Commercial Manager

Global Sports Jobs Limited; Strand; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Premium facilities

Professional development opportunities

30 days leave + Celebration Day

Virgin Active membership for you and a

Discounts across Virgin Active

Job summary

Virgin Active is seeking a Commercial Manager to lead the Acquisition team, driving membership growth and profitability through a premium sales strategy. You will inspire a high-performing team, optimize the member journey from enquiry to retention, and use data-driven insights to deliver results and exceptional member experiences.

The role requires leadership of mid-to-senior sales professionals, a focus on premium value propositions, and strong CRM usage to maximise conversion and retention.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading a commercial or sales team.
• Strong ability to interpret financial results and drive profitability.
• Excellent people management and organisational skills.
• Passion for hospitality and customer experience.

Responsibilities

• Hold total accountability for the club's commercial results and sales mix.
• Drive corporate sales pipeline, partnerships, and lead flow.
• Deliver weekly and monthly commercial planning and modelling.
• Develop premium, value-driven sales storytelling and personas.
• Coach the team with high-performance coaching and quality-of-sale metrics.
• Ensure CRM accuracy, predictive insights and data-led prioritisation.
• Oversee onboarding journeys and 90-day graduation moments.
• Lead KPI setting, one-to-ones, and talent development.
• Model exceptional standards during duty shifts and member interactions.

Skills

Proven experience leading a commercial

Strong commercial acumen

People management

Hospitality and customer experience

Communication and interpersonal skills

Flexibility scheduling

Tools

Dynamics CRM

Job description

About the Role

The Commercial Manager is part of the Acquisition team and plays a key role in the club's commercial performance, driving membership growth, revenue and profitability through a premium, customer-focused sales strategy. The role involves inspiring and developing a high-performing team, optimising the member journey from first enquiry to long-term retention, and using data-driven insights to deliver commercial results and member experiences. It operates within Virgin Active's evolution into Social Wellness Clubs, where expert guidance, community, personalised experiences and technology support members' physical, mental, nutritional and social wellbeing. The role is 40 hours per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Hold total accountability for the club's commercial results, including membership revenue, net movement, POS value, total wallet size, sales volume, quality of sale, and sales mix.
• Drive corporate sales pipeline activity, strategic partnerships, lead flow, conversion optimisation, and full oversight of the prospect journey.
• Deliver accurate weekly and monthly commercial planning and activity modelling to support performance.
• Shift the team from mid-market, volume-based selling to a premium, value-driven model by positioning membership as a premium lifestyle and enhancing sales storytelling through personas, emotional drivers, and tailored value propositions.
• Coach the team to deliver short, elegant, emotionally resonant conversations and embed quality-of-sale measures into daily performance reviews.
• Ensure accurate CRM (Dynamics) usage, predictive insights, and data-led prioritisation to increase conversion, reduce drop-off, and grow POS value.
• Ensure delivery of the new member onboarding journey, including tailored onboarding within the first 7 days, persona-aligned welcome experiences, moments of generosity, and a curated 90-day graduation moment.
• Lead a high-performance culture by setting clear KPIs, delivering disciplined one-to-ones, coaching premium sales skills, and identifying and developing future talent.
• Lead by example during duty shifts, operational escalations, and member interactions, modelling exceptional standards at all times.
• Ensure operational and administrative excellence, including accurate membership administration, GDPR compliance, transparent reporting, and full CRM accuracy.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Proven experience leading a high-performing commercial or sales team.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to interpret financial results and drive profitability.
• Strong people management and organisational skills, fostering a cohesive and high-performing team.
• A passion for hospitality and customer experience, with unwavering dedication to service standards.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to hold people accountable and drive performance.
• Flexibility to work early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Benefits & Perks

• The opportunity to be part of a brand redefining the future of wellness.
• A premium environment with industry-leading facilities.
• Development and progression opportunities aligned to your level.
• Access to a vibrant, engaged member community.
• The platform to build your career, reputation and impact.
• 30 days annual leave (including bank holidays), plus a Celebration Day, and employees are encouraged to take them.
• Access to The Peoples Pension, with employer contributions at 3%.
• Complimentary Virgin Active membership for you and a buddy, plus free membership for your children and access to Club V.
• Discounts across Virgin Active, including guest passes and 50% off PT sessions.
• Membership of Virgin Family, with colleague communication across Virgin Group and discounts including Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Holidays and Virgin Media/O2.
• 20% off food and drink at KAUAI branches located in clubs.
• Access to Salary Finance for loans, savings plans and personal finance support.