City of Kitchener Careers

Supervisor, Customer Experience
(Cowan Recreation Centre)

Job Status:  Permanent Full-Time

Pay & Grade: $83,997 to $104,997   Annually Grade/Band: 9 (under review)

Hours of Work:35 Hours per week, including evenings, weekends and holidays

Initial location: Kitchener City Hall

Posting period:Tuesday, Oct 21, 2025 – Tuesday, Nov 18, 2025 (at 6:00pm)

Overview

We’re building something extraordinary for our community and beyond - the Cowan Recreation Centre, a state-of-the-art destination for sport, fitness, and community connection.

Opening late 2026, this all-season multi-use recreation complex will feature an impressive lineup of amenities: a large aquatics centre with two stainless steel pools, a FIFA-sized indoor turf field, a versatile quad gymnasium, an indoor walking track, two dedicated cricket practice nets, and four multi-purpose rooms for community programs and events.

This premier recreation facility is being built with accessibility, inclusion, and community at its heart. From universal washrooms and changerooms to a dedicated breastfeeding room and multi-faith prayer room, every detail is designed to make everyone feel welcome, supported, and valued.

We are looking for dynamic leader to help bring this vision of customer experience excellence to life!

The Supervisor, Customer Experience (CRC) will be a key player in shaping how our guests experience this groundbreaking facility. You’ll lead a diverse team of customer service attendants, facility staff, and custodial partners to ensure every visit is seamless, safe, and welcoming. Reporting to the Manager, CRC, this is a high-impact leadership role for someone who thrives on building relationships, solving problems, and creating memorable experiences.

If you’re ready to be part of the leadership team at one of Ontario’s most ambitious recreational facilities — where the community comes together to Connect, where athletes from across Kitchener, Ontario, and Canada come to Compete, and where we all truly Belong — we want to hear from you!

Responsibilities

Leadership

• Inspires and manages a diverse team of full-time and part-time staff, from customer service associates to building attendants
• Serves as a visible, welcoming presence throughout the facility, engaging with guests and responding to feedback
• Drives performance through coaching, training, and inclusive leadership — fostering a culture of excellence, empathy, and accountability
• Takes swift, decisive action to resolve customer concerns with professionalism and care
• Champions a high standard of customer service excellence by overseeing all frontline interactions and ensuring every guest feels welcome and valued
• Creates and fosters a positive, inclusive, and collaborative workplace culture grounded in respect, teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Provides inclusive leadership to staff through emotional intelligence, curiosity, openness, collaboration, adaptability, and courage, building trust across staff team

Operations

• Strategically schedules and allocates resources to meet operational needs and budget targets
• Manages and is the main contact for vendor contracts (including concession vendor), procurement, and supplies to keep the facility running smoothly
• Tracks customer service trends and collects & analyses customer feedback to continuously improve the user experience
• Supports policy development and ensures financial accountability across service and maintenance functions
• Oversees all aspects of facility cleanliness, safety, and functionality — from sport surfaces to public spaces
• Implements and monitors maintenance protocols, inspections, and emergency response plans
• Collaborates with internal teams to address repairs and ensures compliance with health, safety, and building regulations
• Maintains a visible presence throughout the facility, ensuring a premier experience that attracts top-tier events

Requirements

Education

• Minimum 3-year degree/diploma in in Facility Management, Sport/Recreation Management, Recreation/Sport Administration, Venue or Events Management, or related field

Experience

• 2-4 years’ experience in a similar role or related experience

Work Environment

• Will be expected to work flexible hours (outside of Mon-Fri, 9 to 5), including evenings, weekends, and holidays through a rotating schedule with facility management team.
• Will be scheduled on rotation with facility management team to respond to emergencies outside of working hours

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal
• Adaptable and able to handle competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Experience in a frontline service delivery role, preferably within a municipal environment
• Proven ability as a relationship-builder, with staff, vendors, user groups, and members of the community
• Experience with de-escalation and the ability to resolve concerns, foster positive interactions, and deal with difficult customers, and supporting staff when dealing with difficult situations
• Knowledge and understanding of facility operations, staffing models, budgeting, scheduling and vendor coordination
• Proficient at integrating equity and inclusion considerations into the operations of a facility to ensure consistent application of accessible and inclusive design standards
• Proven ability to understand and interpret data in order to make data-driven decisions around service improvements and efficiencies
• Demonstrated experience managing teams in a unionized environment, including mentoring, performance management, and ensuring exceptional customer service
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint)

Note: All interested applicants are encouraged to apply. In the event there is no successful applicant with the stated level of education and experience, other applicants will be considered if a combination of their education and experience meets the following pre-determined equivalency:

• 2-Year Diploma (or 2-Year Specialized Post Secondary Program) with 10 or more years’ related and relevant experience, or
• 4-Year Honours Degree with minimum 1 year related and relevant experience

Department/Division:Community Services, Sport

Group: Non-Union/Management

Competition Number: 2025-310

Job Code: 1548

Number of positions: 1

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