Chief Operating Officer

Who We Are:

At The Athletic Clubs, we train in squads—because results happen when you show up for your team. Our high-energy, results-driven training keeps busy New Yorkers strong, motivated, and consistent. More than just a gym, we’re a movement built on accountability, camaraderie, and serious fitness. Since 2020, we’ve grown from a tight-knit crew of 100 to a thriving community of 1,500 across four studios—and we’re just getting started. With four more locations opening this year, we’re building the future of squad training in NYC. Our 97% retention rate proves what we already know: when you train with a team that pushes you, supports you, and celebrates your wins, you stay in the game. And the squad vibes don’t stop when class does. Whether it’s post-workout coffees, summer rooftop parties, or winter black-tie galas, we know how to work hard and have a cracking good time doing it.

What You’ll Do:

With strong unit economics and our Seed round nearing completion, we’re excited to bring on a strategic and execution-focused Chief Operating Officer (COO) to drive our next phase of growth. As a partner to our Founder/CEO, you’ll oversee business operations and expansion strategies that align with our mission and vision. You’ll be an inspiring leader who fosters a culture of high-performance while still prioritizing our people. Above all you’ll live and breathe our core values, ensuring we don’t sacrifice the core of who we are with a “growth at all costs” mindset.

Specific Responsibilities include…

• Real Estate/Expansion: Develop and execute scalable expansion and development plans, ensuring sustainable growth across new markets.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Work closely with the CEO and leadership team to align operations with brand vision, financial goals, and strategic objectives.
• Financial Oversight: Monitor financial performance and KPIs, always driving towards profitability while maintaining operational excellence in line with our mission.
• People & Culture: Build and lead high-performing teams, fostering a values-driven culture.
• Operational Excellence: Optimize existing operational processes to support efficiency and performance across all business units.

Who You Are:

• A builder at heart—you’ve successfully taken a business from scrappy beginnings to structured success.
• You’ve been a senior leader in a startup or high-growth brick and mortar company before. *Fitness or wellness experience is a plus.
• A people leader first and foremost, with 10+ years experience leading high performing teams.
• Data-driven but people-first, balancing analytics with intuition to make smart, impactful decisions.
• A financial expert —you understand P&Ls, budgets, and KPIs and know how to drive profitability while keeping an eye on long-term growth.
• A hands-on leader, ready to roll up your sleeves and get things done, but you also know when to delegate and empower your team.
• An unparalleled communicator — you can align cross-functional teams, inspire a room, and make the complex feel simple.

Compensation & Benefits:

• As the first executive hire for a Seed-stage team, you'll have a unique opportunity to shape the strategy for all elements of the business.

• Compensation package of $240-290k OTE along with a competitive equity package.
• Competitive health, vision & dental insurance.