Senior Director, Athletics and Recreation

Senior Director, Athletics and Recreation University of Guelph, Guelph, ON

• Closing Date:
  July 26, 2026
• Location:
  
  Guelph, ON
• Salary Range: $169,481- $189,481 commensurate with experience
• Work Mode:
  On-site with Flexible Work Arrangements

The University of Guelph, Department of Athletics & Recreation exists to benefit and support physical and mental well-being through activity and engagement. Its mission is to be leaders in the delivery of innovative and impactful programs, services, and experiences in sport, fitness, recreation, well-being, and leadership, founded on a culture of service excellence, inclusion, and health and safety. The Department’s extensive physical infrastructure includes three gymnasiums, two ice rinks, four turf soccer/rugby fields, a football stadium, three ball diamonds, two grass fields, two swimming pools, a fieldhouse, a rock-climbing wall, and three fitness facilities.

The Fitness and Recreation programme provides inclusive access to fitness, instructional, intramural, and informal recreation opportunities to ~30,000 undergraduate and graduate students on the Guelph campus, with a weekly participation exceeding 25,000 engagements. The Gryphons Varsity programme is one of the largest intercollegiate programs in Canada, with 38 intercollegiate teams and approximately 840 student-athletes, supported by coaches and professional staff dedicated to student-athlete development, safety, academic success, and competitive excellence and competes provincially and nationally as members of the OUA and U SPORTS.

The University of Guelph is one of Canada’s top comprehensive and research-intensive universities. Established in 1964, the University enjoys a reputation for innovation and excellence dating back more than 150 years to its founding colleges:
Ontario Veterinary College, Ontario Agricultural College and Macdonald Institute. Today the University’s eight colleges conduct cutting-edge teaching and research across a range of disciplines in the physical and life sciences, business, arts, social sciences, and agricultural and veterinary sciences. Together its students, faculty and staff pursue active inquiry and exercise creativity in its shared commitment to Improve Life.

It is within this context that the University of Guelph welcomes applications and nominations for the appointment of its Senior Director, Athletics and Recreation, commencing late Summer 2026, or soon thereafter.

Reporting to the Vice-Provost, Student Affairs, the Senior Director, Athletics and Recreation (Senior Director) provides strategic leadership and operational oversight of a comprehensive Athletics and Recreation portfolio that plays a central role in student engagement, well-being, and institutional reputation. As a member of the Student Affairs Leadership Team, the Senior Director contributes to division-wide planning related to strategy, staffing, budget, and policy, and plays a critical role in advancing a vision for Athletics and Recreation that is anti-racist, accessible, inclusive, and trauma-informed, and that promotes safe, meaningful, and developmentally rich experiences for all students.

Programs and activities under the Senior Director’s purview include Recreation and Programming;
High Performance Sport;
Marketing, Communications, and Events;
Facility Development and Management;
Finance and Administration;
Human Resources;
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; and Alumni Engagement. The Senior Director ensures that Athletics and Recreation programs are firmly aligned with the academic mission of the University, fostering environments in which students and staff can thrive. Central to this role is a commitment to student-athlete health and safety, holistic well-being, academic achievement, and personal development, as well as ensuring that recreation and active-living opportunities are accessible, welcoming, and responsive to the diverse needs of the student community.

The Senior Director is responsible for managing an operating budget exceeding $14M, along with an annual capital renewal budget of approximately $2M and has overall responsibility for approximately 66 full-time staff and…