Senior Director, Internal Communications & Experience (People & Culture)

Equinox • New York, NY

23h • $155,000 - $165,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, the Senior Director of Internal Communications & Experience is a strategic, hands-on leader who owns the employee communications experience across a complex, field-first organization. With approximately 12,000 employees, the vast majority working in fitness clubs across the U.S., the UK and Canada. This role demands a sophisticated communicator who understands how to reach, engage, and inspire a workforce that is largely deskless and not always reachable via traditional corporate channels. This is a dedicated internal communications role; a separate PR and Corporate Communications function manages all external and media-facing work. The function does work closely with Marketing in order to share brand launches and initiatives. This leader will partner with that team on employee-related scenarios where internal and external messaging must be aligned, including crisis communications situations involving people-related matters. The Senior Director is responsible for building modern, channel-appropriate strategies that meet employees where they are — on the clubfloor, between classes, on a mobile device, while also navigating C-suite communications with the sophistication and pace that executive leadership demands for a growing business. They will oversee the internal communications ecosystem, draft compelling internal messages, and lead employee engagement events that connect a geographically dispersed team to a shared culture and mission.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, or a related field.
• 10+ years in internal communications, employee communications, or people-focused communications roles, 2 years as a Director or at an equivalent senior level role with demonstrated success reaching and engaging large, distributed, or deskless workforces.
• 6+ years leading teams, developing talent, and driving cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to translate complex concepts into clear, compelling narratives
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling abilities
• Crisis Expertise: Proven ability to manage complex, high-pressure crisis communications and protect organizational reputation.
• Experience in building and leveraging matrix partnerships.
• Strong executive presence.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential information with integrity.
• Sound judgment and a proactive, solutions‑oriented mindset.
• Ability to handle ambiguity and adapt to rapidly changing priorities.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing communications strategies for field-based, hourly, or frontline workforces in retail, hospitality, fitness, healthcare, or similar industries.
• Advanced proficiency with modern internal communications platforms analytics tools, and an informed point of view on emerging technologies and how they are reshaping the employee communications landscape.
• Experience supporting executive communications including C-suite messaging, town hall preparation, and leadership storytelling at scale; ability to coach senior leaders on how to communicate authentically and effectively with a field-first audience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an internal communications strategy purpose-built for a field-first workforce, ensuring every employee, regardless of whether they have a company email or sit behind a desk feels informed, connected, and part of a larger mission.
• Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing internal communications team, fostering a culture of creativity, accountability, speed, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the C-suite on internal communications, executive messaging, organizational change, and employee engagement; bring a modern sensibility to how leaders communicate and how information is consumed in today’s environment.
• Partner cross-functionally with People & Culture, Operations, Legal, and the PR/Corporate Communications team to ensure message alignment, consistency, and discipline across the enterprise; serve as the internal voice when external communications touch employees.
• Manage a multi-channel communications ecosystem built for a workforce that is predominantly deskless — leveraging mobile-first platforms, digital signage, SMS, team apps, and other non-email channels to reach employees working on club floors, in classes, and across facilities.
• Stay ahead of how people consume information bringing a modern, platform-aware mindset to the selection and use of communication tools, formats, and cadences that resonate with a fitness-industry field workforce.
• Measure communication effectiveness across channels and continuously refine the strategy based on reach, engagement, and employee feedback.
• Lead a comprehensive internal communications strategy that ensures all 12,000 employees from corporate headquarters to the club floor feel informed, inspired, and connected to the company’s mission, values, and direction.
• Own and manage the full internal communications channel mix including the company intranet (ongoing curation, governance, and continuous improvement), digital communications tools, leadership messaging, newsletters, town halls, and emerging platforms that reflect how today’s workforce actually consumes information.
• Partner closely with People & Culture team to create and execute employee engagement initiatives, milestone and recognition programs, and campaigns that strengthen culture, enhance retention, and celebrate the contributions of a largely field-based team.
• Guide internal communication efforts during organizational change, restructuring, or sensitive people-related matters — ensuring clarity, transparency, and trust across all employee audiences, with particular attention to how messages land differently for corporate versus field employees.
• In partnership with the PR and Corporate Communications team, develop and maintain employee-facing crisis communication protocols that ensure field teams many of whom are on the front lines with members receive timely, accurate, and consistent messaging during high-stakes situations.
• Own the internal employee communications component during people-related crisis scenarios including safety incidents, workforce matters, or sensitive organizational events coordinating closely with PR/Corp Comms, Legal, and People & Culture to ensure aligned messaging across internal and external audiences.
• Provide real-time counsel to executive leadership on employee-facing messaging, internal stakeholder communication, and scenario planning during fast-moving situations.
• Serve as a calm, steady internal voice during emergencies, ensuring field employees who may be the first point of contact for members receive clear guidance and feel supported by the organization.
• Lead the strategic planning and execution of employee engagement events and programs — including signature initiatives such as Take Our Children to Work Day, employee milestone celebrations, service anniversary recognition, and other culture-building experiences that create connection across a geographically dispersed team.
• Design recognition programs and communications that honor the field workforce — the trainers, coaches, and facility staff who represent the brand every day — ensuring they feel seen, celebrated, and valued by the organization.
• Oversee company-wide meetings, leadership forums, and other internal events — including executive presentations, town halls, and multimedia content — ensuring consistent storytelling and a strong, authentic internal brand voice across both virtual and in-person formats. This includes the ideation of the event topics, curation of content, creation of the deck, drafting of talking points, organizing, and executing corporate viewing party/lunch, coordination with Tech, etc.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Benefits
• Industry leading commission opportunities for club employees
• Complimentary Club membership
• Perks and incentives with our products and services including Personal Training, Pilates, Spa and Shop

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director