Join us in shaping the future of group exercise

As the Sport England funded national governing body for group exercise, we offer exciting career opportunities. Explore our current vacancies and apply to be part of the team leading the group ex sector. 

EMD UK is currently recruiting for two exciting opportunities:

1. Chief Executive Officer

2. Strategic Content Marketing & PR Co-ordinator

Please scroll down to view the details for the role you're interested in.

Now Recruiting: Chief Executive Officer for EMD UK

EMD UK is looking for an exceptional individual who can lead the organisation to success by building impactful partnerships, national influence and providing inspirational and expert leadership within the sector. Their creative thinking, knowledge and credibility will have the ability to inspire and motivate both the internal team and external stakeholders.

This individual will deliver a step change for group exercise instructors and have a lasting impact on not only the group exercise sector, but broader society, by supporting the growing social impact of group exercise.

What We Are Looking for in Our New CEO

The successful candidate will have authority and credibility in the sector and be able to anchor EMD UK as a trusted partner to the exercise and fitness/physical activity sector. They will be committed to inclusivity and tackling inequalities and demonstrate that in the way they run our organisation and its activities.

They will have demonstrated success as an executive leader in the exercise and fitness/physical activity sector and have a proven track record in leading an organisation or significant body or department, managing a senior team and experience operating at Executive or Board level.

Whilst they may have worked in different types of organisations, they will demonstrate strong commercial understanding and a track record of commercial success.

Our new CEO will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the exercise and fitness/physical activity sector, its workforce and stakeholders and understand the concept of professional recognition and Scope of Practice and their importance to the workforce.

They will be confident in interpreting financial information and possess well-developed strategic planning, problem-solving, decision-making, and implementation skills. They will need confidence and credibility when presenting to both internal and external audiences., within the sector and without.  They will have experience and understanding of Human Resource Management, demonstrate strong partnership working skills, particularly in negotiation and influence within complex environments, and bring knowledge of how to build a high-performing team.

The CEO will need to be flexible and adaptable to the changing needs of a growing organisation.

The CEO Role

Job Title:                       Chief Executive Officer

Location:                       Flexible within the UK (with travel as required)

Reports to:                    EMD UK Chair of the Board of Directors

Salary:                           Circa £95,000

Contract:                       Full-time, Permanent

Role Profile:

The Chief Executive Officer will lead the development, communication, and implementation of a clear strategic plan aligned with the Board’s vision, driving growth and success across performance, workforce development, participation and governance of the group exercise sector. They will oversee day-to-day operations, ensuring efficient delivery of all business activities and services to stakeholders.

The CEO will ensure that EMD UK meets the highest standards of governance, safeguarding, and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), in line with Sport England’s ‘Code for Sports Governance’. They will also strengthen the group exercise sector by supporting the workforce to gain, develop, and retain professional recognition for their scope of practice and recognition for the work they do.

Financial leadership will be key, with responsibility for planning, budgeting, and reporting, alongside securing funding through grants, sponsorships, commercial partnerships, and other revenue streams. The CEO will lead, build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including other sector leaders, instructors, employers, training organisations, funders, government agencies, international bodies, and commercial partners.

They will identify and pursue opportunities to increase the organisation’s visibility, media profile, and commercial income, while fostering a positive, inclusive, high-performing culture that attracts, retains, and develops an expert and talented team.

The Application Process

We are excited about our next chapter, so if you think you can help shape the next phase for EMD UK and positively impact the world of group exercise and group exercise instructors, we would love to hear from you.

The EMD UK application is an online form which allows you to input an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae and a letter of application highlighting the reason you want to join us as CEO and how your skills and experience match what we want for the role. Your application finishes with our Diversity Monitoring form, which is anonymous.

Process and Timeline:

The closing date for applications is 9am on Monday 16^th June 2025.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications. We therefore encourage early submission.

Shortlisting will be completed by Wednesday 18th June 2025. We will endeavour to respond to all candidates as quickly as possible via email to inform them of the outcome of their application, whether they have been shortlisted or not.

If invited to a first interview, it will be held on 24th June in central London. Interviews will be conducted by the Chair of the Board, members of the Board of Directors and the current CEO.

After the first interview round, further shortlisting will take place. If successful, you will be invited to a second interview on 3^rd July in Central London. This stage will involve a presentation and the opportunity to meet members of the current senior team. Full guidance will be provided upon invitation. Second interviews will be with the Chair of the Board, Board members and/or key stakeholders.

We are conscious of the time recruitment can take and the frustrations that protracted timelines can cause, so we endeavour to handle applications, shortlisting and communication as efficiently and quickly as we can.  Please notify us at the start of the recruitment process if you have any challenges with the interview dates.

All candidates will be contacted by phone or email following any interview to confirm the outcome. We greatly appreciate the time and effort you dedicate to this process.

How to Apply:

To complete your application, please submit:

1. Your employment history

2. A cover letter outlining how your skills and experience meet the criteria for the role

Please note: applications without both elements will not be considered.

If you have any difficulty completing the application process or require submission in a different format, please contact [email protected].

For more information about EMD UK, please visit www.emduk.org.

Your pre-application and pre-interview contact is Sarah Partington, People Manager, via email: [email protected].

We look forward to receiving your application.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

EMD UK is committed to inclusive hiring, actively seeking candidates from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We strive to ensure a fair, transparent, and bias-free recruitment process where every applicant is evaluated based on their skills, qualifications, and potential.

To be considered under the Disability Confident scheme, please indicate this at the end of your application and ensure your cover letter demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria.

We provide adjustments throughout the recruitment process. If you need support, please contact our People Manager at [email protected]. Sharing this information is voluntary and will not affect your application.

Now Recruiting: Strategic Content Marketing & PR Co-ordinator

Job Purpose: To lead and develop a compelling, cohesive content marketing strategy that prioritises the Group Exercise audience and delivers EMD UK objectives, especially in relation to sector stakeholders, members, and partners.

Location: Home-based, with some travel requirements

Contractual Status: Full-time / 12-month fixed term contract

Salary: Salary band from £33,000 - £40,500    

Reports To: CEO

Line Management Responsibilities: Line management experience is desirable, as future responsibilities at this level may include managing direct reports.

Role Description:

To be able to lead and craft a compelling and coherent content marketing vision that supports EMD UK’s, sector stakeholders, members and partner journey and puts the audience first. To oversee and guide agency partners to ensure smooth collaboration in the planning, development and creation and bringing to life of a blueprint of content marketing initiatives for EMD UK which underpin the organisations strategic goals and business KPI’s. To ensure every activity delivers value by looking for a strong return on investment, whether in sector authority, brand impact or tangible business KPI results. To champion a content first approach so the whole team know what is happening and how they can contribute.  

This will involve conducting audience research, setting content goals and objectives, defining content topics and formats, creating editorial calendars and workflows, and aligning content marketing with the overall business strategy and KPI’s. 

Key Tasks and Responsibilities:

Role specific:

• Lead the development of EMD UK’s content marketing and PR strategy so that everything aligns with our wider goals and business KPI’s
• Put the audience first by constantly validating that our messages resonate and are genuinely valuable by obtaining and analysing user insights and key results data
• Oversee and guide agency partners to ensure smooth collaboration and consistency
• Turn data into action by measuring success in a way that actually improves what we do
• Ensure every activity delivers value by always looking for a strong return on investment, whether in relationship engagement and community building, brand trust and authority, or tangible business results
• Champion a content-first approach so the whole team knows what’s happening and how they can contribute
• Stay ahead of the game by keeping up with trends in digital content marketing, social media, SEO, and user experience
• Ensuring a content-first approach is embedded in the culture of the organisation 

Other:

• To administer processes of EMD UK
• To comply with all GDPR regulations
• To support the development of new and existing products and services.
• To attend meetings and events as appropriate on behalf of EMD UK.
• To support the EMD UK events programme and any relevant projects as required.
• To support the EMD UK staff team as required.

Any other relevant task commensurate with the level of the role and as requested by your line manager or Chief Executive.

About you:

Qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills & attributes needed for the role:

Essential:

• A degree in marketing, communications, journalism, or equivalent, or CIM qualification (Level 4 or above in content marketing)
• Two years’ experience in content marketing, PR, or communications experience in the exercise and fitness sector. If you have less than two years but can demonstrate a significant impact, we’d love to hear from you
• A solid understanding of SEO, email content marketing, and user experience, so you can guide others and make sure best practices are followed
• A strategic mindset so every content marketing effort has a clear purpose and contributes to the bigger picture
• Collaborate effectively with external agencies and contributors, ensuring their work meets high standards
• Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to step in when needed and to assess content quality
• Strong communication skills, whether you’re talking to senior leaders, team members, or external partners
• Great organisation and project management skills, keeping multiple things moving without breaking a sweat
• A results-driven approach, always looking for return on investment and making sure content marketing efforts deliver real impact with a strong track record demonstrating data collection and analytical skills

Desirable:

• A love of data and insights, knowing what to measure and how to use it to improve what we do
• A creative spark, with fresh ideas for content engagement and storytelling
• Familiarity with digital marketing tools like Google Analytics, email marketing software, or social media management platforms
• A flair in communications and interpersonal skills
• Experience in line management is highly desirable, as this role may involve overseeing and guiding another marketing executive

 This job description is not to be regarded as exclusive or exhaustive. It is intended as an indication of the areas of activity and can be amended at any time in response to the changing needs of the organisation.

The Application Process

The EMD UK application is an online form which allows you to input your work history, skills and relevance to the job description or to upload a CV and covering letter which includes this information. Your application finishes with our Diversity Monitoring form which is anonymous.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to your application or any part of the recruitment process, then please contact our People Manager at [email protected]. Sarah will be able to tailor your needs to create a fair process where you can put forward the best version of yourself for consideration. Reasonable adjustments include but are not limited to viewing any interview questions ahead of time, access to tasks expected in the process or interpretation support.

Timeline:

The closing date for this application is 9am on Monday 9^th June 2025.

If you have not heard from EMD UK by the end of June, your application has unfortunately been unsuccessful however we welcome your application for future job roles at https://emduk.mykajabi.com/careers.

If invited to interview you may be asked to prepare a short presentation. Interviews are not currently scheduled but information will be given to shortlisted candidates as soon as possible. Interviews usually take place virtually in the first instance however it may be required to meet with panel members in person should need for a second interview round be determined.

Your pre-application and pre-interview contact is our People Manager, Sarah Partington via email at [email protected].