Sport Manager

Comunidad Lift; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

The University of Canterbury is seeking a Sport Manager to bring greater connection, visibility and strategic direction to sport across UC. With Takurua creating a new home for recreation, sport and wellbeing, this person will build on strong foundations and help create a more connected sporting model across UC.

Reporting to the Takurua Centre Director, you will lead a specialist sport team, develop trusted relationships across clubs and partners, and implement a clear strategy that grows

Qualifications

• Experience leading the development and delivery of sporting programmes.
• Strong knowledge of club environments, participation and performance pathways, including athlete wellbeing and safe sport practice.
• The ability to influence independent stakeholders and build trusted partnerships.
• Experience leading specialist teams and enabling people to perform at their best.
• Sound strategic judgement and the ability to focus resources where they add value.

Responsibilities

• Provide dedicated strategic leadership across club sport, social participation and performance pathways.
• Lead a specialist sport team and build trusted relationships with student clubs and partners.
• Develop a clear sporting strategy that expands participation while supporting high-performance outcomes.
• Guide priorities and investment using data and student feedback.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder influence

Team leadership

Sport development

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification

Job description

Te Ratonga Hākinakina | University of Canterbury Recreation and Sport

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• Lead UC Recreation and Sport through the launch of Takurua
• Set the strategy for participation, performance and facility use
• Attractive remuneration and a comprehensive UC employee benefits package

Strengthen sport as a source of identity, belonging and pride across the UC community.

A Rare Opportunity to Shape University Sport. Few roles offer this breadth of influence over the future of university sport.

The University of Canterbury is seeking a Sport Manager to bring greater connection, visibility and strategic direction to sport across UC. With Takurua creating a new home for recreation, sport and wellbeing, this person will build on strong foundations and help create a more connected sporting model across UC.

About The University Of Canterbury

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury is a large, research-led university with more than 27,000 students and a proud history extending over 150 years.

UC’s values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and tiakitanga influence how its people work together, care for others and responsibly manage the resources entrusted to them.

Nearly twice the size of the current Recreation Centre, Takurua will bring together indoor and outdoor sport, fitness, group exercise, social and recovery spaces, counselling and allied health services within a modern and accessible campus environment.

Learn more about Takurua: Takurua – new student facility | UC

About The Role

Reporting to the Takurua Centre Director, the Sport Manager will provide dedicated strategic leadership across club sport, social participation, representative competition and performance pathways.

UC already has committed clubs, successful programmes, talented practitioners and a strong record of tertiary sporting achievement. The opportunity is to bring these elements together within a clear sporting strategy that expands participation while supporting students with the potential and ambition to perform at a higher level.

You will lead a specialist sport team and develop trusted relationships with student clubs, sporting organisations, community partners and other parts of the University. As many clubs operate independently, success will come through credibility, influence and a genuine understanding of what enables sporting communities to thrive.

Key Areas of Focus

• Develop an integrated strategy for sport participation and performance at UC.
• Support clubs to strengthen their capability, governance and connections with the University.
• Grow social leagues, competitions, tournaments and campus sport initiatives.
• Build clear and inclusive pathways from first participation to performance.
• Lead a multidisciplinary team spanning sport coordination, club development, strength and conditioning.
• Use participation data and student feedback to guide priorities and investment.

About You

You will understand the wider sporting system and know how to bring people together around a shared direction.

Your background may include tertiary sport, regional or national sporting organisations, club development, community sport, performance pathways or another environment where participation and performance must work alongside one another.

You Will Bring

• Experience leading the development and delivery of sporting programmes.
• Strong knowledge of club environments, participation and performance pathways, including athlete wellbeing and safe sport practice.
• The ability to influence independent stakeholders and build trusted partnerships.
• Experience leading specialist teams and enabling people Experience leading teams and enabling people to perform at their best.
• Sound strategic judgement and the ability to focus resources where they add value.
• A relevant bachelor’s degree or equivalent recognised qualification.

You will champion high performance while keeping participation, inclusion and student development at its heart. You will also understand that sport can create connection and belonging well beyond the field of play.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is a newly created role with the mandate to give sport a clearer identity, direction and voice across UC.

You will have the scope to shape a connected sporting model, build on recent success and create new opportunities for students to participate, compete, lead and belong. Takurua will provide the platform; this role will help determine how fully that potential is realised.

Applications close 28 October 2026.

This role is based on site.