Manager of Recreation/Education Programs

Love kids? Love animals? Love creating amazing programs and leading a team?

Pawsitively Pets is looking for an energetic, organized and experienced Manager of Recreation/Education Programs to join our growing team!

Pawsitively Pets is a one-of-a-kind, hands-on animal education organization that gives children and other community members the opportunity to learn about, care for, and interact with a variety of animals in a safe, engaging, and educational environment.

From camps and birthday parties to school programs, community events, long-term care visits and specialized programming, no two days at Pawsitively Pets are quite the same.

We are looking for someone who brings together strong leadership, exceptional organizational skills, creativity, confidence working with children, and a genuine love of animals. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable leading a team, speaking with a parent, developing a new program, presenting to a group of children and rolling up their sleeves to help wherever needed.

This is a permanent, full-time management position with a salary range of $52,000–$65,000 per year, depending on education and experience, plus extended health benefits and a car allowance.

A Management Role You’ll Learn From the Ground Up:

We believe the best managers understand the programs, people and day-to-day operations they are responsible for leading.

For approximately the first 3–4 months, you will participate in comprehensive hands-on training across all of the Pawsitively Pets programs. You’ll learn our programs from the inside out, including program delivery, animal handling and care, policies and procedures, customer service standards, scheduling, administrative systems and the software we use to operate our programs.

You should expect to be actively involved in programs during this training period. This is an important part of the role, not simply an orientation.

Once you have successfully completed your training and demonstrated a strong understanding of our programs and operations, your responsibilities will progressively transition towards a leadership role - managing staff, programming, scheduling, daily operations and program development.

What You’ll Do:

As our Manager of Recreation Programs, you will help oversee the people, programs and processes that make Pawsitively Pets successful.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Planning, developing, delivering and evaluating recreation and animal education programs, including camps, birthday parties, special events, school programs, long-term care visits and programming for participants with diverse needs.
• Managing the day-to-day administrative and operational requirements of our programs, including scheduling, staffing and program logistics.
• Acting as an on-site manager and providing leadership and support to staff during programs.
• Recruiting, onboarding, training, coaching and mentoring team members and volunteers.
• Supporting staff performance and ensuring organizational policies, procedures and program standards are consistently followed.
• Creating engaging, age-appropriate programming that introduces participants to the world of animals in creative and meaningful ways.
• Reviewing existing programs and identifying opportunities to improve, expand and develop new revenue-generating programs.
• Providing exceptional customer service and communicating professionally with parents, caregivers, schools and community partners.
• Responding to questions and concerns, resolving issues appropriately and knowing when matters need to be escalated.
• Maintaining required program documentation, evaluations and HIGH FIVE® accreditation requirements.
• Helping foster a positive, collaborative and inclusive workplace where staff feel supported, accountable and proud of the programs they deliver.
• Working within a variety of our hands-on animal programs.

Who We’re Looking For:

You are a confident and capable leader who genuinely enjoys working with people. You don't just manage from behind a computer; you are willing to jump into a program, support a staff member, interact with participants, solve a problem and help the day run smoothly.

You bring creativity and enthusiasm to programming, but you also understand that successful programs require strong systems, attention to detail, accountability and follow-through.

You can confidently:

• Lead, coach, mentor and supervise staff.
• Provide constructive feedback and participate in performance management when required.
• Train and onboard new employees and volunteers.
• Build strong working relationships with employees, families, participants and community partners.
• Create and adapt programs for different audiences, including children, youth, seniors and participants with diverse needs.
• Understand child development and the responsibilities involved in creating safe, supportive programs for children and youth.
• Manage multiple programs, schedules and competing priorities without losing track of the details.
• Communicate clearly and professionally, even when dealing with challenging situations.
• Use sound judgement, take initiative and solve problems independently.
• Bring new ideas forward and turn those ideas into well-organized, successful programs.
• Work daily with our animal team and ensure all needs are being met.

Mandatory Requirements:

To be considered for this position, you must:

• Have 3–4 years of full-time professional experience working in a child-related, recreation, education, camp or similar environment.
• Have previous leadership, supervisory or management experience.
• Hold a valid driver's licence and have reliable access to a vehicle that can be used for work each day. A car allowance is provided.
• Be available to regularly work weekends. Weekend availability is an essential requirement of this position.
• Be able to obtain a Vulnerable Sector Check within 30 days of employment.
• Hold Standard First Aid and CPR Level C, or obtain certification within the first 45 days of employment.
• Hold HIGH FIVE® Principles of Healthy Child Development (PHCD) certification, or obtain it within the first 45 days of employment.
• Be comfortable working hands-on with a variety of animals and learning our animal handling and care procedures.
• Be physically capable of lifting up to 50lbs and performing the active duties associated with our programs.
• Be comfortable speaking and presenting in front of large groups.
• And, of course, you really do need to love working with both children and animals!

What We Offer:

Joining Pawsitively Pets means becoming part of a unique organization where your work has a direct impact on children, families, staff and the animals in our care.

We offer:

• $52,000–$68,000 annual salary, based on experience and qualifications
• Permanent, full-time employment
• Extended health care benefits
• Car allowance
• Comprehensive hands-on training
• Professional learning and development opportunities
• Opportunities to develop and launch new programs
• A varied work environment where every day is a little different

Think You’d Be a Great Fit?

We'd love to hear from candidates who are passionate about recreational and educational programming, confident leading a team and excited about working in a unique environment where children, animals, education and fun come together every day.

Please submit your resume and cover letter outlining your relevant experience in children's programming, recreation, education and leadership/management.

Please note: This is not an animal-care position. While animals are an important part of everything we do, the successful candidate's primary professional background should include significant experience working with children, recreation and educational programming and team leadership.

We appreciate all applications; however, only candidates whose experience meets the requirements of the position will be contacted for an interview.