Director, New Product Development (Sports Programming)

Canlan Sports; Toronto; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading sports and recreation company based in Toronto is seeking a Director of New Product Development to formulate strategies for growth and innovation. This hybrid position requires a qualified candidate with at least 5 years of experience in product management and excellent leadership skills. Responsibilities include market analysis, strategic partnerships, and project management for new product initiatives aimed at enhancing profitability and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years work experience in a related field.
• Experience with change management and leading cross-functional teams.
• Solid proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategic growth plans for product innovation.
• Analyze market trends and competitive dynamics.
• Establish strategic partnerships to drive business growth.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Leadership

Project management

Presentation skills

Communication skills

Education

Post-Secondary Degree in Sports Management, Leisure Management, or Business Administration

Tools

Microsoft Office

Project management software

Sales software

Job description

Canlan Sports is the largest private‑sector owner and operator of recreational sports complexes in North America. The company's success in the sports and recreation industry is attributed to a focus on innovative programming, service excellence, world‑class sports communities, and an understanding of its customers’ expectations and the commitment needed to deliver industry‑leading participant experiences.

Canlan is currently looking for a Director, New Product Development for our Corporate East Head Office!

This is a hybrid position.

Job Summary

The Director, New Product Development helps identify new growth platforms and opportunities across the business through the analysis and assessment of market and product trends, customer insights, competitive positions, and emerging business and product models. The role determines what it takes to differentiate and help the organization to align on the strategic direction, including the development of sound business cases, proof of concept, validated hypotheses, and leading project teams to execute go‑to‑market plans for new products, enhancements, and categories. The Director, New Product Development is directly responsible for working closely with the Management Team, the Product team, and mobilizing cross‑functional project teams for growth initiatives to ensure the strategies are well defined, assess talent and resource requirements and clearly articulate the implementation needs for successful launch and first year execution. They are also responsible for business development in the areas of tournament expansion, league expansion, and program expansion in third‑party facilities, and through M&A. They lead complex workstreams and provide hands‑on support including developing project deliverables, collaborating with marketing on primary and secondary research, supporting product and managing cross‑functional teams to realize increased profitability and operational efficiencies.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategic growth plans to achieve product innovation and business development targets.
• Develop and document a deep understanding of the sports and recreation landscape, including different product categories, segments, customers, market trends, technology, and distribution channels to identify profitable growth opportunities.
• Analyze industry structure, go‑to‑market models, competitive dynamics, and market attractiveness and its likely evolution to inform strategy development and priority setting.
• Assist in the development of best‑in‑class individual sports complex sales & business development plans.
• Create and communicate product innovation/business development goals and ensure appropriate teams are informed on the progress of those goals.
• Work with internal teams and sports complexes to ensure the highest level of customer experience.
• Establish strategic partnerships with other companies and partners to leverage their networks.
• Conduct negotiations to secure favorable agreement terms for the organization.
• Engage with executives and a broad range of stakeholders to help oversee the direction and resolve issues in a timely manner.

Qualifications And Education

• Post‑Secondary Degree in Sports Management, Leisure Management or Business Administration or equivalent.
• Minimum of 5 years work experience working or leading cross‑functional teams.
• Experience with change management and leading transition and implementation work.
• Experience preferably in sports, entertainment, or hospitality services.
• Experience working with senior decision makers in multiple locations.
• Experience in the areas of departmental partnerships, report writing, people management and performance management.
• Familiarity and experience with project management, product, and sales software.
• Solid proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (i.e., Word, Excel, Outlook, Publisher, PowerPoint).
• Proficient in online research.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, written and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and influence others outside of a direct reporting structure.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with senior management and staff.
• Demonstrated experience in training, coaching, and mentoring.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, plan, execute and complete multiple projects simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and influence budgets.
• Ability to work well under pressure and to meet deadlines and organizational requirements effectively.
• Self‑motivated, professional, and flexible; able to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to travel on a regular basis. This role requires both office presence, customer, and sports complex visits.
• Travel requirement and will be approximately 15%.

NOTE: Only those applicants under consideration will be contacted. Please accept our utmost appreciation for your interest.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs, and not on race, color, creed, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, military service, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions or any other classification protected by federal, provincial, and local laws and ordinances. Reasonable accommodation is available for qualified individuals with disabilities, upon request. This Equal Employment Opportunity policy applies to all practices.