Director, Design Strategy and Experience Innovation

Title: Director, Design Strategy & Experience Innovation

Location: Hampton United States

Category

Marketing

Type

Full Time

Job Description:

About Us

Founded in 1992 in Dover, NH, Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States by number of members and locations. We have over 2,700+ stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, Mexico, Australia, and Spain. 90% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent franchisees.

At Planet Fitness, our unique mission has always been to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment. And we're proud of the amazing Planet Fitness team that supports our clubs and team members. They are comprised of dynamic, dedicated, and talented individuals who represent our values of integrity, transparency, passion, respect, and excellence (while having fun!) in everything they do.

Joining the PF family means being part of a company that cares about bettering the health and wellbeing of our communities. It means being a part of a supportive, engaging workforce with an inclusive culture that values diversity and creates an environment where everyone can feel they belong. It means encouraging professional growth and development. It means making true, lasting connections with your co-workers with celebrations, team building activities and engaging corporate events! It means creating a positive impact in our local communities through our Judgement Free Generation philanthropic initiative. It means being part of a brand that you can be proud of!

For the past 30 years, we've helped millions of people in their fitness journey and revolutionized the industry along the way. And we're just getting started!

Overview

As the Director, Design Strategy & Experience Innovation, you will be a visionary leader responsible for shaping and executing a design-led strategy to transform the Planet Fitness member journey. This role is a unique blend of strategic foresight and hands-on visualization, bridging the gap between high-level business goals and tangible, innovative experiences. You'll translate data-driven insights into compelling visual concepts and blueprints, working to create a future-state for our members and franchisees.

Reporting to the Vice President of Member Experience & Innovation, you will be the in-house authority on design-led innovation. You'll minimize reliance on external partners by developing a powerful, internal design practice focused on crafting resonant experiences that drive long-term growth and competitiveness.

Candidates will be expected to provide a design portfolio as part of the interview process.

This is a hybrid role based out of our Hampton, NH office.

Responsibilities

Visualization & PrototypingYour work will be highly visual, turning abstract strategies into concrete, inspiring designs. Your responsibilities include:

• Visual Storytelling: You will develop and deliver persuasive visual presentations, user flows, and service blueprints to communicate complex design concepts and their potential impact to a wide range of stakeholders, from executives to franchise partners.
• Visualization: Leveraging your expertise in CAD and other design software, you will visualize new physical layouts and operational flows. This includes creating detailed schematics for in-club experiences and prototypes for member self-service kiosks.
• Iterative Design & Experimentation: You will champion a culture of rapid prototyping and testing. By creating tangible mockups and pilot programs, you will validate design concepts quickly and cost-effectively, ensuring solutions are operationally sound and scalable.

Strategic Design LeadershipYou'll lead the charge in defining the "how" and "why" behind our member experience by developing a robust design strategy. This includes:

• Journey Mapping & Opportunity Discovery: Utilizing deep customer insights and research, you will identify key moments of friction and opportunity across the member lifecycle, from initial sign-up to daily club visits and long-term retention.
• System-level Strategy: You will move beyond individual touchpoints to design a cohesive, integrated ecosystem. This involves creating a strategic framework that connects our physical club environment, digital platforms, and operational processes to deliver a consistent, personalized experience.
• Business Model Innovation: You will explore and visualize new business models and service offerings through compelling design visualizations and narratives. This includes identifying opportunities for new revenue streams, partnerships, or member engagement models that leverage our unique brand identity.

Collaborative Execution & EmpowermentYour success depends on your ability to partner with teams and leaders across the organization to bring these strategies to life. You will:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Work hand-in-hand with senior leaders in Operations, Product, and Marketing teams to ensure a seamless transition from strategy to execution.
• Franchise Enablement: Empower our franchise partners by providing the necessary design tools, resources, and playbooks to implement new strategies effectively at the local level, ensuring consistent brand and member experience delivery.
• Mentorship & Development: Serve as the principal design expert for the team, fostering a culture of creativity and collaboration where design thinking is used as a core tool to drive business growth and member satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related fields such as Industrial Design, Graphic Design, or Architecture
• 7+ years of experience in a design-focused role, with a proven track record of bringing physical or digital products to market at a senior level, with at least 3+ years of experience leading and managing teams
• Strong expertise in design thinking, with the ability to leverage a broad skill set, including strategic thinking and visual storytelling
• Expert-level proficiency in current CAD software and other design tools (e.g., SolidWorks, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite)
• A passion for fitness, wellness, and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
• Extremely detail-oriented, efficient, and organized with an exceptional ability to establish priorities and objectives
• Exceptional presentation and communication skills along with the ability to influence and communicate effectively across all levels of the organization, including executives
• Experienced and skilled in establishing and maintaining effective, collaborative work relationships with diverse individuals, internally and externally
• Creative, progressive, thought leadership with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization
• Excellent leadership skills including the ability to build teams, motivate, guide, and mentor
• Possess a results-driven entrepreneurial mindset, demonstrating initiative and creativity
• Demonstrated strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and organizational leadership skills
• Exhibits comfort, ease, and flexibility working in an extremely fast-paced ever-changing, deadline-driven environment
• Cooperative team player with an upbeat, positive, "can-do" attitude!

Perks

• Hybrid work schedule out of our Hampton, NH Club Support Center
• Competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits package, including medical, pharmacy, dental and vision benefits
• Generous vacation/holiday pay
• Volunteer days off
• 401(k) Retirement
• Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Childcare reimbursement
• Pet care reimbursement
• Tuition reimbursement
• Free learning and development programs
• Discount programs, including vacations, theme parks, shopping, meal delivery services & much more
• Company-sponsored social events
• Free Black Card membership and fun exercise incentives
• Access to our private gym at the Hampton, NH Club Support Center, complete with locker rooms and Black Card area
• Delicious, healthy breakfast and lunch options served at our Club Support Center café

Note to Applicants: We have been made aware of an increasing number of hiring fraud schemes across numerous platforms. Planet Fitness never requires advance payments of any kind for computer equipment or any other purpose at the start of employment. Any request for you to provide payment information during the application process is part of a fraud scheme. 

Min

Max

Responsibilities Visualization & Prototyping Your work will be highly visual, turning abstract strategies into concrete, inspiring designs. Your responsibilities include: - Visual Storytelling: You will develop and deliver persuasive visual presentations, user flows, and service blueprints to communicate complex design concepts and their potential impact to a wide range of stakeholders, from executives to franchise partners. - Visualization: Leveraging your expertise in CAD and other design software, you will visualize new physical layouts and operational flows. This includes creating detailed schematics for in-club experiences and prototypes for member self-service kiosks. - Iterative Design & Experimentation: You will champion a culture of rapid prototyping and testing. By creating tangible mockups and pilot programs, you will validate design concepts quickly and cost-effectively, ensuring solutions are operationally sound and scalable. Strategic Design Leadership You'll lead the charge in defining the "how" and "why" behind our member experience by developing a robust design strategy. This includes: - Journey Mapping & Opportunity Discovery: Utilizing deep customer insights and research, you will identify key moments of friction and opportunity across the member lifecycle, from initial sign-up to daily club visits and long-term retention. - System-level Strategy: You will move beyond individual touchpoints to design a cohesive, integrated ecosystem. This involves creating a strategic framework that connects our physical club environment, digital platforms, and operational processes to deliver a consistent, personalized experience. - Business Model Innovation: You will explore and visualize new business models and service offerings through compelling design visualizations and narratives. This includes identifying opportunities for new revenue streams, partnerships, or member engagement models that leverage our unique brand identity. Collaborative Execution & Empowerment Your success depends on your ability to partner with teams and leaders across the organization to bring these strategies to life. You will: - Cross-Functional Partnership: Work hand-in-hand with senior leaders in Operations, Product, and Marketing teams to ensure a seamless transition from strategy to execution. - Franchise Enablement: Empower our franchise partners by providing the necessary design tools, resources, and playbooks to implement new strategies effectively at the local level, ensuring consistent brand and member experience delivery. - Mentorship & Development: Serve as the principal design expert for the team, fostering a culture of creativity and collaboration where design thinking is used as a core tool to drive business growth and member satisfaction.