Director of Affiliates

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Director of Affiliates based in the United States.

The Director of Affiliates will lead the strategy, operations, and growth of a global network of independently operated fitness affiliates. Reporting directly to the CEO, this senior leadership role will focus on strengthening affiliate performance, improving retention, and building sustainable business models for gym owners. The successful candidate will combine executive-level business expertise with firsthand experience owning and operating an affiliate. Working across multiple departments, you will align organizational priorities with the practical needs of the affiliate community. You will lead and develop a geographically distributed team, establish measurable performance targets, and drive operational excellence. This is an opportunity to shape the future of a global fitness network while empowering local business owners to thrive.

Accountabilities

• Strategic Leadership and Growth: Define and execute the affiliate business strategy, establish quarterly objectives, and drive measurable improvements in network growth, retention, and overall performance.

• Affiliate Engagement and Advocacy: Build strong relationships with affiliate owners through site visits, community events, and roundtables. Gather feedback, identify recurring challenges, and represent affiliate needs in organizational decision-making.

• Business Performance and Unit Economics: Analyze affiliate financial performance, identify opportunities to improve profitability and sustainability, and address operational risks affecting local gym businesses.

• Operational Excellence: Establish performance benchmarks, monitor key performance indicators, streamline processes, and eliminate unnecessary administrative complexity to improve the affiliate experience.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Education, Sport, Marketing, Product and Technology, Finance, and Legal teams to align initiatives with affiliate priorities and deliver practical, high-impact solutions.

• Budget and Resource Management: Oversee the affiliate business unit's operating budget in collaboration with Finance, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to maximize value and business outcomes.

• Team Leadership and Development: Recruit, lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing affiliate operations team, fostering accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and strong leadership capabilities.

• Network Sustainability: Evaluate business models, identify opportunities to strengthen affiliate economics, and ensure organizational initiatives support the long-term success of local gym owners.

Requirements

• Education and Executive Experience: At least 10 years of progressive executive leadership experience in business operations, account management, franchise or network operations, professional services, or a related field.

• Affiliate Ownership: Current ownership of a CrossFit affiliate, supported by hands-on experience managing its daily operations, coaching athletes, and growing the business.

• Certifications and Community Participation: Active CrossFit Level 4 (CF-L4) certification and ongoing active participation in the CrossFit Open.

• Strategic and Analytical Expertise: Strong strategic planning, analytical, and financial skills, including the ability to evaluate business performance, interpret KPIs, and translate insights into measurable improvements.

• Growth and Retention: A demonstrated track record of scaling operations, driving financial growth, improving customer or member retention, and building sustainable business models.

• Organizational Development: Experience designing and implementing scalable operational frameworks, effective processes, and organizational structures that support business expansion.

• Remote Leadership: Proven ability to manage senior leaders and geographically dispersed teams, establish clear expectations, and drive execution across remote environments.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to build trusted relationships across departments, influence senior stakeholders, and align diverse teams around shared business objectives.

• Affiliate-First Mindset: A practical, agile, and service-oriented leadership approach focused on understanding affiliate owners' needs, reducing operational friction, and delivering tangible value.

• Communication and People Management: Excellent communication, relationship-building, coaching, and team development skills, with the ability to inspire people, build trust, and encourage accountability.

Benefits

• Remote work: Location-independent work arrangement within the United States.

• Executive leadership opportunity: Direct reporting to the CEO, with significant influence over affiliate strategy, business performance, and organizational priorities.

• Global impact: The opportunity to support a worldwide community of fitness business owners and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the affiliate network.

• Strategic ownership: Responsibility for shaping business strategy, operational frameworks, performance metrics, and resource allocation.

• Professional development: Opportunities to strengthen executive leadership capabilities while collaborating with teams across multiple business functions.

• Compensation and additional benefits: Salary, bonus eligibility, healthcare coverage, retirement benefits, paid time off, and other perks were not specified in the provided job description.