What are the responsibilities and job description for the Fitness Supervisor position at PARK DIST OF HIGHLAND PARK?
The Fitness Supervisor is responsible for the planning, coordination, supervision, and evaluation of Group Exercise programs, Pre-Registered Fitness Classes, and Fitness Events at Park Fitness and Park District of Highland Park facilities. The position plays a key role in driving participation, enhancing member experience, and supporting the wellness goals of the community. The Fitness Supervisor provides direct oversight to part-time instructors and program leaders, ensuring consistent delivery of high-quality, inclusive, and engaging fitness opportunities. This position is responsible for motivating staff, developing creative offerings, and upholding the Park District’s core values—creating welcoming spaces, delivering caring service, and providing extraordinary experiences to all participants.
Supervisory Responsibilities: Directly supervise several part-time Group Exercise and Specialty Program Instructors. Participate in hiring, training and onboarding staff; provides ongoing supervision, coaching and professional development; conducts performance reviews and corrective action as needed; ensures staff compliance with policies, procedures and customer service standards; assists in the development of team goals and fosters a positive, inclusive work environment.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
• Manage and maintain the Group Exercise Program, Pre-Registered Fitness Classes, and Fitness-Related Events at Park Fitness and other Park District facilities, including year-round programming at the Rosewood Beach Interpretive Center.
• Recruit, interview, hire, train, supervise, evaluate, payroll approval, discipling and terminating staff.
• Create and manage employee schedules to support program areas; assign employees to work various shifts as needed; manage time off requests.
• Review and approve employee timecards; verify hours worked, manage overtime, coordinate with employees to resolve timecard discrepancies.
• Prepare and manage all class schedules using Rec Trac, GroupEx Pro, and publishing software for digital and print distribution.
• Teach a minimum of four (4) group exercise classes per week to maintain a visible leadership presence and instructional quality.
• Monitor program participation trends, gather feedback, and recommend strategies based on data, community needs, and industry innovation.
• Support the Fitness Manager with report generation, including enrollment summaries, financials, seasonal wrap-ups, board reports, and variance explanations.
• Assist in budget planning and forecasting; maintain documentation and recommend program improvements based on trends and needs.
• Administer payroll and timecard review for instructional staff.
• Manage fitness equipment and program inventory, including ordering, tracking, and coordinating service or repairs.
• Lead Group Fitness social media efforts, creating and managing content that reflects programming, celebrates instructors and participants, and drives online engagement. Partner with Marketing to ensure alignment with District branding.
• Plan and implement fitness events, wellness challenges, workshops, and promotional initiatives to boost visibility and foster member engagement.
• Serve as Manager on Duty for Park Fitness as assigned; provide operational oversight during early mornings, evenings, and weekends.
• Uphold and enforce safety protocols and respond appropriately to emergencies, including the initiation of Emergency Action Plans (EAP).
• Maintain a clean, organized, and professional fitness studio environment, ensuring positive member experiences and staff efficiency.
• Deliver exceptional customer service in person, over the phone, and via email; resolve concerns or escalate them to the Fitness Manager as appropriate.
• Assist with registration, program integration, and member communication across fitness services and platforms.
• Attend staff meetings, Board meetings, and Park District special events as required.
• Perform light administrative tasks, such as filing, email correspondence, and phone support, in service of program operations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
Education and/or Experience: Bachelor's degree from a four-year (4) accredited college or university or supplemented by at least three (3) years of relevant experience in facility or program management. Minimum of three (3) years of experience organizing group exercise or community fitness programs is required. Prior customer service-related experience required. Minimum of one (1) year of staff oversight or leadership experience preferred. Experience with recreation management software (such as Rec Trac, GroupEx Pro, Paycom) is a plus.
Required Skills/Abilities:
• Current nationally accredited Group Fitness certification (e.g., ACE, NASM, AFAA).
• Minimum of two (2) specialty certifications in group fitness formats (e.g., yoga, cycle, Pilates).
• CPR/AED certification required (or must obtain upon hire).
• Strong knowledge of fitness instruction, staff development, and wellness program trends.
• 3 years of group fitness instructor work experience in multiple formats
• Excellent Interpersonal, communication, and customer service skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and social media platforms.
• Ability to create engaging, branded, and responsive digital content for member communication.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail in fast-paced environments.
Wage Range: $63,000.00-$71,890.00 annually
Classification: Full-Time, Exempt
Physical Requirements: Physical Requirements: The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
• Frequently required to stand, walk, and grasp/manipulate and/or reach with fingers, hands and arms.
• Frequently required to sit, talk or hear.
• Frequently required to stand, walk, and grasp/manipulate and/or reach with fingers, hands and arms.
• Regularly demonstrate and perform exercises specific to the assigned class.
• Regularly demonstrate and perform aerobic, strength, and mobility activity for duration of a class, which may include, but not limited to; standing, walking, climbing, balancing, bouncing, jumping, running, cycling, stepping, rowing, pushing, pulling, crawling, and kneeling and crouching.
• Regularly lift and /or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
Working Conditions: While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in an indoor and fitness center office and is occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate and occasionally loud with fitness instructor. The employee will be regularly exposed to indoor physical fitness activity instruction. The employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and is occasionally exposed to vibration.
Benefits: The Park District of Highland Park offers the following comprehensive benefits package:
• Medical Insurance (Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO or PPO)
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Company Paid Group Term Life Insurance
• Voluntary Supplemental Life Insurance
• Pension/Benefit Plan (IMRF)
• Deferred Compensation Plans
• Flexible Spending Accounts (Health and Dependent Care)
• Eight (8) Paid Federal Holidays
• Paid Vacation
• Two (2) Floating Holidays
• Twelve (12) Paid Sick Days
• Incentivized Wellness Program
• Health & Fitness Membership
• Outdoor Pool Membership and Seasonal Beach Access
• Program and Facility Discounts on a variety of recreational activities including Golf, Raquet Sports, and Ice Skating.
The Park District of Highland Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Salary : $63,000 - $71,890