Child & Youth Manager

Organization Overview:

At Vivo for Healthier Generations, we are a charitable enterprise on a mission to raise healthier generations in Calgary and beyond. We want Canadians of all ages to achieve their optimal health—at home, school, work, and play.

By creating local, evidence-based solutions and innovative environments designed with and for our community, we inspire individuals and whole communities to be more active and connected. Our goal is to create meaningful 10% shifts—in lifestyles, community design, and decision-making—to enable lasting change.

Position Summary:

The Child & Youth Manager is responsible for the strategic development, operational leadership, and ongoing evolution of Vivo’s year-round child and youth programs, including preschool, camps, sports and related recreational experiences and events. This role leads both program quality and business growth, ensuring all offerings reflect Vivo’s values, community needs, revenue goals, and the power of play.

Through intentional program design, operational excellence, and a strong focus on customer experience, this role drives enrollment, retention, and the expansion of program schedules to grow participation and revenue. The Manager provides visionary leadership to instructors, facilitators, and Leads/Coordinators, ensuring programs are safe, innovative, inclusive, and consistently high-performing.

This role leads with empathy, strengthens team capacity, fosters accountability, and creates meaningful experiences for children, families, and the community.

Hours & Availability:

• 40 hours/week (on-site)
• Administrative and leadership responsibilities primarily scheduled Monday–Friday, between 7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
• Evening and weekend work required based on program needs
• Flexibility to instruct, teach, and support frontline programming as required

Reports to: Core Business Director

Key Responsibilities:

1. Leadership & Team Development

• Provide direct leadership, coaching, and support to program leads, coordinators, instructors, and facilitators through effective hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, and team development practices.
• Model and reinforce Vivo’s values, mission, and commitment to inclusive, play-based learning in all programs.
• Set clear annual workplans and performance targets; ensure alignment with organizational goals, revenue expectations, and guest experience standards.
• Build strong team capacity through regular team meetings, in-services, training workshops, and hands-on coaching.
• Ensure Leads/Coordinators have the skills, tools, and systems knowledge required to excel in their roles.
• Manage scheduling and payroll for the Programs Team, ensuring cost-effective staffing levels aligned with program demand.

2. Business Growth & Revenue Management

• Grow the business by expanding events, program schedules, increasing enrollment, and optimizing capacity across preschool, sports, camps, events and child/youth offerings.
• Lead the annual program planning cycle—including pricing, scheduling, session planning, and enrollment strategy—to achieve revenue and participation targets.
• Analyze trends, community needs, competition, and evidence-based practices to recommend new program concepts and enhancements.
• Own the annual and monthly budget, monitoring revenues, expenses, subsidies, staffing allocations, and profitability.
• Report monthly on budget variances, enrollment trends, and performance indicators.
• Implement strong operational and marketing alignment by coordinating program input dates, marketing timelines, program documentation, and audience-specific promotional strategies.
• Support grant writing, funding proposals, and community partnerships that enhance program reach and impact.

3. Program Operations & Quality Assurance

•  Oversee day-to-day operations of preschool, camps, skating, climbing, gymnasium, indoor park birthdays, and related programs.
• Ensure all experiences are safe, inclusive, engaging, developmentally appropriate, and aligned with the Alberta Child Care Licensing regulations, Alberta Health Services guidelines, and Vivo quality standards.
• Conduct monthly safety inspections and team safety meetings; support staff participation in the Joint Health & Safety Committee.
• Maintain program spaces, equipment, inventory, and supplies, ensuring readiness and safety.
• Lead the creation, updating, and implementation of operational manuals, policies, and training materials.
• Facilitate programming when needed, modeling high-quality delivery and relational engagement.
• Oversee first aid/incident reporting processes, ensuring timely documentation and follow-up.
• Coordinate with ECD organizations, AHS, Fire Department, and Licensing Officers as required.

4. Program Design, Innovation & Evaluation

• Lead and participate in the design and evolution of play-based, curriculum-aligned, and physical-literacy-centered programs using a service design-thinking approach.
• Implement testing, evaluation, and continuous improvement processes to enhance program quality and participant experience.
• Track, monitor, and report on spontaneous use, outcomes, and impact on a weekly, monthly, and annual basis.
• Integrate research insights and innovation findings into program delivery and team training.
• Present program improvements, business cases, research findings, and recommendations to leadership through clear written and verbal communication.

5. Stakeholder & Community Engagement

•  Serve as a community connector, building partnerships that elevate child and youth programming and increase participation.
• Represent Vivo at community events, promotional booths, hiring fairs, Everybody Plays, National Child Day, and other initiatives.
• Collaborate closely with internal partners (MarCom, Guest Experience, Facilities, Culture & People) to ensure alignment and excellence across all touchpoints.
• Maintain strong relationships with families, addressing concerns promptly and thoughtfully to ensure trust and satisfaction.

Qualifications:

Education & Certification:

• Post-secondary diploma or degree in Early Childhood Education, Child & Family Development, Kinesiology, Recreation Leadership, or related field
• Recognized as (or eligible for) an ECE Level 3
• Current Standard First Aid & CPR-C/AED
• Recent (within 2 months) Vulnerable Sector Police Information Check

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years in Early Childhood Education or child/youth programming
• Minimum 5 years working directly with children
• Minimum 5 years of leadership or supervisory experience
• Minimum 3 years managing program budgets and financial planning
• Demonstrated experience developing, delivering, and evaluating child/youth programs

Knowledge & Skills:

• Strong understanding of play-based learning, physical literacy, and child development
• Advanced communication, team leadership, and conflict-resolution skills
• Strong organizational, planning, and priority-management abilities
• Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
• Ability to build positive relationships with children, families, staff, and community organizations
• Ability to work flexible hours (early mornings, evenings, weekends)

Other Information:

• Government wage enhancement is available for certified ECEs for administrative hours related to preschool.
• Participation in regular Manager Meetings as part of the BOC Team is required.

Requirements:

• A valid police information check for the Vulnerable Sector within the past two months
• Current Standard First Aid and CPR-C/AED certifications
• Ability to work flexible hours to support the Schools & Camps teams which may include early mornings, late evenings or weekends

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