Head of Human Resources

PureGym US; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Short-Term Disability

Life Insurance

EAP

Legal and Identity Theft Protection

401K Retirement Plan

Job summary

PureGym US is hiring a Head of HR to lead our US People team during a rapid growth phase. Based in the NY/NJ area, you will drive the people agenda with a collaborative leadership team and liaise with Group HR for support.

You will recruit, develop and retain talent, oversee compensation and benefits strategy, learning and engagement, and ensure compliance with US employment law across states. This role offers hybrid work, exposure to a fast-scaling business, and the chance to shape culture

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading HR operations in multi-site, field-based organizations (ideally fitness, wellness, retail or hospitality)
• Deep knowledge of US employment law and regulations (federal, state, and local)
• Demonstrated success building and leading engaged HR teams
• Outstanding interpersonal, collaboration, communication, and organizational skills
• Proven ability to lead, inspire, and coach employees at all levels
• Comfortable with ambiguity and change, plus the agility to adapt quickly
• Passion for developing people and building inclusive, high-performing team
• Willingness and flexibility to travel throughout the US gym estate

Responsibilities

• Lead the US People team and drive the people agenda during growth.
• Partner with Group HR to deliver compensation and benefits strategy; manage annual review process.
• Embed development programs to deepen internal talent and build succession plans.
• Lead engagement surveys and champion improvements; promote inclusive culture.
• Act as US employment law expert and ensure compliance.
• Partner with local leadership on talent strategies and field structure.

Skills

HR Operations

US Employment Law

People Leadership

Strategic Planning

Stakeholder Collaboration

Job description

The PureGym Group is a leading gym operator headquartered in the UK, boasting 700+ locations and more than 2 million members, across 5 countries worldwide. We're growing rapidly and ambitiously with the our recent expansion into the United States through the acquisition of Blink Fitness (part of Equinox) across New York and New Jersey, building on our first 3 US locations in the DMV area. We are now scaling rapidly across the East Coast and investing significantly into our estate. Our commitment to providing high-quality, affordable gyms for everyone, everywhere remains unwavering.

Our mission to inspire healthier nations has made us the UK's favorite gym, and now, an international success story. With our unique "Everybody Welcome" approach, we create a friendly, warm, and inclusive environment for all our employees and members. We offer:

• Medical
• Vision
• Short-Term Disability
• Life Insurance
• EAP
• Legal and Identity Theft Protection
• 401K Retirement Plan

The Role

Location: New York – Hybrid

Type: Full Time

Contract type: Permanent

Salary $130k – 160k + bonus

We are currently looking for a Head of HR to lead our US People team during our most exciting growth phase in the US. As the Head of HR, based in the NY and NJ area, you'll drive our people agenda while working with a collaborative, locally-based leadership team and drawing on Group HR support as needed. You'll report to the President of PureGym US (based in the US), with a dotted line to the Group HR Director (based in the UK)

If you thrive on building something from the beginning, want to make a real impact on how people experience work, and are energized by scaling a business with purpose, this is the role for you.

Leading a small US based team, the role is responsible for the following:

Gym Recruitment: Drive direct candidate sourcing in gyms and set the tone for PureGym's employer brand in the US working in partnership with the Group Talent Acquisition team. Own quality control for candidate assessment and selection, ensuring we attract the right people who fit our PureGym culture.

Reward & Benefits: Partner with Group HR and your Benefits Brokers to deliver our US compensation and benefits strategy. Work with Group HR team on the annual compensation review process and ensure all benefits administration (health, wellness, retirement, etc.) runs smoothly day to day.

Talent Development & Learning: Embed our Group operational development pathway programs to deepen our internal talent pipeline and fuel growth. Work cross-functionally with Operations and the Group Learning team to shape our development proposition and build succession plans that support our ambitious expansion.

Engagement, Culture & Communications: Partner with our Group Internal Communications and Engagement team to adapt engagement strategies to US needs. Lead the delivery of our annual engagement survey for the US and champion targeted improvements that make PureGym a truly great place to work. Be the custodian of PureGym culture in the US and promote a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce.

Employee Relations: Act as our US employment law expert. Manage all people and employment issues with fairness and full compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. Lead the management of Employee Relations issues with a preventive mindset looking for root causes, creating training and informing Group policies that reduce incidents, and build trust across the organization.

Business Partnering: Work as a trusted partner to our local leadership team on the US people plan. Provide counsel on performance management, hiring, training, team cohesion, and employee engagement. Design and implement talent strategies that drive retention, engagement, development, and performance. Work closely with the Gym Operations leadership team to build the field structure to support our ambitious growth strategy.

The Person

We are looking for a highly collaborative, forward-thinking HR professional who is excited about the opportunity to scale PureGym US. Working in collaboration is a core part of the PureGym DNA, we have a dynamic local leadership team that you would work closely with day to day and the Group People team provides an exciting and rich learning environment for anyone who engages with the opportunity. The ideal candidate is someone that is comfortable with ambiguity, adaptable and would be energized by the pace and scale of our growth.

• Proven experience leading HR operations in multi-site, field-based organizations (ideally fitness, wellness, retail or hospitality)
• Deep knowledge of US employment law and regulations (federal, state, and local)
• Demonstrated success building and leading engaged HR teams
• Outstanding interpersonal, collaboration, communication, and organizational skills
• Proven ability to lead, inspire, and coach employees at all levels
• Comfortable with ambiguity and change, plus the agility to adapt quickly
• Passion for developing people and building inclusive, high-performing team
• Willingness and flexibility to travel throughout the US gym estate

What this role offers

• The chance to build and scale HR strategy during ambitious business growth – this is a key role that will have real, visible impact
• A collaborative leadership team that values partnership, transparency, and diverse perspectives
• Clear career pathways for growth and development, with mentorship from our Group HR Director and peers globally
• A learning-rich environment. Working alongside both the local leadership team and Group HR team to draw on global best practices, and develop expertise in employment law, talent strategy and learning and development.
• The opportunity to shape the people agenda and culture in a purpose-driven business
• Work-life flexibility and genuine support for personal wellbeing as a core PureGym value

PureGym is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. Our company mantra is ‘Everybody Welcome’ and we are dedicated to promoting a diverse and inclusive place to work. From a hiring standpoint, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to ensuring that our PureGym colleagues reflect the diversity of the nation as well as our millions of gym members we serve.

Join us on our mission is to bring high quality, affordable fitness to everyone, everywhere.

Please note: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the advert may be withdrawn at any time. Early application is encouraged.