Chief Operating Officer jobs in Canada

Fairgrounds Public Racket Club is a community-first home for racquet sports—especially pickleball—where players of all levels come to connect, learn, and compete. With welcoming facilities, vibrant programming, and a hospitality-forward mindset, we’re building inclusive clubs that feel like your favorite neighbourhood hangout and your go-to place to play.

We’re hiring a dynamic, organized, and people-driven General Manager (GM) to lead our Red Deer location. As GM, you own the full site P&L and are accountable for member experience, daily operations, staff leadership, programming & scheduling, retail, and financial performance. You’ll be the face of Fairgrounds locally—building relationships with members, partners, and the broader community—while coaching a high-performing team and refining systems for scale.

If you thrive in a leadership role, love racket sports (especially pickleball!), and enjoy creating welcoming, community-driven spaces, we want to hear from you.

• Hire, train, schedule, and develop all site staff; set clear standards and expectations.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and collaborative culture rooted in Fairgrounds’ service values.
• Conduct regular performance check-ins; provide ongoing coaching, recognition, and accountability.
• Maintain clear internal communication and cross-functional alignment with HQ.
• Serve as liaison to selected club ambassadors.

• Own day-to-day operations to ensure a clean, safe, organized, and on-brand facility.
• Lead daily walk-throughs; proactively resolve maintenance, safety, and service gaps.
• Implement and continuously improve SOPs for opening/closing, guest services, court turnover, and incident management.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, and licensing requirements; manage incident reporting and escalations.
• Act as the membership expert, taking a consultative sales approach to optimize join/retain/engage.

• Own court schedules and program mix (open play, round robins, clinics, leagues, tournaments, socials).
• Align programming to member needs and brand goals; collaborate with coaching staff to ensure quality.
• Monitor participation, waitlists, and court utilization; iterate using feedback and data.
• Ensure accurate setup in scheduling/facility systems and on-site communication (displays, signage).

• Manage the location’s P&L; meet or exceed revenue, margin, and KPI targets.
• Forecast, track, and report on membership, programming, court occupancy, retail, and ancillary revenue.
• Process payroll accurately and on time; manage labor to plan.
• Oversee retail: assortment planning, inventory controls, shrink management, and team sales coaching.
• Ensure all transactions are processed accurately via POS; uphold cash-handling and audit procedures.
• Drive operational efficiency and cost controls without compromising member experience.

• Act as the on-site face of Fairgrounds—visible, approachable, and service-obsessed.
• Build relationships with members, local groups, schools, and partners to grow participation.
• Address member concerns with professionalism and care; close the loop on feedback.
• Track and analyze member satisfaction data (NPS/CSAT, reviews) to guide continuous improvement.

• 2–3+ years in a management or supervisory role (hospitality, fitness, sport, or recreation preferred).
• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop teams in a fast-paced, service-led environment.
• Strong organizational, operational, and problem-solving skills; detail-oriented and hands-on.
• Financial acumen with comfort managing budgets, payroll, KPIs, and P&L accountability.
• Familiarity with scheduling, POS, and facility management software. (Podplay knowledge/experience is a bonus!)
• Passion for customer service and community-building.
• Interest or experience in racket sports (pickleball, padel, tennis, etc.).
• Availability for flexible hours, including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.

• Full-time, on-site (40 hours/week)
• Includes morning, evening, and weekend availability

• TBD, commensurate with experience

• November 2025

If you’re a strong leader with a passion for people and sport, we want to hear from you! Please submit:

• Your resume
• A brief cover letter explaining your interest and relevant experience
• Your availability and any scheduling limitations

We thank all applicants for their interest—only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Fairgrounds is an equal opportunity employer. We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.