Recreation Director

About The River Club of Mequon

Built in 1963, The River Club of Mequon is a premier private country club located just north of Milwaukee, featuring a 27-hole championship golf course, exceptional dining, event spaces, and a full complement of recreational amenities. The Club is owned by Heritage Golf Group, offering the opportunity to join a collaborative, member-focused organization committed to delivering outstanding club experiences.

Position Summary

The Recreation Director – Aquatics, Fitness & Racquet Sports is responsible for the overall planning, coordination, and supervision of the Club’s recreational programs and facilities within aquatics, fitness, and racquet sports. This leadership role ensures a safe, engaging, and high-quality recreational experience for members while overseeing staff, budgets, programming, and operational excellence across all activity areas.

Key Responsibilities

Aquatics

• Manage all aquatic operations including pools, swim lessons, swim team, lifeguard scheduling, water safety programs, and special events.
• Ensure compliance with all local, state, and national aquatic safety and health regulations.
• Oversee certification, training, scheduling, and performance of lifeguards, swim instructors, and aquatic support staff.

Fitness

• Develop and oversee group fitness schedules, personal training programs, wellness initiatives, and fitness challenges.
• Maintain high-quality fitness facilities and equipment, coordinating cleaning, repairs, and upgrades.
• Recruit, certify, train, and evaluate fitness staff including personal trainers and instructors.

Racquet Sports (Tennis & Pickleball)

• Coordinate racquet sports programming including lessons, leagues, clinics, and tournaments.
• Oversee court reservations, maintenance schedules, and equipment inventory.
• Supervise racquet sports professionals and support staff.

Leadership, Administration & Member Engagement

• Hire, train, mentor, and evaluate departmental staff across all recreation program areas.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets, revenue goals, expense controls, and financial reporting.
• Create and execute marketing strategies to promote programs, member engagement, and facility utilization.
• Ensure outstanding member service and foster a positive, member-focused culture.
• Maintain strong safety standards, emergency preparedness, and risk-management practices.
• Plan, coordinate, and implement programs, classes, and special events that promote an active club lifestyle.
• Develop and manage the Activities budget, providing recommendations to Executive Leadership.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for member social events, including event orders, marketing, invitations, menu coordination, RSVPs, billing, and on-site execution.
• Build relationships with community organizations, businesses, schools, and local partners to support programming and outreach.
• Host seminars and special events focused on wellness, education, and member enrichment.
• Create and distribute member communications including newsletters, announcements, calendars, signage, promotions, and event materials.
• Act as primary owner of the Club’s member website and social media presence, including content updates, communication distribution, activity tracking, and feedback collection.
• Track member participation and program success using metrics and P&L reporting.
• Welcome new members and conduct new member orientations.
• Support the sales team with prospective members by highlighting the Club’s recreational offerings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Recreation Management, Sports Management, Exercise Science, or a related field.
• 2–5 years of experience in aquatics, fitness, athletics, or recreation program management.
• Certifications such as Lifeguard Instructor, CPR/AED, fitness credentials (ACE, NASM, ACSM), or racquet sports certifications preferred.
• Strong leadership, budgeting, communication, and customer service skills.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required.