Head of Commercial

We are Places for People, we\’re a social enterprise that believes it\’s people that make a community. That\’s why we build homes and deliver services for everyone in the community to thrive. You will be working for Places Leisure which is a part of Places for People who are changing lives by creating active places and healthy people for communities to thrive, and we want to be the UK\’s leading physical activity and wellbeing social enterprise.

We aren\’t your typical company. We apply the same philosophy to our People as we do to our communities, ensuring our team is appreciated and supported. At Places for People, you\’re more than just a number – you\’re part of our cause.

So, what are you waiting for? Join a community that cares about you!

More about the team

You will be joining and leading a critical team in the business. Across Places Leisure we are made up of specialists from the leisure, hospitality and retail sectors and we are passionate about doing the right thing. We know that our 7,500 Colleagues are the key to our success and it is our role to inspire and support them so that they can look after our Customers.

More about your role

As our Head of, you will own and lead the full commercial strategy for all products and membership revenue, driving growth and enhancing customer value. You will set revenue targets for the budget, develop pricing and promotional plans, and use data and market insights to guide decisions which put Customers first. You will design a compelling membership structure and offers that meet customer needs and support retention, working across teams to launch improvements and new opportunities. You will develop and lead a multi-channel sales strategy to boost acquisition and retention through various channels, coordinating closely with marketing and operations. You will implement commercial planning processes with clear goals and performance reporting which fully support the business operation and enable us to deliver a consistent customer experience. You will build and inspire a strong commercial team, fostering a culture of accountability and Customer-focus. Lastly, you will position the commercial function as a trusted partner across the business, communicating clearly and aligning teams around shared goals.

Essential Experience & Skills

• Senior commercial leadership experience within multi-site, customer-facing organisations — ideally in sectors such as leisure, fitness, retail, telecoms, or hospitality.
• Proven ability to drive sustained revenue growth through customer-led product development, pricing, yield optimisation, and promotional planning.
• Extensive experience of conducting and interpreting data analysis with both a commercial and customer insight mindset.
• Skilled in designing and embedding commercial planning tools and processes across the business that streamline operations, promote consistency, and support effective decision-making.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, BI tools, and commercial analysis platforms, with expertise in modelling, forecasting, and reporting.

More about you

You will bring significant experience in commercial leadership roles within multi-site, customer-facing environments. You are highly collaborative in nature and are energised about making a difference to customers. You have a strong track record of driving revenue growth through customer-led product development, pricing, yield management, and promotions. You are data-driven, commercially curious, and highly analytical. You will be confident in communicating with executive stakeholders, proactive in identifying opportunities, and skilled at leading high-performing teams. Your strategic thinking, combined with the ability to execute at pace and manage change across operational teams, will be essential. Experience with membership or subscription models, digital acquisition, and CRM systems is also highly valued.

Benefits

We are a large, diverse and ambitious business, which will give you all the challenge you could wish for. We know that there\’s always more we can do to make you smile, that\’s why we offer a comprehensive benefits package with each role, yours will include:

• Full Health & Fitness membership for you, a nominated adult and up to 4 juniors

• Flexible working

• Annual Bonus

• An opportunity to purchase additional annual leave

• Lots of opportunity to access ongoing personal learning and development

• Access to our Company Pension scheme

• Discounts of up to 50% on activities, centre shop and cafes

• Extra perks including huge discounts and offers from shops, cinemas and much more.

What\’s next?

If you meet the criteria and are ready to make the next step in your career then click apply. You will be redirected to our careers site where you can discover more about the role, read a full job description and apply directly to us.

As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we offer a guaranteed interview to candidates who are disabled, neurodiverse, or have served in the Armed Forces, provided they meet the essential criteria for the role. If you would like to be considered under this scheme, please indicate this in your application. We are dedicated to creating a supportive and accessible recruitment process for all.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview experience, please let us know. We\’re happy to work with you to ensure you have the opportunity to perform at your best.

If you are a Places for People customer and you\’re looking for support with your application, please contact our skills and employment team on .

If you are a recruitment agency please note we operate a PSL and do not take cold calls

Safeguarding

At Places for People, safeguarding is everyone\’s responsibility. We are committed to creating safe communities for our customers and colleagues by protecting children, young people, and adults at risk from harm, abuse, and neglect.

We follow robust safeguarding policies and procedures, ensuring all employees, volunteers, and contractors uphold the highest standards of safeguarding and accountability. Our recruitment process includes pre-employment checks, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks where applicable, to promote a safe and secure working environment.

By joining Places for People, you are expected to contribute to our safeguarding culture, following our policies and reporting concerns to protect those in our communities