Outdoor Youth Program Coordinator- Faculty of Kinesiology

Description

This opportunity is currently available for internal applicants only as THERE IS A STRONG INTERNAL CANDIDATE FOR THIS POSITION.

The Active Living in the Faculty of Kinesiology is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Outdoor Youth Program Coordinator.

The University of Calgary's Active Living department is one of the largest and most diverse recreation departments based on a North American campus. Active Living has a team of 40 full time and up to 600 part time staff. On an annual basis our staff handle 47,000 registrations in over 75 recreational and sporting activities, and provide facility access to over a million users to our facilities: North America's largest Outdoor Centre with climbing and bouldering walls, a gymnastics centre, an Olympic sized pool, a fitness centre with 200 m track, Canada's largest university racquet centre, five gymnasiums and access to the Olympic Oval. The Outdoor Centre also provides its students and community over 16,000 outdoor equipment rental orders each year.

Active Living provides all these services to the students, staff, and community while charging one of the lowest recreation fees in North America. Our mission is "To enrich lives by providing quality programming and educational experiences which promote and encourage lifelong active living for all."

The Outdoor Youth Programs provides annual programming to over 2,400 participants generating annual revenue of over $900,000.00 for Active Living and the Outdoor Centre. Coordinating the Outdoor Youth Programs requires discretionary decision making about programs, pricing, hiring over 75 staff, scheduling, resource allocation, and resolution of customer complaints. Decisions have operational, financial, and reputational impacts beyond the unit, influencing participant safety, institutional risk exposure, and community perception of the University. Work is driven by simultaneous deadlines at periods of time during the year. Peak periods (June-September) are stressful because of high volume.

The position maintains a comprehensive, year-round portfolio of Outdoor Youth Programs with sustained operational demands across all seasons. Program responsibilities require full allocation of time and resources, and Youth Program delivery remains the primary focus of the role.

This position reports to the Youth Programs Manager. This position is full time, Monday to Friday 7 hours per day, 35 hours/ week. There will be times when overtime is required, including extended workdays beyond regular hours, as well as evenings and weekends, particularly during peak operating periods.. If overtime hours are earned they are expected to be used up within 4 months before that coming January.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

Leadership Duties:

• The position requires management of a team of instructors, guides, and volunteers who need regular coaching and mentoring
• Full scope of the recruitment and hiring process including screening, making hiring decisions, completing references, and offering employment to a variety of those delivering the program, increased responsibilities within this area within the pre-season (March) to the end of the summer (September)
• Leads the design and delivery of comprehensive staff training, including safety protocols, risk management practices, and program quality standards
• Responsible for delegation of work and responsibilities to successfully ensure a positive experience for those participating in the programs. This includes assignment of work and hours of team members, managing schedules and authorizing any vacation
• Full scope performance management, providing positive feedback and encouragement as well as dealing with any performance issues of the staff, up to and including termination
• Formal evaluation of staff through appropriate methods
• Supervising and coordinating staff, specifically schedules and any vacation requests. Authorizing overtime as required and ensuring accurate records
• Public accountability, as the "face" of the program and dealing with partners, funders and sponsors as well as internal stakeholders within the Outdoor Centre as well as the University of Calgary, especially as it relates to the summer camps
• Interacting with parents (customer) to answer questions and respond to concerns regarding their children or the camp program
• Ultimate responsibility for the safety and security of the staff, stakeholders and the children while they are participating in programs
• Participate in the University of Calgary Youth Programs team (meeting of coordinators and managers of all youth programs on campus
• Serves as escalation point for complex operational issues, critical incidents, and participant/parent concerns
• Develops leadership capacity within returning staff and emerging leaders through coaching and mentorship
• Plans and schedules annual and seasonal program offerings, including determining program timing, structure, and capacity to align with operational resources and participant demand
• Responsible for creating and maintaining online program listings for public registration, including the setup of approximately 200 individual program instances annually within Active
• Living Client Services Information System (CSIS), ensuring accuracy, accessibility, and alignment with registration and marketing timelines
• Represents the program and the University at conferences, workshops, and community or industry events, including presenting on program operations, best practices, and outcomes to support knowledge sharing and enhance institutional reputation
  
  

Financial Responsibilities:

• Managing an assigned budget of approximately $900,00
• Provide regular budget updates
• Applying for program funding from donors (through grants or in conjunction with the Kinesiology Development office) and managing operating and short-term / one-time expenses
• Complete funding applications and final reporting
• Responsible for procurement of supplies as needed and available through budget
• Managing discretionary funds prudently and responsibly, including ensuring all necessary policies regarding expenses are followed and funds are accurately accounted for
• Full accountability for financial performance, including achieving revenue targets, managing expenditures, and ensuring long-term program sustainability
• Contributes to pricing strategy and financial forecasting to support program growth and cost recovery
  
  

Reporting Responsibilities:

• Sets and evaluates direction for programs, aligning with departmental and institutional priorities., staying current on research and findings with regards to the concept of outdoor programs to young participants
• Preparing a clearly articulated annual plan for the programs, with goals, objectives, strategies, tactics and measures that demonstrate the effectiveness and reach of the programs
• Preparing a comprehensive annual reports for grants/donors and the public
• Preparing reports for partners/funders and sponsors as needed to ensure ongoing support for the programs. Provide on-site and in person updates and presentations to sponsors and funders as requested
• Responsible to provide immediate feedback and address any urgent media concerns with regards to children in the programs and the quality of the programs
• Accountable for the University of Calgary's reputation with regards to the quality of the programs, ensuring viable marketing and media coverage that encourages registration from parents and community support both internal and external to the university
• Uses program data and metrics (e.g., registration trends, participant feedback, financial performance) to inform decision-making and continuous improvement
  
  

Seasonal Responsibilities:

• Coordinating the Youth Climbing Programs, Bunnies & Jackrabbits, Winter and Spring Break, School Break programs, Adaptive Paddling, Adaptive Climbing, and other programs as assigned
• Running the Outdoor Centre summer camps in which approximately 2,200 children between the ages of 4 and 18 years old participate. Run in conjunction with the University of Calgary summer camps, this requires cooperation and coordination with other camp coordinators to ensure Outdoor Camps quality and experiences are aligned with other UCalgary summer camps. This activity makes a direct impact on our immediate community and works as an early recruitment activity for the school, making it an extremely critical operation in our overall brand and community reputation
  
  

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership, Education or a related field
• Minimum 2 years experience in and strong understanding of education, and teaching and learning aimed at young learners and young leaders (camp staff
• Minimum 3-5 years of progressive experience in outdoor, recreation, or youth programming.
• Uphold valid certifications in a variety of outdoor activities (Wilderness First Aid, Paddle Canada, OCC, CANSI)
• Knowledge of university core business systems, especially CSIS and PeopleSoft are essential.
• Excellent written, verbal, and oral communication skills (English fluency is required)
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Previous leadership experience showing initiative preferred, 2 years or more of supervisory experience
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office. PeopleSoft would be an asset
• Experience working with people with disabilities an asset
• Demonstrated strong work ethic and initiative, ability to be available from May - September for program facilitation
• Strong organizational skills to manage schedules, student activities, sponsor relationships and intense summer (seasonal) periods
• Experience with financial management or accounting, responsible for budget management
• Wilderness First Aid
• Previous exposure to camp and/or non-profit work environment is preferred
• Valid Police Security Clearance Check with a Vulnerable Sectors Search
• Knowledge of marketing and communications is required
• A valid Class 4 driver¿s license (cannot be a graduated license) with proven good driving record (abstract required).
  
  

Application Deadline: October 27, 2026

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is classified in the Professional Career Band, Level P2 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.

About The University Of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture ([email protected]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.