City of Kitchener Careers

Supervisor, Programs and Events
(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 in 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.

Built with sport tourism in mind, the Cowan Recreation Centre will attract provincial and national tournaments, welcome high-performance athletes from across Ontario, and generate significant tourism dollars - positioning Kitchener as a premier destination for sport and recreation.

We are looking for a passionate leader to bring this facility to life, where every day is an opportunity to energize the community through sport, recreation, and help make community connections!

As Supervisor, Programs and Events (CRC), you will be the driving force behind the planning, coordination, and execution of vibrant community programming, high-energy tournaments, and engaging events that bring the facility to life. Your mission? To maximize the facility’s potential by delivering inclusive, innovative, and community-focused experiences that reflect the diverse needs of Kitchener’s residents.

Reporting to the Manager, CRC, in this position you will be at the heart of community connection, cultivating strong relationships with local sport organizations, provincial and national tournament hosts, and other stakeholders to enhance facility use and support a wide array of community priorities. As the facility’s key liaison, you’ll provide responsive, solutions-focused support to groups booking events in a space that brings people together, fosters belonging, and celebrates active living.

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 & Team Development

• Inspires and manages a diverse team of full-time and part-time staff, including programming, marketing, events, and administrative staff
• Drives performance through coaching, training, and inclusive leadership — fostering a culture of excellence, empathy, and accountability
• Oversees the day-to-day operations of programs, activities and events to ensure quality control, safety, and excellence in customer experience
• 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 allocates staff and manages budgets to keep the facility running smoothly and efficiently.
• Coordinate scheduling logistics for all programs, rentals, tournaments, and events.
• Ensures compliance with health and safety regulations and maintains accurate records, financials, and payroll.
• Support budget forecasting and financial reporting

Facility Programming & Utilization

• Maximizes facility usage by developing a robust schedule of programs, rentals, and events across all amenities.
• Attracts and retains community groups, leagues, and private bookings to ensure high occupancy and revenue generation.
• Uses data and feedback to optimize programming and scheduling decisions.
• Plans and executes tournaments, camps, and seasonal events that reflects community needs and drives engagement.
• Resolves event-related issues quickly and effectively, ensuring smooth operations and customer satisfaction.
• Leads marketing efforts to boost awareness, registration, and rental inquiries through targeted campaigns and promotional materials.

Community Engagement & Partnerships

• Builds strong relationships with sport organizations, tournament hosts, and local groups to expand programming and facility use.
• Acts as a responsive, solutions-focused liaison for external stakeholders partners.
• Conducts outreach through meetings, presentations, and surveys to inform programming and strengthen partnerships.
• Champions inclusive programming that reflects local demographics and encourages participation from underrepresented groups.
• Represents the facility at public meetings, community events, and forums to promote the facility and its impact.

Requirements

Education

• Minimum 3-year degree/diploma in Sport & Recreation Management, Recreation Leadership, Facility Management, Event Planning, Event or Venue 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

• Demonstrated experience managing teams in a unionized environment, including mentoring, performance management, and ensuring exceptional customer service
• Proven ability to schedule community programming and optimize high-demand, multi-use sports facilities to ensure maximum use of amenities
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Proven ability to understand and interpret data in order to make data-driven decisions around service improvements and efficiencies
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to build strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Knowledge of health and safety regulations; food safety regulations; licensing and permits requirements, and building, fire, and electrical codes to ensure the facility and its vendors and in compliance with legislation
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint)
• Proficiency in facility booking software

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: 2025-311

Job Code: 1549

Number of positions: 1

Why work at the City of Kitchener