Director of Recreation & Community Development

The Municipality Of East Hants; Elmsdale; Hybrid; CAD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The Municipality of East Hants is seeking a Director of Recreation and Community Development to lead a team delivering exceptional recreation, tourism, and related programs across the municipality. Based in Elmsdale, NS, the role reports to the Chief Administrative Officer and focuses on strategy, partnerships, and service excellence.

You should bring at least five years in a leadership role with direct coaching experience, strong relationship skills, and a track record in budgeting and

Qualifications

• Five years of leadership experience with direct oversight and coaching for at least three years.
• Strong relationship and team-building abilities.
• Experience with municipal/public service or recreation facilities preferred.
• Experience with strategic planning, budgeting, and fiscal responsibility.
• Ability to interpret legislation such as the Municipal Government Act.
• Comfort with technology including MS Office and financial systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead a senior management team overseeing recreation, facilities, community development, and tourism.
• Develop and deliver programs and services for the community.
• Oversee operations of the East Hants Aquatic Centre and the East Hants Sportsplex, plus tourism operations.
• Support community groups via grants and advise on boards and volunteer recruitment.
• Collaborate with municipal Council and partner with community organizations.

Skills

Leadership

Team building

Relationship building

Strategic planning

Budgeting

Fiscal management

Customer service

Change management

Public service experience

Tools

MS Office Suite

Financial systems

Job description

Director of Recreation & Community Development

Location: Elmsdale, NS

Are you looking for a senior leadership opportunity where you can be part of building the future in a fast-growing community?

If you are, consider joining our team at the Municipality of East Hants!

Due to internal movement within our leadership team, the Municipality of East Hants is recruiting for a Director of Recreation and Community Development.

About Us

East Hants is a vibrant and fast-growing community with a unique offering of urban and rural living, bordering the Halifax Regional Municipality, and is home to one of the youngest and fastest growing populations in Atlantic Canada. In recent years, East Hants has experienced remarkable growth across various sectors, continuing to boost economic activity, create jobs, and bring a diverse mix of industries to the community. The Municipality owns and operates the East Hants Aquatic Centre, the East Hants Waste Management Centre, the East Hants Sportsplex, Fundy Tidal Interpretive Centre, Burntcoat Head Park and multiple parks, playgrounds and trail systems. East Hants is defined by natural beauty, strong sense of community, economic potential, and welcoming attitude.

Working for the Municipality of East Hants, you can have a rewarding career, modern facilities to work in, an innovative continuously improving workplace, and a flexible work culture with a focus on work-life balance.

The Opportunity

As a member of the Senior Management team reporting directly to the Chief Administrative Officer, the Director of Recreation and Community Development is accountable for leading a team of recreation, facilities, community development, and tourism professionals in developing and delivering exceptional recreation, tourism, and related programs and services to our community.

The Recreation and Community Development team is responsible for the operation of the East Hants Aquatic Centre, the East Hants Sportsplex, and the tourism operations at Fundy Tidal Interpretive Centre and Burntcoat Head Park. The team is responsible for the Recreation Services Master Plan, the East Hants Tourism Strategy, the Mount Uniacke Recreation Strategy, the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, and related strategies/policies. The team develops and delivers recreation programming across the municipality. The team also supports community groups in the delivery of recreation, sports, and tourism program opportunities through the community grant program, and partnering with groups to provide strategic advice on Board development, volunteer recruitment, and through providing other tools and training.

About You

You are a Recreation, Sports, Tourism, or Community Development professional with at least five (5) years’ experience in a leadership role, with direct oversight and coaching of a team of people for at least three (3) of those years.

You are a relationship and team builder, and can provide strategic advice and effective support to both your team and a municipal Council. You are comfortable partnering with community groups and your customer service skills are top‑notch. You thrive in a work culture and environment that is changing and adapting along with the growth and needs of our Municipality.

Ideally, you have Municipal, public service, or recreation facility-related experience, but it’s not a deal breaker if you have a strong background of leadership and transferrable skills.

You have demonstrated experience with strategic planning, budgeting, and fiscal responsibility, and are comfortable interpreting related legislation such as the Municipal Government Act.

Comfort with technology in this role is a must, including MS Office Suite and financial systems.

If you require an accommodation to assist in the application process, please contact Human Resources at [e-mail] or 902-883-6203 .