Project Manager, Kitchener Indoor Recreation Facility (Community Services)

Project Manager, Kitchener Indoor Recreation Facility (Community Services)

(Temporary full-time for approximately 18 months)

Competition Number: 2024-522

Job Code: 1523

Posting Date: January 23, 2025

Closing Date: January 30, 2025 (at 6:00pm)

Job Status: Temporary Full-Time

The City of Kitchener is a vibrant and dynamic city of approximately 292,000, in the heart of southwestern Ontario. As the largest municipality in Waterloo Region, Kitchener continues to be poised for development and growth, enhancing its reputation as a leader in city-building and innovation, with nationally recognized strategies to build its neighbourhoods, its digital infrastructure and its diverse economy.

The Kitchener Indoor Recreation Complex (KIRC) currently under construction at RBJ Schlegel Park will be the city’s largest and newest indoor sport and recreation destination for families and visitors. With $144 million invested in this development, the facility, which will open in the summer of 2026, will be home to a wide range of indoor sport amenities, including a FIFA-sized indoor turf field, an indoor aquatics centre with two pools, an elevated walking track, an indoor cricket batting cage and a variety of multi-purpose community rooms for events, parties and rentals.

Construction of the KIRC facility is being done through Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), which is the City’s first ever IPD undertaking and an exciting opportunity for team members to learn more about this collaborative method of project delivery and gain valuable IPD experience as a member of the core project team.

We are looking for a creative and talented individual with proven project management experience to join the Community Services team in readying KIRC for the anticipated opening in summer of 2026. Reporting to the Manager, Customer Experience and Solutions, the Project Manager will work closely with the IPD core project team, members of the senior management team, and key staff across the organization to lead projects and strategies supporting the operation and opening of the KIRC facility.

You might be interested in this role if:

• You’re a skilled project manager with:
• Experience working in construction and development with a focus on ensuring the needs and priorities of the community are heard and met.
• A background in sports and recreation, particularly from the perspective of operations and facilities management.
• Demonstrated success in bringing alignment to a set of project outcomes where a broad range of perspectives are presented.

Responsibilities:

• Provides expert project management skills to lead the development of major projects and strategies related to the operations and opening of the Kitchener Indoor Recreation Facility (KIRC). Examples of projects/strategies may include, but are not limited to: the development and successful fulfillment of a naming-rights and sponsorship strategy for the facility, the creation of a comprehensive and fully-costed staffing model for the facility to operate, and the development of a variety of RFPs/tenders to engage external vendors or consultants to support the operations of the facility.
• Develops, tracks and manages project charters, including budgets, scope and timelines.
• Provides regular updates against approved project milestones, and makes recommendations when changes are required to stay on time and on budget.
• Establishes and manages a regular cycle of project committee meetings, ensuring necessary documents and information are developed and shared with members in advance of meetings to facilitate productive meetings.
• Builds and maintains strong relationships with staff across a diversity of departments and divisions to gather requirements, input and feedback while developing strategies related to the operations of the KIRC facility.
• Engages and maintains positive working relationships with external stakeholders and consultants where needed.
• Conducts research on industry best practices related to operational and programming strategies for large-scale multi-sport facilities.
• Writes staff reports, caucus reports and presentations related to the operations and opening of the facility for City Council as directed.
• Supports the execution of projects being led by the Project Manager of Customer Experience within the Community Services Department.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• 3-year degree/diploma.
• Minimum 4 years’ experience managing complex projects.
• Demonstrated ability to design and execute a project plan that collaboratively engages a wide variety of stakeholders while ensuring project timelines are met.
• Demonstrated ability to work with and maintain relationships with external stakeholders and consultants.
• An understanding of municipal facility rental practices and revenue generating strategies.
• Negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Planning, organization, and time management skills.
• Ability to track and manage project milestones and timelines and provide regular progress reports.
• Ability to interact professionally and diplomatically with a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Superior written, oral and presentation communication skills.
• Skill in the use of a personal computer using software packages such as Microsoft Office, Excel, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint.
• Reliable with a good attitude and employment record.

The City of Kitchener is committed to an equity-driven, inclusive, accessible, and barrier-free recruitment and selection process, and to ensuring our workforce reflects the full diversity of the community we serve. We welcome applications from Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ persons, as well as other equity deserving groups.

We will accommodate the needs of applicants under the Human Rights Code and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process. Please contact Human Resources at recruitment@kitchener.ca, or 519-783-8081 to make your needs known, so that we can support your full and equal participation throughout the hiring process.

We appreciate the interest of all applicants. Only candidates whose skills, experience and qualifications meet the requirements of the position will be contacted.