Fitness And Lifestyle Activation Manager

Driven to create unique home-grown food concepts that bring people together, the Independent Food Company is a UAE-based hospitality company with multiple concepts under its umbrella – SALT, Parkers, Grind, Somewhere, Public, Soil, Shalwa and Kumo.

We are presently seeking to hire a highly qualified Fitness & Lifestyle Activation Manager ensures the companys products and processes meet quality, safety, and regulatory standards, and also ensures that franchise locations comply with INDPT quality standards and operational procedures. This role involves supervising the compliance team, conducting audits (of franchisees), developing quality assurance policies, and collaborating with departments to ensure continuous improvement and regulatory compliance.

Role Summary

The Fitness & Lifestyle Activation Manager is the entrepreneurial driving force and public face of the "SALT Rise" initiative. This role is responsible for conceiving, securing, executing, and measuring high-impact lifestyle partnerships and activations (e.g., running, cycling, yoga events) across all key SALT locations. Success is defined by the ability to generate measurable foot traffic, build deep community loyalty, ensure seamless operational support, and provide actionable performance reports to management.

Key Responsibilities

• Partnership & Community Engagement (Network Focus)
  
  

Partnership Sourcing:Proactively identify, build, and maintain a robust network of relevant local fitness, wellness, and lifestyle communities (running clubs, cycle groups, yoga studios, personal trainers, etc.) that align with the premium SALT brand and the "Rise" concept.

Relationship Management:Serve as the primary point of contact for all partners, negotiating mutually beneficial terms, managing partnership contracts, and ensuring sustained, long-term relationship health.

Brand Advocacy: Act as the face and ambassador of the "SALT Rise" concept, representing the brand at all external events and engaging authentically with the fitness community.

• Event Planning & Execution (Activation Management)
  
  

End-to-End Event Management: Plan and execute all logistics for branded activations, ensuring seamless coordination from initial concept through post-event wrap-up.

Operational Liaison: Serve as the critical bridge between external partners and internal Operations and Culinary teams. Communicate detailed event needs (e.g., timing, group size, specific food requirements, site setup, capacity constraints) well in advance to ensure flawless service delivery and preparation (e.g., ensuring "Rise" menu items are ready before standard opening hours).

In-Store Experience: Work with the in-store marketing team to ensure the event atmosphere, music, and signage reflect the "Rise" brand identity and create compelling photo moments (UGC generation).

• Performance Measurement & Reporting (Data Focus)
  
  

KPI Tracking: Define and track key metrics for every activation, focusing on measurable business outcomes:

Footfall/Traffic Lift: Number of participants converted to SALT customers (using unique codes or event-specific redemption).

Sales Impact: Total revenue generated during the activation window vs. a control period.

Advocacy: Volume and sentiment of social media posts (UGC) generated by the event/partner.

Post-Event Analysis: Produce concise, data-driven reports for management following each activation, detailing results, ROI, qualitative feedback, and clear, prioritized recommendations for improvement and future partnership strategy.

Budget Management: Manage the budget allocated for partnership fees, activation costs, and FOC/discounted food for participants.

Qualifications & Experience

Experience: Minimum of 3-5 years managing community relations, event marketing, or lifestyle brand activations, preferably within the F&B, Fitness, or Wellness industries.

Network: Possesses a proven, existing network within the local UAE fitness and lifestyle communities (running, cycling, yoga, etc.).

Personal Passion: Must be a genuine keen fitness enthusiast whose personal lifestyle authentically aligns with and reinforces the "SALT Rise" concept.

Skills: Exceptional project management, negotiation, and communication skills. Proven ability to translate strategic goals into measurable operational tasks.

Attributes: Highly personable, energetic, self-starter, results-oriented, and comfortable working unconventional hours (early mornings, weekends) when events are scheduled.

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