Project & Operations Lead (2-year project contract) (Old Toronto)

Overview

MLSE LaunchPad is a 42,000 sq. ft. Sport for Development facility where youth facing barriers use sport to recognize and reach their potential. Supported by MLSE's professional sports teams, it is the first facility of its kind in North America. As a collaborative space promoting social change by leveraging sport, education and research, programming focuses on four pillars: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Ready for School and Ready for Work.

As the organization expands into a new community facility in Weston, we seek an experienced and entrepreneurial Project & Operations Lead to serve as the single point of accountability for delivering this new location on time, on budget, and in alignment with community and organizational values.

In this inaugural role, the Project & Operations Lead will own the whole system—integrating capital project oversight, financial management, operational planning, community engagement, and staffing. This person will serve as the primary connector between the community, local organizations, LaunchPad teams, and construction partners—championing partnerships, strengthening reputation, and ensuring the Weston site reflects community priorities while maintaining disciplined project delivery.

"The successful candidate will be a strategic relationship-builder with experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects. They will excel in dynamic environments, navigate political nuance with ease, and thrive on building initiatives from the ground up."

Responsibilities

• Capital Project & Construction Oversight: Serve as LaunchPad's primary liaison with MLSE Capital Projects, architects, engineers, and builders to coordinate activities across design, construction, and pre-opening phases to ensure on-time, on-scope delivery.


• Design and lead ongoing community design consultations with partners, construction professionals, and political stakeholders.


• Translate program and youth safety requirements into functional design inputs.


• Participate in design reviews, value engineering, and change order decisions.


• Support project schedule, identify risks, and dependencies to maintain project governance and escalation pathways.


• Prepare materials for senior leadership and board updates summarizing progress, feedback, and outcomes of project activities.


• Own combined capital and operating budget, tracking construction costs, change orders, and forecasts.


• Manage project documentation, budget tracking, while supporting RFP evaluations, and procurement coordination.


• Prepare monthly financial reports and executive reporting for leadership.


• Support funder and internal financial reporting in collaboration with central finance.


• Build strong relationships with youth-serving organizations, neighbourhood leaders, and community stakeholders to shape LaunchPad Weston\'s operating model.


• Champion the development of collaborative partnerships aligned with LaunchPad's Theory of Change.


• Act as the primary liaison between MLSE LaunchPad, community partners, and municipal stakeholders, ensuring community voice informs decisions.


• Support engagement opportunities for various stakeholder groups, including community members, donors, and MLSE staff.


• Develop systems to share insights and feedback from community engagement with internal teams to inform programming and research.


• Collaboratively design the operating model for the new site (hours, supervision, safety, access) informed by community and stakeholder input.


• Adapt standard operating procedures from the existing LaunchPad location.


• Oversee selection and implementation of systems (registration, data, incident reporting).


• Lead commissioning, readiness checks, and site walkthroughs to ensure seamless integration with the first LaunchPad location.


• Collaborate cross-functionally with sport, research, and operations teams to develop program curriculum, scheduling, and evaluation frameworks.


• Design staffing structure and hiring sequence for new location, and upon approval, hire and manage all site staff (with HR support).


• Lead onboarding and training strategy.


• Establish culture, standards, and performance expectations in line with current MLSE LaunchPad standards, to ensure a fully trained team is ready before opening.


• Remain current on new research and best practices that enhance Sport for Development programming and operational excellence.


• Represent MLSE LaunchPad with professionalism, authenticity, and cultural sensitivity.


• Amplify LaunchPad's reputation as a leader in Sport For Development and equitable, community-centered youth development.


• Track, measure, and report on engagement and project impact to ensure transparency and accountability.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in complex project or operations leadership, with demonstrated experience in scaling complex projects.


• Robust understanding of York-Weston and/or Neighbourhood Improvement Areas.


• Experience managing capital projects, facility launches, or multi-phase capital/program development.


• Proven ability to build trust and partnerships with diverse communities, youth-serving organizations, and local leaders.


• Experience with community consultation and operational planning in community, non-profit, municipal, or sport/recreation settings.


• Strong financial literacy including budgets, forecasts, reporting, and administrative management.


• Proven people leadership experience with the ability to motivate diverse staff teams.


• Strong oral and written communication, organizational, and relationship-building skills.


• Knowledge of Sport for Development principles, community infrastructure, and current issues affecting the community services sector (especially youth and the Weston area).


• Calm, decisive, and systems-oriented, while having the ability to be flexible, adaptive, and collaborative, within fast-paced, changing environments.


• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and collaboration tools.


• Post-secondary degree in Project Management, Community Development, Social Impact, Recreation, or a related field; equivalent experience considered.


• Commitment to MLSE standards, including Health & Safety and compliance with the Occupational Health & Safety Act.

Application Details

Please apply by: Sunday, March 8th at 11:59 pm.

Job Posting Compensation Range/Rate: $90,000-100,000 per year, plus vacation, competitive benefits, and many exciting perks.

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At MLSE, we are committed to building an equitable, diverse and inclusive organization. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. MLSE will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in the job application process. If you have difficulty using our online application system and you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email accommodations@mlse.com. This email is only for accommodation requests. Resumes sent to this email address will not be considered.

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