Sr. Manager, Design Insights & Member Experience

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!As the Senior Manager, Design Insights & Member Experience, you will be a strategic design leader responsible for applying the core principles of Design Thinking and Service Design directly to the member experience innovation pipeline. Your mandate is two-fold: to strategically frame complex problems and to tactically validate and refine the usability and desirability of design concepts across digital and physical touchpoints.Reporting to the Director or VP of Member Experience & Innovation, you will drive thepractical execution of Human-Centered Design (HCD). This role is distinguished by itsheavy design focus—it partners with the central Consumer Insights team for broad context but owns the deep dive intodesign-specific research, journey mapping, and concept testingto ensure a high-quality, resonant member experience.This role is based out of our Hampton, NH office and expected to follow our hybrid work schedule.Strategic Design & Design Thinking LeadershipApply foundational design strategy skills to scope, define, and manage innovation projects:Strategic Framing & Problem Definition:UtilizeDesign Thinking methodologiesto strategically frame complex member problems, define opportunity spaces, and establish the research agenda for experience innovation projects.Service Design Tools:Lead the development of comprehensivecurrent-state and future-state service blueprints and detailed journey maps to articulate the strategic intent, user experience, and operational dependencies of new service models.External Partner Leadership:Lead and manage external research or design consulting firmson specific, high-priority projects, owning the project's insights direction, methodology, and final deliverable quality.Workshop Facilitation:Plan and lead high-impactdesign thinking workshops and ideation sessionswith cross-functional partners and franchisees to collaboratively generate and align on strategic solutions.Tactical Design Validation & Experience TestingLead hands-on, evaluative research to ensure successful design execution. This is thecore tactical outputof the role:Evaluative Design Testing:Design and execute rapid, iterative testing methodologies (e.g., usability testing, A/B testing, concept testing) on specificwireframes, digital prototypes, visual designs, and physical mockupsto gather actionable feedback on design feasibility and user flow.In-Gym Pilot Testing:Conductcontextual inquiries, observations, and interviewsdirectly within clubs to rigorously test and evaluate the real-world operational and member experience of pilot programs (e.g., new layouts, self-service kiosks, operational processes).Actionable Recommendations:Translate qualitative and quantitative testing data intoclear, prioritized design recommendationsthat directly inform the next iteration cycle for designers and product managers.Collaboration & PartnershipEnsure seamless integration of design strategy and insights into the execution workflow:Design Partnership:Act as the primary research and insights partner to theExperience Design and Product teams, ensuring design decisions are continuously informed by validated member behavior.Insights Integration:Partner with the centralConsumer Insightsteam to leverage foundational market context, using those strategic insights to inform the focus and scope of project-specific tactical design research.Franchise Alignment:Collaborate with operational and franchise partners to ensure new designs and service models areoperationally viable and scalableacross the Planet Fitness system.Bachelor’s degree in a related field such as Service Design, Strategic Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a closely related discipline5+ years of experience in a design research, service design, or strategic consulting role, demonstrating mastery of Design Thinking and Human-Centered Design (HCD) principlesStrong foundational knowledge in strategic design, complemented by expert proficiency in hands-on, tactical research methods (e.g., usability testing, iterative concept validation, in-context observation)Proven ability to plan, facilitate, and synthesize core strategic design artifacts such as service blueprints and detailed journey mapsDemonstrated experience managing vendors or external consulting firms to deliver high-quality design research and strategic outputsPrevious experience as a practicing designer (e.g., UX/UI, Service Design) or time spent at a strategic design/innovation consultancy, a plusA passion for fitness, wellness, and delivering exceptional customer experiencesExtremely detail-oriented, efficient, and organized with an exceptional ability to establish priorities and objectivesExcellent communication and presentation skills, with a proven ability to deliver findings that influence and drive rapid design iterationAble to establish and maintain effective, collaborative work relationships with diverse individuals, internally and externallyCreative, progressive, thought leadership with the ability to influence at all levels of the organizationPossess a results-driven entrepreneurial mindset, demonstrating initiative and creativityDemonstrated strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and organizational leadership skillsExhibits comfort, ease, and flexibility working in an extremely fast-paced ever-changing, deadline-driven environmentCooperative team player with an upbeat, positive, “can-do” attitude!Planet Fitness cares about you and your well-being. We offer a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees which includes the core medical, dental, vision, life and disability as well as supplemental accident, hospital and critical illness coverage options. In addition, we are proud to offer eligible employees a generous time off program (including volunteer time), childcare reimbursement, paid parental leave, pet care reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, free Black Card membership, learning and development programs and a whole host of engagement activities. We offer a 401(k) Plan with safe harbor employer matching and an employee stock purchase plan.This role is also eligible to participate in an annual corporate bonus incentive program based on company financial and personal performance.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. Further, we recommend that you do not provide sensitive personal information (SSN, DOB, driver’s license number) as part of the initial application process.

Created: 2025-11-27