Senior Strategy & Planning Analyst

Whitbread Court, Porz Ave, Houghton Regis, Dunstable LU5 5XE
, UK

Posted Friday 24 July 2026 at 00:00 | Expires Friday 7 August 2026 at 23:59

Contract Type:
Permanent

Location:
Head office Dunstable LU5

Hybrid working 3 days a week in the office

This role leads the development, maintenance and continuous improvement of the UK Location Strategy and Network Plan for Premier Inn and hub, transforming complex market, demand and competitive insight into clear, investment‑ready decisions that shape Whitbread’s long‑term growth. Acting as a vital bridge between strategy, analyticsand delivery, it ensures the business invests in the right locations, formats and priorities to maximise sustainable returns.

A key focus of the role is modernising Whitbread’s location strategy modelling capabilities—bringing automation, scalable tools and AI‑enabled analyticsinto the heart of decision‑making. Commercial judgement is applied throughout, grounding recommendations in real‑world trading dynamics, investment considerations and long‑term value creation. As the network evolves, the role will continue to grow, shaping how Whitbread identifies, evaluates and delivers future opportunities.

Lead Location Strategy— Own and evolve the UK Location Strategy and Network Plan, defining where to grow, what to build and how large, while balancing returns, risk and brand priorities.

Shape Market Insight— Act as the subject‑matter expert on UK hotel market dynamics, producing quarterly outlooks and governing competitor and market datasets to maintain a single source of truth.

Drive Strategic Modelling— Own and enhance core growth potential and network models, translating outputs into clear strategic choices and continuously improving assumptions, inputs and governance.

Modernise Analytics— Lead the shift toward automated, scalable and AI‑enabled modelling, applying machine‑learning techniques to strengthen forecasting, scenario testing and cannibalisation logic while keeping outputs explainable.

Influence Senior Stakeholders— Partner with Property, Finance and Strategy teams to guide investment decisions, applying commercial judgement across all areas to maximise long‑term value creation.

Why you'll love it here

Bonus potential up to 20%

Pension contributions matched up to 10%

Up to 60% off stays with Premier inn and Hub

What you'll need

• Ability to take full end to end ownership of the Strategic Growth Plan, working with stakeholders across acquisition, delivery, insight and strategy teams to align inputs and translate market, demand and supply insights into clear, actionable growth recommendations.
• Experience owning and maintaining strategic datasets, ensuring data quality, governance and accuracy across multiple sources to support critical business decisions.
• Strong quantitative modelling and analytical skills(Excel and/or Python), including forecasting, scenario analysis and investment modelling.
• Ability to build robust location-level insight, integrating demand, supply, competitor and market dynamics to identify opportunities, risks and priorities.
• Proven commercial judgement and communication skills, translating complex analysis into clear, evidence-based recommendations that influence investment and strategic decisions.