General Manager of Recreation and Culture

General Manager of Recreation and Culture

The City of Cranbrook is seeking an experienced and collaborative leader to join our team as General Manager of Recreation & Culture. In this key leadership role, you will provide strategic direction and operational oversight for the City’s recreation facilities, arena services, facility bookings, and community events. You will lead facility operations staff, support strong relationships with user groups and tenants, and ensure safe, efficient, and customer-focused service delivery.

The successful candidate will bring strong leadership, operational expertise, and a commitment to service excellence. If you are passionate about enhancing recreation opportunities and strengthening community connections, we invite you to help shape the future of Recreation & Culture in Cranbrook.

JOB LOCATION: On-site, Cranbrook, BC
POSTING TYPE: Exempt
POSITION TYPE: Full-Time
HOURS OF WORK: A compressed schedule of 70 hours over two weeks, with one scheduled day off every pay period. (Average 7.75 hours per day)

The City of Cranbrook is in the southeast corner of British Columbia amongst the majestic Rockies and Purcell mountains, near Alberta and the Canada/USA border. With a population of approximately 20,000, Cranbrook is the largest community in the East Kootenay. Known as the "Basecamp of the Kootenays", Cranbrook provides an inviting lifestyle in a beautiful setting that has made our city a welcoming and growing place in which to live, work and play.

The City offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including performance-based salary progression, extended health, dental and vision care, short and long-term disability, Employer matching pension plan, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, life insurance and a $500/yr. health and wellness benefit.

$ to $ Exempt Salary Grid Band D4

Reporting to the Director of Recreation & Culture, the General Manager of Recreation & Culture provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for City of Cranbrook recreation facilities and facility bookings, including supervision of facility operations staff, bookings, and event coordination. The position is responsible for facility operations, arena services, facility bookings, user group relationships, and operational coordination with municipal departments to ensure safe, efficient, and customer-focused service delivery.

• Provide supervision, leadership, direction, coaching, and performance management to the Recreation & Culture facilities staff.
• Develop departmental goals, work plans, and performance measures aligned with City strategic objective.
• Promote a positive, collaborative, and service-oriented workplace culture.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, succession planning, and staff development.
• Ensure compliance with provincial legislation, health regulations, safety standards, TSBC requirements, and industry best practices.
• In collaboration with the Manager of Aquatic & Programming and the Public Works Department, coordinate annual shutdowns, maintenance planning, and capital improvement projects for aquatic facilities.
• Manages tenant and user group relationships within City-owned facilities, serving as the primary point of contact and ensuring effective communication, coordination, and high levels of service.
• Ensure exceptional customer experiences through responsive service delivery and evaluation of service levels to implement operational improvements.
• Provide overall leadership and operational oversight of recreation facilities, including arenas and multi-use spaces.
• Collaborate with Public Works on lifecycle planning, capital maintenance, and infrastructure improvements.
• Collaborate with the Public Works Department to coordinate programming, maintenance considerations, and use of outdoor recreation spaces, parks, and related amenities.
• Oversee the planning, scheduling, and coordination of facility bookings, including recreational use, community programming, and third-party rentals to balance community access with revenue generation objectives.
• Ensure effective processes for event coordination, including large-scale rentals, tournaments, and community events. Coordinate with other municipal departments (e.g., Public Works, Bylaw, Fire, or Corporate Services) to support event planning and delivery, including logistics, safety, permitting, and operational requirements.
• Work closely with the Aquatics and Programming Manager to ensure alignment between facility availability and program delivery, and to support both City and community-led recreation, arts and cultural events and initiatives.
• Implement and maintain user-friendly booking systems and customer service standards.
• Address complex customer concerns and resolve service issues professionally.
• Monitor revenues and expenditures while ensuring fiscal responsibility.
• Prepare financial reports, forecasts, and budget recommendations.
• Lead incident…