Strategic Location & Growth Lead

Whitbread PLC; Dunstable, Houghton Regis; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus up to 15%

Pension contributions matched up to 10

Up to 60% off stays with Premier Inn &

Job summary

Whitbread PLC is seeking a strategic, commercially minded analyst to shape where we invest next. You will own and evolve the UK Location Strategy and Network Plan, turning complex market and performance data into investment-ready recommendations guiding capital decisions for Premier Inn growth.

In this high-impact role, you will modernise location planning with automation, scalable modelling tools and AI-enabled analytics to improve forecasting and decision-making across Whitbread's estate,

Qualifications

• Own and evolve the UK Location Strategy and Network Plan.
• Produce quarterly outlooks on market dynamics and datasets.

Responsibilities

• Lead Location Strategy — Own and evolve the UK Location Strategy and Network Plan, ensure its up to date after meetings and status updates
• Shape Market Insight— Act as the subject‑matter expert on UK hotel market dynamics, producing quarterly outlooks and governing competitor and market datasets to maintain a single source of truth.
• Modernise Analytics— Lead the shift toward automated, scalable and AI‑enabled modelling, applying machine‑learning techniques to strengthen forecasting, scenario testing and cannibalisation logic while keeping outputs explainable.
• Influence Senior Stakeholders— Partner with Property, Finance and Strategy teams to guide investment decisions, applying commercial judgement across all areas to maximise long‑term value creation.

Skills

Strategic analytics

Forecasting

Data governance

Excel/Python

Job description

Whitbread PLC is seeking a strategic, commercially minded analyst to shape where we invest next. You will own and evolve the UK Location Strategy and Network Plan, turning complex market and performance data into investment-ready recommendations guiding capital decisions for Premier Inn growth.

In this high-impact role, you will modernise location planning with automation, scalable modelling tools and AI-enabled analytics to improve forecasting and decision-making across Whitbread's estate,