Senior Manager, Operations & Programming – Showcase Division - Headfirst Companies

The Senior Manager, Operations & Programming – Showcase Division will lead all aspects of our Headfirst Showcase Camps line of business, with primary responsibilities for divisional strategy & growth, program development, relationship management, budget ownership, event execution and on-site logistics. This role will report to Headfirst’s Director of Operations & Programming and lead a full-time team including an Operations Associate and Sales & Communications Fellow, as well as a team of seasonal/event staff through the full cycle of conception, planning and execution of our Showcase Camps programs.  

This role is integral to strengthening important, long-term relationships with key vendors, facilities, and partners. Partners are inclusive of baseball and softball collegiate partner programs, as well as key baseball and softball high school travel programs – with a focus on relationship management and retention. This position is full-time year-round and based at the Washington, D.C. headquarters office of The Headfirst Companies, but will involve travel to our nearby distribution and storage centers as well as our camp locations across the United States – primarily in June, July, and August. 

The ideal Senior Manager, Operations & Programming – Showcase Division is a relationship-driven, highly organized, detail-oriented entrepreneurial leader - who is enthusiastic about creatively solving complex problems and delivering exceptional experiences. This individual will combine the emotional intelligence necessary to excel in the mission-driven development of young adults with the business acumen critical to leading a division and program that is reputable, trusted, and well-established in the market. 

Headfirst Companies are proud to be Equal Opportunity Employers. We value diversity and inclusivity across our Headfirst community, and we strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to apply.

Strategic Leadership

• In partnership with Headfirst Companies’ Director of Operations & Programming and Headfirst’s Executive Leadership Team, develop and execute divisional strategies and business plans in alignment with the company's mission and overall objectives. 
  
• Identify growth opportunities, market trends, and competitive threats, and recommend strategies to maintain a competitive edge. 

Revenue Growth

• Lead Showcase team to deliver bottom-line results for the division and company. 
  
• Collaborate with the internal marketing team & external marketing resources to ensure message to potential customers appropriately reflects the in-camp experience. 
  
• Develop and lead a sales function which creates and maintains relationships with individual families, key baseball and softball travel and high school programs, and external partners.  

Relationship Management

• Serve as an ambassador for the Headfirst Showcase Camps brand, including the development and the maintenance of relationships within the college athletics community, as well as the high school and travel program communities. 
• Cultivate and nurture relationships with key clients & constituents, understanding their needs and delivering exceptional service. 
• Interact with customers and college coaches on-site to provide industry-leading customer service and gather real-time, in-season feedback to drive continuous improvement. 
• Lead a sales team to identify potential clients and expand the client base. 
• Communicate regularly with and manage college program partnerships to ensure representation at our events and input in our experience. 
• Build, maintain and explore new vendor relationships and innovations for all programming needs. 

Operational Excellence

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the division, ensuring the efficient planning, organization, and execution of events. 
• Implement and maintain processes and systems to optimize workflow and productivity. 
• Coordinate with the Associate, Operations as well as additional HR/Employee Experience function to lead the recruitment, selection, onboarding and remote training of well-qualified seasonal staff. 
• Work with the Associate, Operations in the creation of camp schedules and space allocation plans that optimize facility usage and are responsive to the unique needs of each of our sites. 
• Review operational policies, programming elements, and procedures and prioritize any areas of need for Associate, Operations and seasonal team. 
• Assist the Associate, Operations in the staffing of and onboarding communications with college coach partners. 
• Support the Associate, Operations to manage the inventory and ordering for items including, but not limited to, jerseys, technology, equipment and other supplies needed to deliver our baseball and softball programming – in line with budgeting and timing needs. 
• Collaborate with operations team to review the mobilization and demobilization of all camp locations - including vendor coordination, efficient utilization of on-site team members and a detailed storage project plan to ensure inventory systems and process are executed at a high standard; direct resources as needed. 
• Collaborate with operations team to prepare camp materials and equipment based on operational guidelines. 

Team Leadership & Development

• Build and lead a high-performing divisional team, providing guidance, mentorship, and support to team members. 
• Foster a collaborative and positive work culture that encourages creativity and innovation, excellence, professional growth and development among divisional team. 

Financial Management

• Collaborate with Director, Operations & Programming to develop and manage Showcase divisional budget, monitoring expenses and revenue to ensure profitability - using tools and guidance provided by the finance and accounting team. 
• Collaborate with marketing team to develop enrollment expectations for the upcoming summer. 
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and revenue-generating initiatives to grow the top and bottom lines of the division.  
• Reconcile budget to actuals and report to finance team on the performance of your division.  

Program Development & Quality Assurance

• Travel to all events to ensure quality control – effective on-site management, adherence to our policies and support for our mission. 
• Ensure the delivery of high-quality events that meet or exceed constituent expectations. 
• Manage on-site quality control of program delivery, fostering high standards for camp operations, providing guidance to seasonal team members as needed – while encouraging a culture of ownership.  
• Gather real-time, in-season feedback from seasonal team members to drive continuous improvement – in current and future seasons. 
• Measure progress and achievement of objectives and key results for the Showcase Division (i.e., NPS). 
• Serve as a key strategic leader and operator as division considers optimized use and distribution of video, data and analytics.  
• Serve as a key strategic leader and creator as division builds and evolves current Recruiting Roadmap assets and ecosystem.  

The Requirements:  

• Bachelor’s degree and a history of academic achievement.  
• Experience with collegiate baseball or softball and/or an in-depth knowledge of the college-level athletic recruitment. 
• Minimum of five years relevant professional experience, with at least one year or more of management experience in an operations, programming, and/or product management role, preferably in a start-up or similar business environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing and executing challenging operational detail in a highly organized and detail-oriented manner. 
• Excellent professional writing, verbal communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders at all levels. 
• Experience managing operating budgets, forecasting, and delivering results within allocated resources. 
• Ability to develop, understand, and analyze financial data and metrics to improve efficiency while reducing costs. 
• Strong problem solving, critical thinking, and project management skills, with ability to work on, and prioritize, various projects simultaneously. 
• Ability to build relationships and collaborate with individuals from a diverse array of backgrounds – internally and externally. 
• Ability to work autonomously within a small team environment. 
• Strong business acumen and strategic thinking, with a customer-centric mindset. 
• Flexibility and drive to work until the job is done. 
• Ability to perform heavy manual tasks under varying weather conditions. 

The Character:

• Solution oriented individual who shares The Headfirst Companies’ core mission, values, and believes in our ability to work together to make a difference in the lives of children and young adults.
• Motivated self-starter who is autonomous and dependable.
• Doer who has an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on finishing the job every day.
• Independent thinker who assumes responsibility beyond what is asked and takes initiative for positive change.
• Consummate professional with the ability to prioritize and multi-task, managing several projects concurrently, sometimes under pressure, and often with tight deadlines, while maintaining a positive attitude and professional demeanor.
• Team player who approaches professional hurdles with a strong sense of individual responsibility and a sincere emphasis on team over self.
• Humble and enthusiastic leader who possesses the passion and polish to serve as an ambassador of The Headfirst Companies.
• Flexible, coachable, and down-to-earth teammate who has the desire and capacity to grow through self-reflection, and by both providing and receiving thoughtful, constructive performance feedback.