Senior Manager, Strategy & Business Development

Equinox Fitness club; New York (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Complimentary Club membership

Perks and incentives (PT, Pilates, Spa

Job summary

Equinox is seeking a Senior Manager, Strategy & Business Development to lead strategic initiatives and drive partnerships that fuel member acquisition and growth. You will translate business goals into actionable plans, manage cross-functional programs, and work with leadership to prioritize opportunities while ensuring delivery on time and budget.

This role offers high visibility, directly interacting with senior leaders and shaping Equinox's long-term growth in luxury wellness and hospitality.

Qualifications

• 6–8+ years of experience in consulting, business operations, strategy, program management, business development, commercial partnerships, or related fields.
• Experience leading large-scale cross-functional initiatives or partnerships from strategy through execution.
• Exceptional project management, financial modeling, and organizational skills.
• Strong executive communication and presentation capabilities.
• Experience developing business cases, operating models, project plans, and strategic recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders across multiple levels of an organization without direct authority.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive progress in complex environments.
• Experience in hospitality, wellness, fitness, consumer, membership, or subscription businesses preferred.
• Comfortable networking with third parties to source new opportunities / deals.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the program lead for enterprise-level strategic initiatives with executive visibility.
• Develop and manage project plans, governance structures, timelines, milestones, and success metrics.
• Coordinate cross-functional workstreams across Marketing, Product, Technology, Club Operations, Group Fitness, Retail, and Analytics teams.
• Own the full project lifecycle for enterprise-level strategic initiatives—from scoping to post-launch measurement.
• Partner with senior leadership to define priorities and align initiatives with long-range strategy.
• Define success metrics and measurement frameworks for initiatives and partnerships.
• Track ROI and business impact of major initiatives.

Skills

Executive communication

Project management

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Leadership

Negotiation

Education

MBA

Consulting background

Tools

AI-powered project management tools

Job description

Senior Manager, Strategy & Business Development

• Full-time

WHO WE ARE

Equinox is a category of one, setting the global standard for luxury health, wellness, and hospitality. Our spaces are intentionally elevated, our standards uncompromising, and our expectations high. We attract people who take pride in excellence, care deeply about quality, and want to be part of something that feels different the moment you walk through the door.
We are builders, operators, and innovators who believe great environments and meaningful human connection change lives. Diversity, belonging, and ownership aren’t slogans here, they’re how we work. At Equinox, colleagues don’t just support the business; they shape the future of wellness. Because for us, it’s not fitness. It’s life.

WHAT WE DO

We create premium, immersive experiences where performance, hospitality, design, and human connection converge—and every detail matters. This is not a traditional fitness environment. It is a place where high standards, accountability, and pride in craft define the work.
Fueled by an entrepreneurial mindset, we trust our people with real responsibility and real impact. Growth is earned throughaction, learning is hands‑on, and careers are built by those who want to operate at the highest level. At Equinox, we don’t just offer opportunities—we offer long‑term pathways for people who want to do meaningful work in an environment that expects more and delivers more.

Equinox is seeking a strategic, analytical, and execution-oriented Senior Manager, Strategy & Business Development to lead high-priority cross-functional strategic initiatives as well as drive new commercial partnership opportunities to grow the business.

This role will not only serve as a strategic project lead to drive Equinox’s most transformative initiatives from strategy to execution, but will also help source new commercial deals to augment member acquisition opportunities at scale.

The Senior Manager will operate as both strategist and operator, translating business objectives into actionable plans while ensuring initiatives are delivered on time, on budget, and with measurable business impact. This role will also work closely with the Partnerships team to drive new opportunities, conduct due diligence, sizing the opportunity, supporting negotiations and assisting in execution of the deal.

This is a highly visible role with significant exposure to senior leadership and an opportunity to help shape the future strategy at Equinox.

Success in this role will be measured by the successful execution of strategic initiatives and newly formed partnerships.

Responsibilities

Strategic Initiative Leadership

• Serve as the program lead for enterprise-level strategic initiatives with executive visibility.
• Develop and manage project plans, governance structures, timelines, milestones, and success metrics.
• Coordinate cross-functional workstreams across Marketing, Product, Technology, Club Operations, Group Fitness, Retail, and Analytics teams.
• Identify risks, dependencies, resource constraints, and mitigation plans to ensure successful delivery.
• Drive accountability across stakeholders and ensure initiatives remain aligned to business objectives.
• Prepare executive updates, status reports, recommendations, and decision-making materials for senior leadership.

Strategic Initiative Execution

• Own the full project lifecycle for enterprise-level strategic initiatives — from scoping and planning through execution and post-launch measurement.
• Translate ambiguous business challenges into structured project plans with clear milestones, owners, and success metrics.
• Partner with senior leadership to define priorities and ensure all initiatives are tightly aligned with Equinox’s long-range strategy.
• Identify and mitigate risks, dependencies, and resource constraints before they become blockers; elevate with solutions, not problems.
• Leverage AI-powered project management tools and modern methodologies (Agile, Lean, hybrid) to optimize workflows and team performance.

Business Development

• Support Partnership team to drive new commercial deals at scale for the business
• Engage with third parties, conduct diligence and assess competitive landscape for each opportunity
• Build business model and evaluate revenue potential for each opportunity
• Work closely with marketing team to validate opportunity and positioning
• Work closely with legal and technology team to assess feasibility (if needed), negotiate terms and execute contract

Analytics & Business Performance

• Define success metrics and measurement frameworks for strategic initiatives and partnerships.
• Partner with Analytics and Data teams to monitor performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Translate insights into actionable recommendations for leadership.
• Support business case development, forecasting, and investment prioritization decisions.
• Track ROI and business impact of major initiatives.

• 6–8+ years of experience in consulting, business operations, strategy, program management, business development, commercial partnerships, or related fields.
• Experience leading large-scale cross-functional initiatives or partnerships from strategy through execution.
• Exceptional project management, financial modeling, and organizational skills.
• Strong executive communication and presentation capabilities.
• Experience developing business cases, operating models, project plans, and strategic recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders across multiple levels of an organization without direct authority.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive progress in complex environments.
• Experience in hospitality, wellness, fitness, consumer, membership, or subscription businesses preferred.
• Comfortable networking with third parties to source new opportunities / deals.
• MBA or consulting background preferred.

Why This Role Matters

• Equinox's ability to deliver exceptional member experiences depends on flawless execution across multiple teams, systems, and touchpoints.
• Equinox’s ability to continue to innovate its acquisition channels and diversify its revenue channels.
• This role serves as the connective tissue between strategy, business development, and execution, ensuring the company's most important member experience initiatives are successfully delivered and positioned for long‑term impact.
• This role will play a critical role in driving acquisition, improving retention, strengthening member loyalty, and advancing Equinox's long-term growth strategy.

Pay Transparency: Min $140k – Max $150k

AS A MEMBER OF THE EQUINOX TEAM YOU WILL RECEIVE:

• We offer competitive salary, benefits, and industry leading commission opportunities for club employees
• Complimentary Club membership
• Perks and incentives with our products and services including Personal Training, Pilates, Spa and Shop

NOTE:This job description is intended to describe the general requirements for the position. It is not a complete statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Other duties not listed here may be assigned as necessary to ensure the proper operations of the department.

Equinox is an equal opportunity employer. For more information regarding our career opportunities, please visit one of our clubs or our website at https://careers.equinox.com/

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. Must have a legal right to work in the United States.