Role description
Lethbridge Soccer Association Executive Director
About the Lethbridge Soccer Association (LSA)
Our Mission
Lethbridge Soccer Association’s mission is to serve our community stakeholders by providing fun, accessible programs, inclusive of all ages and stages, that range from recreational to high performance, inspiring growth, and development of the Lethbridge soccer community.
Our Vision
Unwavering in our desire to bring you the best soccer experience in Southern Alberta, LSA inspires a life-long love of the beautiful game through impactful outreach and comprehensive, inclusive programming.
Our History
The LSA was incorporated in November 1979 as a non-for-profit organization providing youth soccer services to Lethbridge and surrounding areas. Our competitive club teams The Chargers (girls) and The Cosmos (boys) were founded in 1985 and 1987 respectively. In 1997, the Lethbridge Soccer Center opened and has been our head office for over 25 years. In 2006 the LSA adopted its current board of directors structure and in 2008 we merged the competitive boys and girls teams into Lethbridge Football Club (LFC). LFC operated separate of LSA until 2014 when LFC moved under the LSA umbrella. In April of 2019, the LSA entered into a Technical Direction service agreement with the Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS to provide the LSA with its first Technical Director, replacing our volunteer Technical Committee.
Our house league and competitive LFC teams compete in Indoor and Outdoor seasons for ages U4 through U18, and the LSA facilitates over 3000 registrations annually. We have deep ties with major local stakeholders including The City of Lethbridge, The Enmax Center, University of Lethbridge, and Lethbridge College among others. We proudly partner with local businesses to help support our efforts to bring the beautiful game of soccer to Lethbridge and the surrounding communities.
Role Overview
The LSA is seeking a qualified individual for the position of Executive Director (ED). This is a senior leadership position, reporting to the Chair of the Board of Directors. The ED is the representative and spokesperson of the LSA and engages with the public and business community, operationalizes LSA’s strategic plan, manages LSA facilities, and oversees day to day operations of the LSA to ensure consistent and timely progress to achieve the organizations mission and to ensure that its strategic and financial plans are realized. This involves collaborating with the Board of Directors, the Technical Director (TD) and office staff.
Responsibilities and Duties
Leadership
Lead, manage, mentor, and direct all LSA staff in the administration of youth through adult soccer programming, as well as all LSA staff related to the upkeep and maintenance of LSA facilities, including the management of contractor agreements and contracts.
Partner with the contracted Vancouver Whitecaps Technical Director for any soccer related or on-field soccer operations, player and coach development, and collaborate with them on program objectives and results primarily by removing obstacles for them to effectively execute their duties.
Report to the Board of Directors during regular meetings by way of an Executive Directors Report, coordinate and actively participates in Board meetings and may also be involved with other Board committee meetings. The ED will be an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Board.
Work in partnership with the Board of Directors to engage the membership in volunteering to assist on the Board’s Committees and at various LSA community events.
Gather, interpret, and report information to the Board of Directors about environmental trends and resources related to enhancing the Organizations capacity for effective communication, decision-making, and long-term planning.
Establish and maintain positive and effective relationships with partner organizations, local political and community leaders and allied educational and youth sports organizations to serve program participants more effectively.
Act as spokesperson and face of the LSA.
Identify opportunities for member and stakeholder engagement throughout the year.
Facility and Operational Oversight
Conduct daily maintenance status checks alongside Facility Operators to ensure all mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and other essential building systems are not damaged and operating at desired levels.
Oversee negotiation and contracts with vendors (insurance, training gear, merchandise, uniforms, field and gym space, software, etc.). Oversees the purchasing, receiving, storage and control of all equipment and supplies.
Develop, to an expert level, an understanding of the governing rules that affect the LSA including the Non-For-Profit environment the LSA exists within (Alberta societies act), the LSA rules and regulations and by-laws, and how each of these roll up to requirements of the Alberta Soccer Association, and Canadian Soccer Association.
Foster a positive work culture that values collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity.
Implement a formal annual personnel evaluation process and manage LSA staff to compliance with all employment, anti-discrimination and record-keeping laws and requirements including provincial and local regulations.
Establish policies, procedures and guidelines for staff operations, human resources, facilities management, information technology, events, volunteers, and other non-technical aspects of organizational operations.
Ensure compliance with Municipal, Provincial and Federal regulations.
Strategic Planning and Delivery
Support the development of the LSA multi-year Strategic plan as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, utilizing all resources and information available to you as Executive Director.
Lead the development and management of operational plans aligning with the LSA Strategic Plan to ensure key strategic objectives are completed within the confines of the Strategic Plan.
Deliver regular updates to the Board of Directors on progress, completion, concerns, or changes to the operational plans throughout their implementation through to completion.
Direct the LSA staff in the development, preparation, and management of the Organizations budget. Ultimate ownership of the LSA budget is the responsibility of the Executive Director.
Effectively manage the organizations expenditures and ensure appropriate financial controls are in place to support the LSA’s financial goals.
Ensure on-time completion of tax filing and reporting, as well as year end financial reviews and audits to ensure proper financial operations are being employed.
Review staffing plan annually, including updating job descriptions as necessary, and manage employee reviews for all LSA staff (as well as managing any bonuses or raises).
Work with LSA staff and contracted Technical Director on building LSA as the key soccer organization in Lethbridge for the development of players, coaches, and referees.
Ensure contracts are in place for all contracted staff.
Ensure compliance with policies and procedures set forth by the Board and/or draft policies and procedures as suggested and required by the Board.
Sponsorship and Events
Cultivate and steward relationships with the municipality, province and federal representatives, and local businesses to maintain and grow sponsorships of the Organization.
Understand the opportunities for sponsorship and work to develop annual targets to increase the LSA revenue stream from sponsorships to continue providing quality programming without having to proportionally increase user fees.
Plan and coordinate with LSA Staff, contracted Technical Director, and other Stakeholders events (Camps, tournaments) to increase LSA’s exposure, program offering, and revenue stream through our soccer related activities.
Coordinate with local stakeholders the facilitation of non-soccer related events (Lacross, Rumble in the Cage, Curling Canada’s Patch, flag football) through the use of our facilities to.
Develop guidelines and documentation for LSA sponsorship objectives and agreements along with operating guides on putting on various events to direct LSA staff.
Support strategic marketing, advertising, and communication campaigns to raise awareness of LSA’s programs, events, and achievements.
Oversee the utilization of multiple digital platforms including social media and traditional media to engage the local soccer community.
Preferred Qualifications
Preference will be given to candidates with five or more years of business leadership experience, preferably running a non-profit enterprise:
Managing or directing a successful youth sports organization.
Formulating and executing a fiscal year budget and multi-year financial plan.
Familiarity with ADP Payroll, QuickBooks, Arbiter, and Ramp or like software.
Organizational development including building cohesive teams, fiscal responsibility, and project management experience.
Strong business/operational soccer knowledge.
3-5 years working with a Board of Directors.
Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Must be able to work flexible hours, including at weekend and after hour events.
Preference will be given to candidates with experience running a facility and/or experience in construction or the trades:
Any time spent within the trades would be valuable.
Knowledge of key building systems (HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing).
Experience negotiating/working with contractors to complete repairs in a timely manner within a not-for-profit mandate and budget.
The Executive Director should demonstrate competence in some or all of the following:
Adaptability: Demonstrate a willingness to be flexible, versatile and tolerant in a changing work environment while maintaining professionalism at all times.
Relationship Building: Proven leader of people who can establish and maintain positive working relationships with member families/customers, staff, board members, sponsors, local community, and Government.
Communicate Effectively: Speak, listen and write in a clear, thorough and timely manner using appropriate and effective communication tools and techniques.
Solve Problems/Resolve Issues: Quickly handle member complaints and issues, identify root cause, gather and process relevant information, generate possible solutions, and make recommendations or decisions to move forward promptly.
Think Strategically: Ability to think long term and translate strategic goals and requirements into quantifiable annual plans, and measurable objectives.
Mission and Values: Highly ethical character with personal integrity. Be passionate about LSA’s mission and live the values. Ability to align staff and volunteers with the organizations values.
Bachelor’s degree ideally in business, nonprofit management, sports administration or related field would be valued.
Only candidates with Canadian citizenship or Permanent Residency will be considered. This position does not support sponsorship for immigration.
How to apply:
Please apply with a cover letter and resume by email to: -- by Wednesday August 23, 2023. We thank all applicants for their interest; however only those candidates being considered for an interview will be contacted.
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: $60,000.00-$80,000.00 per year
Schedule:
Monday to Friday
Weekends as needed
Education:
Bachelor's Degree (preferred)
Experience:
management: 3 years (preferred)
Ability to Commute:
Lethbridge, AB T1K 7L6 (preferred)
Ability to Relocate:
Lethbridge, AB T1K 7L6: Relocate before starting work (required)
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 2023-08-23
