Director of Riverside Tennis

About Riverside Park Conservancy & the Riverside Tennis Association:

Riverside Park Conservancy (RPC) is a nonprofit organization that works in partnership with the City of New York to restore, maintain, and improve Riverside Park and its neighboring waterfront parks for all New Yorkers. Stretching for six miles along the Hudson River, the park provides essential open space, recreation, and community connection for residents of Manhattan’s West Side and beyond.

Improving the park’s resources for learning and playing tennis is a signature component of this vision and has historically been a key focus of Riverside Park Conservancy. The public red clay tennis courts at 96th Street (Oscar Hijuelos Clay Courts), along with the 119th Street and Fort Washington courts, provide high-quality, affordable tennis in a beloved neighborhood park setting. Tennis in Riverside Park is more than a sport—it is a gateway to active living, social connection, and community stewardship.

The Riverside Tennis Association (RTA) is a volunteer advisory group of community members, players, and stakeholders who work in partnership with Riverside Park Conservancy to help shape the vision, priorities, and community engagement strategies for tennis in the park.

A new role, the Director of Riverside Tennis is a full-time, year-round position within Riverside Park Conservancy. The Director will be responsible for the overall leadership, strategy and management of activities and operations at the Oscar Hijuelos Red Clay Courts at 96th Street, and to a lesser extent the hard tennis courts at 119 th Street and Fort Washington Park at 172 nd Street.

Operating primarily out of new mobile office space at the 96 th Street location during the tennis season, the Director will oversee all tennis programming (youth, adult, camps, community events), player experience and community engagement related to tennis. The Director will supervise the Assistant Director of Riverside Tennis and a small team of seasonal staff and will work closely with contracted seasonal tennis coaches, vendors and RPC groundskeeping staff responsible for maintaining the courts and surrounding park.

The Director reports to the President & CEO of Riverside Park Conservancy and partners closely with the RTA Steering Committee, as well as RPC’s Operations, Finance, Development, Volunteer, Communications, and Programming teams.

• Strategic Leadership & Partnership with the RTA Steering Committee
• Provide vision and leadership for all tennis activities in Riverside Park, fulfilling the mission to provide accessible, high-quality and diverse opportunities for everyone to engage with the sport in a public park setting.
• Work in close partnership with the RTA Steering Committee to:
  – Shape the strategic direction of Riverside Tennis
  – Identify community needs and opportunities
  – Set priorities for programs, tournaments, community events, and capital or amenity enhancements at the courts
• Attend Steering Committee meetings (generally quarterly); prepare and present updates on programs, player feedback, general operations, fundraising and community engagement.
• Collaborate with RPC leadership and the Steering Committee on multi-year strategic planning for tennis activities, including accessibility, quality and community impact.
• In consultation with the RTA Steering Committee, help ensure the smooth design, execution, and evaluation of adult and youth tennis programs at all three court locations, including group lessons, private lessons, cardio tennis, ladders, leagues, tournaments, and clinics.
• Ensure programs are inclusive and responsive to players of varying ages, abilities, and backgrounds, with attention to equity and community needs.
• Oversee the youth summer tennis camp in partnership with RPC’s Director of Sports Camp, including program design, daily schedule, hiring, training and supervision of seasonal camp staff, safety and risk management, and parent communication.
• Regularly review participation data, player feedback, and outcomes; recommend program adjustments and new offerings to better serve the community.
• Court Operations & Facility…