Manager, Recreation Services

the original; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work from home arrangements

Health and wellbeing programs

Long Service Leave after 5 years

Yoga classes

Fitness Passport

Skin Cancer Checks

Job summary

The City of Canada Bay Council is seeking a senior leader to become Manager, Recreation Services, within the Community, Culture & Leisure directorate. Lead a diverse portfolio across Concord Oval, Five Dock and Rhodes Recreation Centres, delivering fitness, leisure and community programs with a focus on customer experience and outcomes.

Reporting to the Director Community, Culture & Leisure, you will set strategic direction, ensure financial performance and drive innovation while collaborating

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline and 5+ years in senior leadership.
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams across facilities and programs.
• Strong commitment to customer and community outcomes.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Experience managing budgets, procurement, and governance.
• Ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels.
• Current Class C Driver Licence.
• Current Working with Children Check.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across Council’s Recreation Services portfolio.
• Lead high-performing team of operational managers.
• Oversee operation of recreation centres, programs and services.
• Drive financial, commercial and business performance of the portfolio.
• Drive service innovation and continuous improvement.
• Ensure governance, risk management, and safety compliance.
• Build relationships with Council, community organisations, sporting bodies and stakeholders.
• Provide high-level strategic, operational and financial advice to leadership and Council.

Skills

Strategic leadership

People leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Budget management

Governance

Communication skills

Customer focus

Driver licence

Working with Children Check

Education

Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline

Job description

Location: Drummoyne and Council’s Recreation Centres

• Lead Council’s Recreation Services across a diverse portfolio of centres and services
• Senior leadership role reporting to the Director Community, Culture & Leisure
• Competitive salary plus Leaseback or Car Allowance

The City of Canada Bay is a thriving and diverse community, surrounded by the beautiful bays of Sydney Harbour and renowned for its parklands, cycle paths and walkways. Our values underpin how we operate:

We act with integrity | We empower our people | We are respectful | We work together | We innovate.

About the opportunity

The City of Canada Bay is seeking an experienced and strategic senior leader to join our Community, Culture & Leisure directorate as Manager, Recreation Services.

This is a unique opportunity to lead a diverse and expanding recreation portfolio that delivers significant community, health and wellbeing outcomes across the City of Canada Bay. As a key member of the Directorate’s leadership team, you will be responsible for setting the strategic direction of Recreation Services while ensuring the effective operation, financial performance and continuous improvement of Council’s recreation facilities and programs.

The portfolio includes Concord Oval Recreation Centre, Five Dock Leisure Centre and Rhodes Recreation Centre, delivering a broad range of services including fitness, gymnastics, customer experience, sports programs, marketing and business operations.

Reporting to the Director Community, Culture & Leisure, you will provide strategic and operational leadership, driving service excellence, community participation, commercial sustainability and organisational performance. You will work collaboratively with the Director and senior leaders to identify opportunities, respond to emerging trends and deliver innovative recreation services that meet the evolving needs of our community.

Key responsibilities

As Manager, Recreation Services, you will:

• Provide strategic and operational leadership and direction across Council’s Recreation Services portfolio, ensuring services align with Council’s strategic priorities and respond to changing community needs.
• Lead and motivate a high-performing team of operational managers, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, professional development and continuous improvement.
• Oversee the effective and sustainable operation of Council’s recreation centres, programs and services, with a strong focus on customer experience, participation, service quality and community outcomes.
• Lead the financial, commercial and business performance of the portfolio, including budget management, revenue growth, resource allocation and identification of new business opportunities.
• Drive service innovation, business improvement and organisational change to enhance operational performance, customer experience and the long-term sustainability of Recreation Services.
• Ensure strong governance, risk management, child safety, work health and safety and regulatory compliance across the portfolio.
• Build effective relationships and strategic partnerships with Council, community organisations, sporting bodies, government agencies, industry partners and other key stakeholders.
• Provide high-level strategic, operational and financial advice to the Director, Executive Leadership Team and Council, and represent Council at relevant community, industry and stakeholder forums.

About you

We are seeking a highly capable and forward-thinking leader with experience in recreation, leisure, fitness, gymnastics or a related industry. With a strong blend of strategic vision, commercial acumen and people leadership, you will be passionate about delivering innovative, customer-focused recreation services that enhance community wellbeing while achieving strong organisational outcomes.

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline, with at least 5 years’ experience in senior leadership and a commitment to ongoing professional development
• Proven experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and managing complex recreation, leisure, sport, community or similar service portfolios, ideally across multiple facilities, programs or service areas.
• A strong commitment to customer and community outcomes, service excellence and contemporary recreation service delivery.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills
• Experience managing budgets, procurement, and governance processes
• Ability to operate effectively at both strategic and operational levels
• Current Class C Driver Licence.
• A Current Working with Children Check.

What’s on offer

The City of Canada Bay also offers a range of benefits, including:

• A range of flexible work arrangements including hybrid work from home arrangements
• A supportive, energetic, and passionate team
• Significant leave benefits, including sick/personal leave and access to Long Service Leave after 5 years.
• Health and wellbeing programs, including Yoga classes, Fitness Passport, Flu vaccinations and Skin Cancer Checks.
• And much, much more!

Want to know more?

Further information about the role and its requirements is available in the attached Position Description.

If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact Grace Aberin on [phone] or via email at [e-mail] to discuss how we can support you through the recruitment process.

The City of Canada Bay Council is a Child Safe Organisation that recognises and advocates for the rights of children and young people and is committed to providing a safe workplace.

The City of Canada Bay Council is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to maintaining, growing and supporting a diverse, respectful, collaborative and inclusive workplace.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of diverse backgrounds and ages, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQA+ people, people with disability and people from other diverse communities.

Formal offers of employment are subject to standard Council pre-employment checks, including medical and other background checks.

• Working with Children / Working with Vulnerable People Check

Applications close 11:30pm, Thursday 22 October 2026 and will not be accepted through any other medium.

For a confidential discussion about the opportunity, please contact: