Director of Programming and Operations

Department: Athletics General Administration
This position is represented by the agreement between the Professional Staff Association and the University of Guelph

If you are a current employee of the University of Guelph you must apply on the internal Career Page in order to be considered as an internal applicant.
Career Opportunities (sapsf.com)

General Purpose

The Department of Athletics & Recreation is an integral unit within the Division of Student Affairs, serving approximately 36,000 undergraduate and graduate students throughout their academic journey. The department contributes directly to the University's commitment to learner-centredness by creating intentional opportunities for skill development, experiential learning, leadership growth, wellness, and community engagement.

Through innovative programs, services, and facilities in sport, fitness, recreation, wellbeing, and leadership, Athletics & Recreation enhances academic success, personal growth, social connectedness, and student development. The department also provides services to faculty, staff, alumni, and the broader Guelph community, strengthening both campus wellbeing and community partnerships.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Athletics & Recreation, the Director, Programming and Operations provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, and administrative direction across a broad and dynamic portfolio. As a member of the department's senior leadership team, the Director champions programming excellence, operational effectiveness, fiscal sustainability, and exceptional student and community experiences across a complex, multi-functional portfolio.

The Director oversees Fitness & Recreation, Client Services, Facilities, Events, Marketing and Communications, Sponsorships, External relations, Business operations, and IT functions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Operations:

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for all programming and operations.
• Lead the development and execution of annual and multi-year strategic plans for programming, facilities, marketing, communications, sponsorships, and business operations.
• Oversee a diverse athletic and recreation facility portfolio, including pools, arena facilities, gymnasia, fitness centres, a climbing wall, a stadium, a fieldhouse, outdoor fields, and multi-purpose spaces.
• Lead departmental risk management, incident reporting, health and safety compliance, and operational best practices.
• Support the implementation of departmental and institutional priorities related to student success, wellbeing, accessibility, inclusion, and experiential learning.
• Collaborate with the Director, Student-Athlete Experience & High Performance Sport to ensure alignment between high-performance sport requirements and operational delivery.

Financial and Business Management:

• Lead budget planning, forecasting, monitoring, and financial reporting across multiple functional areas.
• Oversee revenue generation strategies, business development initiatives, sponsorship opportunities, and community program growth.
• Provide stewardship of significant operational and capital assets while supporting long-term facility renewal and capital planning.
• Ensure effective resource allocation and cost management while advancing departmental sustainability and growth objectives.

People Leadership:

• Provide leadership and direction across multiple functional areas, ensuring alignment of people, resources, and priorities to achieve departmental objectives.
• Foster a culture of service excellence, inclusion, wellbeing, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Establish performance expectations and accountability measures while fostering professional growth and staff development.
• Lead workforce planning, recruitment, succession planning, performance management, and training initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with university policies, collective agreements, and employment legislation.

Partnerships, Communications and External Relations:

• Lead departmental marketing, communications, sponsorship, and external relations functions.
• Develop and strengthen relationships with students, alumni, academic partners, community organizations, and external stakeholders.
• Support the attraction and hosting of provincial and national sport events and major campus initiatives.
• Collaborate with campus partners to advance student engagement, wellness, experiential learning, and institutional priorities.
• Serve as a representative of Athletics & Recreation on university committees, external networks, and community initiatives.

Requirements

The successful candidate will possess:

• A Master's degree in Business, Sport Management, Recreation Management, Higher Education Administration, Leadership, or a related discipline;
• A minimum of nine (9) years of progressively responsible leadership experience, including significant experience in recreation, athletics, facility operations, student experience, or a comparable environment; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated success leading complex operations, strategic initiatives, financial planning, revenue generation, and organizational change.
• Extensive experience in risk management, health and safety, policy development, facility planning, and operational excellence.
• Proven ability to lead large and diverse staff teams in unionized and student employment environments.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, interpersonal, negotiation, conflict resolution, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong business acumen with experience in budgeting, asset management, sponsorship development, marketing, and performance measurement.
• Advanced technology skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office and enterprise business systems.

Why Join Us?

This is an exciting leadership opportunity to shape the future of one of Canada's premier university athletics and recreation environments. The Director, Programming and Operations will play a critical role in enhancing student wellbeing, advancing community engagement, driving operational excellence, and contributing to the University of Guelph's vision of developing the whole person through sport, recreation, engagement, and experiential learning.

The University of Guelph is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenization and encourages applications from all qualified individuals. Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process upon request.

Employee Type: Regular
Position Number: 10042080

Classification: P&M FT- Band 10
Professional/Managerial Salary Bands
The target hiring salary for this position is minimum and up to 96% of midpoint for the salary grade.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

Posting Date: 11/03/2026
Closing Date: 11/17/2026