Director, Recreational Play Jobs

Background

Location: Remote, OR Hybrid – work-from-home and office: 303 E Wacker Dr., Suite 2200, Chicago, IL

Type: Full-time, permanent position; travel required

Division: Administration

Reports to: President

Overview

The Association of Pickleball Professionals | The APP Tour (APP) is dedicated to providing the best pickleball tournament experience for all. The APP, owned by Intersport, was founded in 2019 and serves professionals, senior professionals, and amateurs in the fastest growing sport in the country. The first and only tour officially sanctioned by USA Pickleball, the 2023 APP Tour slate boasts 16 tournament stops, in addition to Women, International, Junior, and Collegiate events. The APP also prides itself on developing the next generation of champions through its Next Gen Series and other youth initiatives. You can view the 2023 Tour slate here: https://apptour.org/the-2022-app-tour-schedule/

The Position

The APP is seeking to add an experienced and detailed leader to the APP Recreational team. The Director, Recreational Play will be responsible for planning and executing a myriad of local initiatives, including city and regional recreation amateur initiatives. The candidate will be responsible for following a P&L encompassing full and part-time staff, contractors, volunteers and all event expenses. As such, the right candidate will have experience in managing and marketing participatory, recreational events. Working in collaboration with our Strategic Partnerships professionals and other APP department heads, the Director will be expected to plan and execute profitable recreational events throughout the United States and, eventually, globally. The right candidate must possess a terrific work ethic, be highly organized, an excellent communicator, pay great attention-to-detail and have high emotional intelligence – but a key ingredient in the recipe for success includes an incomparable spirit and passion to compete and win in pickleball’s competitive, recreational marketplace.

Responsibilities

General

• Work effectively with cross-functional teams to deliver executional excellence
• Embody and reflect the APP’s performance-based culture and commits him/herself and team to the highest standards for all agency work

Platform Strategy, Development, Planning, and Execution

• Assist in preparing P&L financial models with EVP for league focusing on short and long-term objectives and growth
• While performing as a consummate professional and team player, develop a strategic plan to launch and execute a national amateur league for 3.0 to 5.0 players
• Develop and implement a year-long annual schedule, beginning in January of 2024

Sponsor and Partner Coordination

• Coordinate with Universal Tennis software team where captains can manually record scores into a system
• Work with APP Strategic Partnerships team to find a national league title sponsor and other supplemental partners

Rules Administration

• Form a grievance committee, in conjunction with the APP Head of Referees & Competition, for any issues that may arise
• Work with APP head of referees to secure referees for regional / national championships
• Develop an APP Amateur Rules Playbook in conjunction with the APP head of referees/competition
• Prepare to grow this, and other recreational initiatives, globally

Team Management

• Train, lead and inspire other team members to professionally plan and execute key recreational events and activities
• Seek, train and develop City Coordinators in defined key markets

Event Execution

• Assist in determining regional and national championship sites
• Lead and manage all APP recreational activations and events, including coordination and communication between APP departments and external prospects/clients, vendors and partners in support of activation
• Serve as Tournament Director for the APP National Championships

Qualifications

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Bachelor’s degree required or equivalent experience
• Proven success in the sports/entertainment/lifestyle event and marketing landscape
• Ability to travel for business on trips typically lasting between three (3) and six (6) days
• Proactive, team player with a strong work ethic
• Minimum of ten (10) years’ full-time, non-internship professional experience in event management and marketing at an agency, brand, media company, sports or entertainment property, or related organization
• Demonstrated ability to work within a budget and manage direct reports
• Exemplary written and oral communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects/events concurrently, inclusive of a detail oriented and organized approach
• Proficient in Microsoft PowerPoint and Word; proficiency in Excel
• Ability to produce high quality work at a fast pace
• Experience working in a collaborate manner with both internal and external constituents
• Experience negotiating favorable rates in various areas essential to hosting live, recreational events
• Application of superior prioritization and time-management skills

The Association of Pickleball Professionals, LLC. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.