Job Summary

Under supervision of the Facility Supervisor, Program Delivery Section, this position guides the design and implementation of a broad range of leisure activities provided by the Department.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Provides advice, direction, and assistance, through consultative services, to the facility program staff regarding the selection, enhancement or retirement of activities to maximize use of excess capacity of activity space and to address expressed needs.
• Consults with the Research Coordinator when preparing relevant, reliable, and timely reports of needs assessment information, industry trends, customer use and satisfaction, and quality control issues, for use by the facility program staff in program design and development.
• Provides advice, direction, and assistance, in leisure program trends, consumer leisure purchasing trends, use analysis, data collection, program service plans and program evaluation, as the leader of the Department program design team.
• Facilitates the participation processes to determine delivery requirements, specifications, preferences and priorities to support the various facilities in the provision of leisure activities and services.
• Assists with determining the duration of activities by using demographic and use-pattern information and by forecasting the long-term needs for program resources.
• Acts as liaison with the Community Development staff and external agencies with respect to implementation and interpretation of the program planning cycle, and the information contained in the needs assessment reports.
• Coordinates and facilitates training for program staff in the area of the program planning cycle and the use of the management reporting system.
• Coordinates and directs the preparation of reports comparing actual to desired results and provides an analysis to explain the variance that may affect priorities, resources, and morale.
• Assists with the identification, and develops strategies to maximize use, of excess capacity of available activity space.
• Coordinates the preparation of program information for use by the Marketing Section in promotion and assists program staff with identification of promotional plans for new activities.
• Assists with the preparation of annual program schedules and seasonal adjustments.
• Coordinates, with the Business Administration Division, the cost analysis and the pricing of all activities listed in the Departmental program inventory.
• Coordinates, and assists with the preparation and monitoring of, the program budget for the facilities.  Monitors the budgets for emerging markets, free access, accessibility and down-time programs.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Degree in recreation administration, physical education or leisure studies.
• Six years’ progressive experience working in the administration of sport, culture, and/or recreation programs, including two years’ supervisory experience.
• Thorough knowledge of current literature, standards, trends and evaluation principles and methods applicable to facility operation, program planning, customer service, community development, leadership and target populations.
• Considerable knowledge of the theory and practice of planned leisure activities, organizational and volunteer development and their application to personal and community development.
• Considerable knowledge of public participation processes, group facilitation, team-building, and group dynamics.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and facilitate processes and partnerships for program delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to research, analyze and summarize reliable information to determine action required.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise staff, including selection, performance assessment, training, scheduling, delegating, motivating, team-building and leading by example.
• Ability to develop a vision and initiate creatively the design and delivery of programs, program areas and sites by generating program ideas, implementing new programs, taking risks and collaborating with others.
• Ability to express ideas and concepts effectively orally and in writing to a variety of audiences, including formal presentations and the development and delivery of education and training, composing reports, conducting public consultation and developing resource material.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with staff, peers, supervisor, volunteers, and the public.
• Ability to negotiate mutually beneficial agreements and to manage change through decision-making, problem-solving, consensus-building and dialogue.
• Demonstrated skill in planning, scheduling, budgeting, management reporting and time management.
• Skill in the use of a computer with word-processing, database and spreadsheet software.