Arena Supervisor

About Us

Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre (SLSC) – located in Cochrane AB - is a leading-edge sport and recreational facility encompassing 325,000 square feet, including an aquatic centre, four arenas and a curling centre, fitness & climbing facilities, an indoor turf, track, and gymnasium, and is home to several third-party tenants. SLSC is a not-for-profit organization and a registered charity, governed by a volunteer board of directors. With over 200 team members, we offer a dynamic and fast-paced work environment that promotes excellence in teamwork, community building, and an innovative customer-focus.

About the Position

This key position is responsible for ensuring the safe and efficient mechanical & non-mechanical operation of the Arenas (four ice surfaces in total), associated equipment and common spaces, and the Arena Team. You will also assist with overall SLSC/Cochrane Arena operations within the cross-functional Operations team. You will lead by setting a positive example, always working towards excellence in internal & external customer experience. This is a working supervisor position, with approximately 70% hands-on work and 30% administrative duties

Job Type: Full-time Permanent (Salary with benefits); 40 hours/week; a flexible schedule is required to support business needs, contractor work, as well as peak hours and team support.
Specific responsibilities:
Ice Maintenance & Operations:

• Responsible for ice quality, ice operations, & routine maintenance and other operational factors including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, etc. within the three SLSC Arenas, the Cochrane Arena facility as a whole, and all associated common spaces within.
• Responsible for housekeeping of mechanical areas and front end that the public sees (dressing rooms, lobby, washrooms, and locker rooms, multi–use rooms and grounds).
• Perform other mechanical and non-mechanical maintenance as required to operate the SLSC facility, supporting the cross-functional team, with direction from the Facilities Manager.
• Assist in ice plant operations, maintenance, and repairs – liaising with contractors as required.
• Inspecting machinery daily, keeping mechanical rooms clean.

People Leadership:

• Provide hands-on leadership and strategic direction for direct reports (Sr. Ice Techs, Ice Techs, and Arena Attendants) in all day-to-day operations. Active supervision of team members, training and developing staff, and collaborating with Sr. Ice Techs to ensure effective communication within the team, and innovative thinking for the future of our arena operations.
• Supervise and direct the work of Arena Staff, including supporting hiring, managing performance, delegating work effectively, and always ensuring staff and public safety, working in tandem with the Facilities Manager, HR, and H&S as needed.
• Schedule Arena staff in accordance with Sport Partner bookings and the needs of the four ice surfaces, and in alignment with the labour budget.
• Facilitate regular individual feedback opportunities and hold regular team meetings to ensure goals are on target and performance feedback is taking place regularly, follow performance management procedures when required.
• Provide consistent bi-weekly timesheet and time-off approvals using the payroll system (Dayforce); tracking time-off requests, approvals, sick time, and staffing trends.
• Maintain a professional appearance at all times and ensure that direct reports do as well, including adherence to SLSC’s uniform standards.
• Interact and communicate with the immediate supervisor, co-workers, employees, sport partners, and customers in an effective and positive manner to promote the SLSC brand and a positive working environment.
• Lead, support, and train staff to support safety and security measures – including Area Warden duties, inspections, incident reporting, and responding to patron issues as required.

Other tasks related to Arena Operations:

• Support the development, implementation, and monitoring of strategic and business plans and annual budget processes; accountable for achieving seasonal and annual goals.
• Work within and meet an assigned budget for labour, vendors, equipment, and contract services.
• Attend and actively participate in other required meetings – Operations Dept, All Staff, Supervisory, etc.
• Carry a radio at all times during shifts & be responsive and available to respond to emergency situations.
• Perform all work with proper safety procedures in mind to ensure a safe environment for all parties, adhering to all expectations as set out by management. Act as a safety leader, ensuring that all areas and activities within the Arena spaces are regularly inspected and kept safe in accordance with internal and external safety standards.

Qualifications:
The ideal candidate for this role will have years of experience supervising a complex multi-rink facility which supports a heavy sport partner/bookings schedule, a strategic thinker able to anticipate and evaluate cause and effect situations. They will have experience leading a team of over 20 employees, with an emphasis on clear communication, personnel training, and performance management. They will have experience developing a staff schedule which is aligned for the rental/booking schedule to ensure smooth, consistent, and reliable operations; and the technical ability to utilize different software to do so (including the scheduling software and the bookings software)

• Arena Operations Level I & II (or working towards completion of)
• 3+ years of related work experience in a leadership or supervisory capacity within “ice operations”, including role modelling and coaching of team members, and administrative duties such as developing SOP’s.
• Sound knowledge of buildings and building systems as they apply to arenas and curling rinks; (HVAC, electrical, mechanical, building structures and various ice plants)
• Relevant training or post-secondary education, such as Power Engineering, Refrigeration, Ammonia training, RFP education, or a Facility Maintenance certification would be considered an asset
• Strong competencies with MS Office Suite including Teams; able to pick up new software easily.
• 5th class driver’s license, and a sufficiently clear driver abstract
• Intermediate First Aid and CPR/AED certification is required
• Relevant safety training such as: WHMIS, Leadership in Safety Excellence, Incident Investigation, etc.
• Ability to read, write, and accurately follow verbal or written instructions in English
• Ability to perform the physical requirements of the job including standing for an extended period of time, walking, lifting, and performing repetitive motions, working on ice, and working with heavy machinery

This job posting will remain open until filled.