Head of Group Exercise Commercial Growth

Our purpose is…
To change people’s lives for the better through wellness. We are passionate about supporting people to lead healthy fulfilled lives by providing a space where they can focus on their physical, mental and social well-being.
Our mission is to create an environment where wellness works for everyone. At Virgin Active wellness is not just about fitness- it’s about creating real experiences that support members in their holistic health journey.
We provide a luxury wellness environment that fosters personal growth, community, and transformation. Our approach is accessible, inclusive, and built on the foundation of social wellness. We operate as a full-time onsite function - because we believe the best ideas come to life when we’re collaborating in person, sharing thoughts, and building together.

Our wellness offering is built on core pillars which define who we are and how we deliver on our promise:

• 
  Refreshing Real Experiences: Authentic, engaging experiences that inspire lasting wellness.
• Holistic Wellness: A comprehensive approach integrating fitness, mental health, nutrition, and recovery.
• Curated Guidance and Progress: Personalized coaching and programs to support sustainable progress.
• Communities Without Conformity: Diverse, welcoming environments where everyone feels empowered.

Your Purpose...

• In this role, you are responsible for executing the national Group Exercise (GEX) strategy, transforming world-class Group Exercise experiences into consistent and scalable delivery across every club. Collaborating closely with other Global/ Group GEX Managers, you will lead a high-performing team across our product genres, ensuring alignment among genre specialists (Yoga & Pilates, ETM, and Athletic Training) and regional GEX managers to drive the product strategy
• This role takes ownership of every aspect of GEX — from timetables and studio design to instructor performance and member engagement. You’ll set the direction, drive innovation, and ensure our GEX offering delivers real commercial impact.
• This role also demands a data-led mindset. You’ll be responsible for analysing performance, identifying growth opportunities, and leading the rollout of new studio concepts that elevate the member experience and support our business goals.
• In short: You’re the heartbeat of Group Exercise at Virgin Active — and you’ll make sure it moves to a powerful rhythm, nationwide.

Lead the GEX Strategy Across South Africa

• You’ll own the national strategy for Group Exercise. That means:
• Deciding what we offer in clubs, why we offer it, and how it supports our brand.
• Planning seasonal class launches, new formats, and innovation rollouts.
• Ensuring our Group Exercise (GEX) propositions remain fresh, exciting, and truly world-class by collaborating closely with the Global Heads of Group Exercise to continuously evolve and enhance our offerings.

Oversee the full VA Group Ex offering:

• Lead and manage all genre experts (Heads of Yoga/Pilates, ETM, and Athletic Training).
• The Regional GEX Managers across the regions
• Establish a clear direction, set specific KPI goals, support their growth, and ensure everyone is aligned with the same product strategy.

Create GEX Experiences That Members Love

• Continually review ways to improve on the in-club experience:
• Optimising class timetables and studio flow.
• Assisting in the identification, design, and delivery of exceptional studio spaces that are both operationally efficient and functional.
• Creating campaigns and experiences that get members excited about classes.

Drive GEX Commercial Success

• Group Exercise is a key driver of retention, engagement, and even new sales. The role includes:
• Improving class attendance, participation, and overall penetration rates.
• Exploring new GEX products or premium formats that can drive revenue.
• Supporting paid GEX initiatives and studio monetisation where relevant.
• Support Capex studio repurposing projects.
• Cost control of the National Group Exercise budget.

Develop Rockstar Instructors

• Lead the national strategy for talent recruitment, seamless onboarding, and continuous development of our Group Exercise instructors and team.
• Collaborate with genre Heads and leads to ensure clear learning pathways that maintain high-quality, fresh class delivery, while also designing and managing instructor recognition programs.
• Track quality through member feedback, class audits, and performance reviews.
• Ensure instructor pay rates are competitive and fair, with strong systems and backend processes in place to support their entire journey with us.

Collaborate across business functions

• Sales and marketing to support campaigns and member engagement.
• Property and facilities on studio builds and upgrades.
• Digital teams to ensure GEX plays a role in the wider wellness journey.
• Be a key connector between departments, helping ensure GEX is part of the bigger picture.

Turn Data Into workable action plans delivering on an outcome

• Understand the data to identify gaps and opportunities.
• Focus on resolution and active decision-making.
• Develop feedback loop from performance metrics into strategy tweaks and improvements.

We can’t live without… (Minimum Requirements)

• A minimum of 7 years of leadership experience in fitness, wellness, or lifestyle industries — ideally across multiple regions or departments.
• A minimum 4-5 years proven people leadership experience.
• Proven experience across various GEX genres— from class trends to talent development and studio environments.
• Previous experience in leading the larger group exercise team and ensuring alignment across the genres.
• Proven Commercial acumen — you know how to tie experience back to impact.
• Exceptional execution skills.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement skills across multiple levels
• Experience with digital fitness models.
• Exposure to wellness programs and propositions.
• A knack for marketing, eventing, or brand engagement in fitness.

We’d like you to have… (Attributes)

• Adaptability (must be able to adapt to a fast paced, changing environment)
• Be curious (must be willing to succeed, seek opportunities to learn and grow)
• Have a winning mentality (must be willing to go over and above to achieve success)
• Must be motivated to achieve success.
• A commitment to making a difference in people’s lives.
• A Growth mindset
• The ability to work independently.
• Trustworthiness (must always act in doing the right thing)
• A drive to create moments of magic for our members.
• The ability to make decisions and take ownership and responsibility for the decision.
• Action orientation

We’d love you to have… (additional skills)

• Wellness knowledge, to engage and inspire others to take a holistic approach to wellness.
• The ability to be agile.
• The ability to be collaborative.
• High Interpersonal skills (EQ)