National Operations Manager - Fitness Industry

Fernwood Womens Health Clubs; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Fernwood Fitness seeks a National Operations Manager to lead the club network across Australia, reporting to the CEO. You will provide strategic and operational leadership to the club network and work with franchise partners and the National Support Office to improve commercial outcomes and member experience.

This senior role requires strong commercial acumen, multi-site expertise, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in a multi-site network.
• Franchise experience highly regarded.
• Strong commercial acumen driving revenue, retention and profitability.
• Technology literacy with platforms, integrations and digital projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead a strong National Operations team and provide strategic and operational leadership to the club network.
• Span network and club performance, franchise partner support, member experience and retention.
• Oversee new club openings, operational systems and technology, training and development, and major business projects.
• Help Fernwood strengthen the way technology, systems and data are used across the business.
• Understand technology and systems to improve operational efficiency and commercial performance.
• Ask the right questions, challenge thinking, identify opportunities and risks, and steer technology-enabled projects.
• Move between strategic and practical to translate decisions into execution across the network.
• Work with senior stakeholders and franchise partners to influence and make sound decisions.
• Build and hold a high-performing team accountable.
• Lead complex, cross-functional projects and bring people through change.

Skills

Senior operational leader

Commercial acumen

Franchise experience

Technology literacy

Stakeholder influence

Cross-functional leadership

Job description

National Operations Manager - Fitness Industry

This is a senior strategic leadership role within Fernwood Fitness, one of Australia's most established health and fitness brands. Reporting directly to the CEO, the National Operations Manager is a senior leadership appointment with significant influence across the organisation. You will provide strategic and operational leadership to the club network, contribute to key business decisions and help turn priorities into disciplined execution. You will lead a strong National Operations team and work closely with franchise partners and National Support Office functions to continually improve network performance, commercial outcomes and member experience.

Key responsibilities

• Lead a strong National Operations team and provide strategic and operational leadership to the club network
• Span network and club performance, franchise partner support, member experience and retention
• Oversee new club openings, operational systems and technology, training and development, and major business projects
• Help Fernwood strengthen the way technology, systems and data are used across the business
• Understand technology and systems well enough to see the bigger picture — how platforms integrate, how technology can improve operational efficiency and commercial performance, and what good implementation looks like
• Ask the right questions, challenge thinking, identify opportunities and risks, and confidently steer technology-enabled projects
• Move comfortably between the strategic and the practical — contribute to decisions about the future of the business and ensure those decisions translate into strong execution across the network
• Work with senior stakeholders and franchise partners to influence, challenge and make sound decisions
• Build, develop and hold a high-performing team accountable
• Lead complex, cross-functional projects and bring people through change

About you

• Experienced senior operational leader with strong commercial acumen, sound judgement and proven leadership capability
• Experience from the fitness, health, wellness or another multi-site consumer business, with a strong understanding of what drives performance across a network of locations
• Franchise experience highly regarded
• Strong commercial acumen and the ability to understand and influence the drivers of revenue, retention, productivity and profitability
• Proven leadership capability, with the ability to build, develop and hold a high-performing team accountable
• Strong systems and technology literacy, including an understanding of platforms, integrations, digital projects and process improvement
• Ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects and bring people with you through change
• Confidence working with senior stakeholders and franchise partners, including the ability to influence, challenge and make sound decisions
• Strategic mindset combined with a genuine bias toward execution
• Excellent judgement, accountability and the ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy

About us

Fernwood Fitness is one of Australia's most established health and fitness brands with 75 clubs nationally and a further six planned to open over the next 12 months. The business is an established and thriving Australian brand with a strong franchise network and an ambitious growth agenda. The business is in a strong position with an incredible network of franchise partners and clubs, and an ambitious future ahead. With continued network growth planned, Fernwood is investing in people, systems, technology and member experience to ensure the business is well positioned for its next phase.

Across Australia, Fernwood Fitness is recognised as the leader in women’s health, fitness and wellness. From humble beginnings in Bendigo over 32 years ago, we now have 70 clubs, situated in every state and territory of Australia.

Every day, our powerhouse teams across Australia bring to life our mission to empower women to shine. If you want to work alongside wonderful people who are ambitious, inspired and passionate about supporting women’s health, fitness and wellness, then we’d love for you to apply for a position with Fernwood Fitness.

Roles at Fernwood vary from in-club roles such as Membership Consultant and Personal Trainers, to corporate support staff and of course, future franchisees. The opportunities for career advancement and training are endless. Many of our existing franchisees began their career as a group fitness instructor or personal trainer. Where will Fernwood lead you?

Across Australia, Fernwood Fitness is recognised as the leader in women’s health, fitness and wellness. From humble beginnings in Bendigo over 32 years ago, we now have 70 clubs, situated in every state and territory of Australia.

Every day, our powerhouse teams across Australia bring to life our mission to empower women to shine. If you want to work alongside wonderful people who are ambitious, inspired and passionate about supporting women’s health, fitness and wellness, then we’d love for you to apply for a position with Fernwood Fitness.

Roles at Fernwood vary from in-club roles such as Membership Consultant and Personal Trainers, to corporate support staff and of course, future franchisees. The opportunities for career advancement and training are endless. Many of our existing franchisees began their career as a group fitness instructor or personal trainer. Where will Fernwood lead you?