure centres and play pitches, there are great opportunities to promote physical activity in settings such as early years and [RC1] schools. There are also opportunities to make it easier for people of all ages and abilities to take part in grassroots sport and regional and national events.

This role will work closely with colleagues across the Borough, including public realm, to ensure our green spaces are central to communities and provide opportunities for physical activity, accessible for all. Given the Borough’s focus on Active Wellbeing, the Head of Physical Activity, Leisure and Sport is managed by the Director of Public Health.

About you

The ideal candidate would be someone who is experienced at managing and transforming the leisure offer and who is able to lead on physical activity including promoting active travel and getting people of all ages and abilities physically active. As well as delivering our Active Wellbeing Strategy we are starting to deliver our new Food Strategy and we are ambitious in our belief that we can reduce obesity in Brent.

In November 2025 the Council adopted a socio-economic duty as part of its commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, ensuring that policy and programme decisions give due regard to the potential impacts on people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage.

As a Council and systems leaders, we are also focusing on sustainability and community development. There are opportunities within this role to be involved right at the centre of our expansion of neighbourhood working for the Council, NHS and our partners. There are also opportunities to influence our response to climate change.

Why join us?

The public health team in Brent is well respected as well as being a happy, stable and coordinated team. The team works together and across the Council and partners and have a diverse range of expertise to deliver the public health function in the Council.

We know people do their best work when they feel valued, supported and able to grow. At Brent, you will benefit from:

27 days’ annual leave, rising with length of service, plus bank holidays
Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions
hybrid and flexible working options for most roles
supportive family-friendly policies
health and wellbeing support, including eye test support and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
financial wellbeing support, including education sessions, childcare deposit loans, and season ticket loans
travel support, including affordable parking nearby, a Cycle to Work scheme, and onsite facilities
learning and development opportunities to support your career
access to My Brent Rewards with exclusive discounts on shopping, travel, leisure and entertainment

To learn more about our benefits, visit Our offer to you.

How to apply

Closing Date: Sunday 23 August 2026 (23:59)

Interested in applying? Click "Apply Now" to begin your application.

You will need to submit a supporting statement demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria in the job description. This is a key part of the selection process, and applications without a supporting statement may not be considered. You may also upload a CV to support your application, but it cannot replace the supporting statement.

Brent Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects the people we serve. We welcome all applications from all sections of the community and encourage applicants to complete the diversity survey section of the application.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and fairness. We expect all employees to demonstrate a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and to promote inclusive, non-discriminatory practices in their work. This commitment forms part of our recruitment process, and candidates may be assessed on their understanding of and ability to contribute to an inclusive working environment.

The information we collect from you will be shared with Cifas, who will use it to help prevent fraud and other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. Further details on how your information will be used by Brent and Cifas, and your data protection rights can be found here.

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. This includes people with hidden disabilities, long term health conditions, diagnosis, and mental health conditions. We also guarantee an interview to care-experienced applicants who meet the essential criteria. Information shared for this purpose will be treated fairly and used only to confirm eligibility under these schemes.

If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact recruitment@brent.gov.uk.

Brent has a positive approach to flexible working.

View the job description here.