Head of Operational Optimisation & Efficiency

Places for People; Chester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension with matched contributions up

Bonus scheme up to 15%

Car Allowance

Healthcare cashback plan

Wellbeing support

Our Place Rewards discounts

Internal development programmes

Recognition programmes

Free gym membership

Life Assurance

Job summary

Places Leisure, part of Places for People, seeks a Head of Operational Optimisation to drive smarter, data-led resource management across multiple sites. You will improve labour planning, scheduling and forecasting to ensure the right colleagues and resources are in the right place to meet operational and commercial goals.

The role involves collaborating with site leaders, Finance and central teams, developing cost models, identifying efficiencies and supporting refits, bids and growth

Qualifications

• Significant experience in labour planning, workforce management, operational performance, commercial finance, cost transformation or operational efficiency within a complex, multi-site organisation.
• Forecasting operational demand into practical labour plans, hours and costs.
• Experience analysing labour and P&L performance, identifying cost drivers and turning findings into measurable action plans.
• Practical experience using DILO, time and motion studies or equivalent methods to assess operational activity, capacity and efficiency.
• Advanced experience using Microsoft Excel and Power BI to build models, tools and reporting that support decision‑making.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of data-led labour planning, scheduling and forecasting across Places Leisure.
• Collaborate with operational leaders, Finance and central teams to identify efficiencies and reduce spend while protecting customer experience.
• Develop robust cost models and ensure investment decisions are based on realistic resource and payback assumptions.
• Support refits, bids and growth opportunities through practical cost analyses.

Skills

Labour planning

Forecasting

Data analysis

Budgeting

Stakeholder engagement

Excel

Power BI

Tools

DILO

Excel

Power BI

Job description

Places Leisure, part of Places for People, seeks a Head of Operational Optimisation to drive smarter, data-led resource management across multiple sites. You will improve labour planning, scheduling and forecasting to ensure the right colleagues and resources are in the right place to meet operational and commercial goals.

The role involves collaborating with site leaders, Finance and central teams, developing cost models, identifying efficiencies and supporting refits, bids and growth