Senior Director Athletics and Recreation

University of Guelph•Guelph, ON

4d•CA$169,481 - CA$189,481•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Guelph, Department of Athletics & Recreation aims to enhance physical and mental well-being through activity and engagement. The department strives to be a leader in delivering innovative and impactful programs, services, and experiences in sport, fitness, recreation, well-being, and leadership, guided by a commitment to service excellence, inclusion, and health and safety. The department manages extensive facilities including gymnasiums, ice rinks, sports fields, a stadium, ball diamonds, swimming pools, a fieldhouse, a climbing wall, and fitness facilities. The Fitness and Recreation program offers inclusive access to fitness, instructional, intramural, and informal recreation opportunities for approximately 30,000 students, with over 25,000 weekly participations. The Gryphons Varsity program is a significant intercollegiate program in Canada, featuring 38 teams and around 840 student-athletes, focusing on their development, safety, academic success, and competitive excellence. The University of Guelph is a leading comprehensive and research-intensive university in Canada, with a history of innovation and excellence dating back over 150 years. Its eight colleges conduct advanced teaching and research across various disciplines, united by a shared commitment to 'Improve Life'. This role, commencing late Summer 2026, reports to the Vice-Provost, Student Affairs. The Senior Director provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for Athletics and Recreation, a key component of student engagement, well-being, and institutional reputation. As part of the Student Affairs Leadership Team, the Senior Director contributes to divisional planning and advances a vision for Athletics and Recreation that is anti-racist, accessible, inclusive, and trauma-informed, promoting safe and developmentally rich experiences for all students. The portfolio includes Recreation and Programming, High Performance Sport, Marketing, Communications, and Events, Facility Development and Management, Finance and Administration, Human Resources, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Alumni Engagement. The Senior Director ensures alignment with the University's academic mission, fostering environments for student and staff success. Key responsibilities include prioritizing student-athlete health and safety, holistic well-being, academic achievement, and personal development, while ensuring accessible and responsive recreation opportunities. The role involves managing an operating budget over $14M, an annual capital renewal budget of approximately $2M, overseeing 66 full-time staff and 800 part-time staff (making it the University's largest student employer), and managing Junior Gryphons programming, youth community participants, and summer camps.

Requirements

Significant management level experience from an organization that has a sports-related program or service mandate.
Strong financial acumen, including experience managing large and complex budgets.
Oversight of, and engagement in, both recreational programs and high-performance sports.
Systems level thinker able to translate strategy into operational outcomes.
Depth of knowledge of regulatory compliance and risk management practices within the post-secondary or public sector context.
Deep commitment to student development, ethical leadership in sport, inclusive practices, and academic success.
Adept at managing high-profile, sensitive, and complex issues with professionalism and integrity.
Demonstrable experience providing leadership on equity-related strategy, policy implementation, and complex issues, including Indigenization, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion-related case managements and investigations.
High emotional intelligence, self-awareness and empathy, and the ability to build trust and credibility.

Nice To Haves

Lived experience gained from attending a university is considered an asset.
An undergraduate and/or Master’s level degree.
Leading and developing high-performing teams within unionized and non-unionized environments is considered a strong asset.

Responsibilities

Provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of a comprehensive Athletics and Recreation portfolio.
Contributes to division-wide planning related to strategy, staffing, budget, and policy as a member of the Student Affairs Leadership Team.
Advances a vision for Athletics and Recreation that is anti-racist, accessible, inclusive, and trauma-informed.
Promotes safe, meaningful, and developmentally rich experiences for all students.
Ensures that Athletics and Recreation programs are firmly aligned with the academic mission of the University.
Fosters environments in which students and staff can thrive.
Prioritizes student-athlete health and safety, holistic well-being, academic achievement, and personal development.
Ensures that recreation and active-living opportunities are accessible, welcoming, and responsive to the diverse needs of the student community.
Manages an operating budget exceeding $14M and an annual capital renewal budget of approximately $2M.
Has overall responsibility for approximately 66 full-time staff and 800 part-time staff.
Manages 4,000 youth community participants engaged via the Junior Gryphons programming.
Oversees the University of Guelph’s summer camps and related programs.
Facilitates revenue generation.
Engages in fundraising and donor engagement activities, including alumni and donor stewardship.
Ensures that philanthropic activities align with departmental and University priorities and values.
Fosters an inclusive, respectful, and high-engagement workplace culture.
Provides leadership on equity-related strategy, policy implementation, and complex issues, including Indigenization, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion-related case managements and investigations.
Engages at the community, provincial, and national levels, supporting collaboration and accountability.