Regional Director of Pickleball Programming and Experience

Socket.dev; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a Regional Director of Pickleball Programming & Experience to lead the pickleball journey across Center Court, establishing standards, developing our teams, and building programs members love while helping clubs deliver on our mission: Grow the game and Inspire Members to Play for LIFE.

As a leader, you’ll champion the Center Court experience, set programming and community standards across clubs, lead events and social experiences, and partner with club leadership to tailor

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of leadership experience in pickleball, racquet sports, recreation, fitness, hospitality or another member-focused environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management, Recreation, Business or a related field preferred, or equivalent leadership and industry experience.
• Demonstrated success developing programming, events and member experiences.
• Strong leadership, coaching, communication and organizational skills.
• Financial fluency - comfortable with budgets, revenue and performance metrics.
• The ability to move between strategy and execution: seeing the big picture while being willing to get into the clubs and make it happen.
• An unrelenting drive for excellence - not perfection, but always better.

Responsibilities

• Establish consistent programming and experience standards across our clubs.
• Partner with club leadership and pickleball teams to understand community needs and turn those needs into great experiences.
• Lead events, tournaments and social experiences that bring our communities together.
• Develop industry-leading Open Play, leagues, clinics, lessons, tournaments, social play and events.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Financial fluency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Sports Management, Recreation, Business or a related field

Job description

Description

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

You do not just understand pickleball - you feel it.You know the energy of a packed court, the buzz of tournament day, and the moment a first-time player gets hooked on the game.You are a builder, connector, coach and leader who understands that great programming is about more than filling courts. It is about creating experiences that bring people together, keep members playing, develop great teams and help our clubs perform.As our Regional Director of Pickleball Programming & Experience, you will lead the pickleball experience across Center Court: establishing standards, developing our teams, building programs members love and helping each club deliver on our mission:‘Grow the game of Pickleball and Inspire Our Members to Play for LIFE.’At Center Court, we believe great clubs are built by great communities and great teams.

PURPOSE - LEAD THE VISION

Champion the Center Court pickleball experience across our clubs and set the standard for what great programming, community and play should look and feel like.

• Serve as a leader and ambassador for the Center Court pickleball community.
• Establish consistent programming and experience standards across our clubs.
• Partner with club leadership and pickleball teams to understand each community and turn those needs into great experiences.
• Ensure our programs, events and interactions reflect our culture, values and Built Togetherphilosophy.
• Lead events, tournaments and social experiences that bring our communities together.

PRODUCT - BUILD WHAT MEMBERS LOVE

Create programming that gives players of every level a reason to get on the court, improve their game and keep coming back.

• Develop industry-leading Open Play, leagues, clinics, lessons, tournaments, social play and events.
• Create a consistent programming philosophy while allowing clubs to respond to their local communities.
• Keep our programming fresh and relevant by listening to members and responding to participation trends and feedback.
• Hold and support the delivery of high standard for courts, equipment, programming presentation and the overall player experience.
• Partner with Marketing, Membership and club leadership to drive awareness, participation and brand engagement.

PROCESS - CREATE CONSISTENCY & EXECUTE

Turn great ideas into programs our teams can execute consistently and successfully.

• Develop short- and long-term programming strategies that support the member experience and growth of the business.
• Create standards and best practices that allow successful programs to be shared across Center Court.
• Build schedules that balance member demand, court capacity, programming needs, seasonality and financial performance.
• Use technology and reporting to understand participation, utilization, trends and opportunities.
• Continually evaluate what is working, what is not and what our communities want next.
• Communicate the’ what and why’ so our teams understand both the program and its purpose.

PERFORMANCE - MAKE A MEASURABLE DIFFERENCE

Great programming supports great experiences…and great experiences support measurable results.

• Create a pickleball experience our members want to tell their friends about.
• Drive membership growth and retention through programming that gets members playing, connecting and coming back.
• Own key performance measures including participation, court utilization, member engagement, retention, satisfaction and programming revenue.
• Identify underperforming programs or clubs and work alongside local teams to improve results.
• Understand the financial impact of programming decisions and balance innovation with sustainability.
• Test new ideas, measure the results and expand what works.

We do not measure success simply by how many programs we offer. We measure it by the experience we create and the impact on our members, our teams and our clubs.

PEOPLE - BUILD GREAT TEAMS

Our people create the experience. Your responsibility is to help them become great at what they do.

• Recruit, coach and develop passionate pickleball professionals who take pride in creating an exceptional member experience.
• Build strong relationships with GMs, club leaders and pickleball teams across Center Court.
• Create a culture where people feel respected, supported, empowered and accountable.
• Be visible - in our clubs, on our courts and with our members and teams.
• Coach rather than simply direct. Help people understand what great looks like and give them the tools to achieve it.
• Recognize great work and share successes and best practices across our clubs.
• Lead by example with energy, professionalism and a genuine love of the game.Built Together means we listen, contribute, challenge each other and take responsibility for making Center Court better…together.

A ‘People Focused, Performance Driven’ Culture.

WHAT YOU BRING

• A genuine passion for pickleball and a desire to help others play for life.
• 3–5+ years of leadership experience in pickleball, racquet sports, recreation, fitness, hospitality or another member-focused environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management, Recreation, Business or a related field preferred, or equivalent leadership and industry experience.
• Demonstrated success developing programming, events and member experiences.
• Strong leadership, coaching, communication and organizational skills.
• Financial fluency - comfortable with budgets, revenue and performance metrics.
• The ability to move between strategy and execution: seeing the big picture while being willing to get into the clubs and make it happen.
• The presence and energy to engage members and teams across multiple Center Court locations.
• A willingness to listen, learn, test new ideas and continuously improve.
• An unrelenting drive for excellence - not perfection, but always better.

WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS

This role exists for one simple reason:To create pickleball experiences that inspire our communities to play for life.You will help shape how pickleball is experienced across Center Court. Developing our programs, our people and our communities as we grow.And you will not do it alone. You will work alongside our club teams, leadership team and members to continue building something special.GREAT CLUBS ARE BUILT BY GREAT COMMUNITIES AND GREAT TEAMS.BUILT TOGETHER. STRONGER TOGETHER.Center Court: Your Game, Our Goal!