Find & Apply For Program Manager Jobs in Federal Way, Washington

Program Manager - Pickleball The Picklr Federal Way | Federal Way, Washington About The Picklr Federal Way The Picklr Federal Way is a premier 14-court indoor pickleball facility built for players of every age and skill level. Our club offers open play, leagues, tournaments, clinics, competitive programming, junior development, private events, and an active community-centered playing experience. We are looking for an experienced and highly organized Program Manager who understands racquet sports and knows how to turn great programming ideas into well-run, well-attended events. Position Overview The Program Manager is responsible for developing, scheduling, promoting, and executing the club's pickleball programs. This includes leagues, tournaments, round robins, open play, challenge courts, clinics, social events, junior programs, and other competitive or recreational formats. This is not solely an administrative position. The successful candidate must understand what players want, regularly engage with members, identify gaps in the schedule, and create programs that attract strong participation. The Program Manager will be accountable for both the quality of each program and its registration, attendance, retention, and financial performance. Candidates must have meaningful experience in pickleball or tennis and understand player ratings, competitive formats, court allocation, event flow, and on-court operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Development Build a balanced calendar of recreational, instructional, competitive, junior, and social programming. Develop programs for different skill levels, including beginners, intermediate players, advanced players, juniors, seniors, and competitive athletes. Create new programs based on member feedback, registration trends, court demand, and participation data. Regularly introduce fresh formats that keep members engaged and encourage repeat participation. Evaluate existing programs and modify their format, schedule, pricing, or positioning when participation is below expectations. Maintain an appropriate balance between open play, court reservations, leagues, tournaments, clinics, and private events. Leagues and Competitive Play Work with Picklr corporate to design and operate singles, doubles, mixed doubles, team, ladder, flex, DUPR-rated, and other league formats. Establish appropriate divisions, skill levels, schedules, scoring systems, substitute procedures, playoff structures, and league rules. Organize competitive programming such as challenge courts, Royal Courts, ladders, shootouts, round robins, and rating sessions. Understand pickleball ratings and use DUPR or other applicable systems to create balanced competition. Communicate schedules, standings, rules, results, and playoff information clearly and accurately. Resolve player questions, rating concerns, substitutions, scheduling conflicts, and disputes professionally. Tournament Management Plan and execute club tournaments from initial concept through final awards. Select the appropriate format based on participation, court availability, player levels, and the time available. Create brackets, pools, court assignments, match schedules, seeding, and referee or volunteer plans. Manage tournament registration, check-in, announcements, scoring, results, awards, and player communication. Be comfortable operating round-robin, pool-play, single-elimination, double-elimination, compass-draw, team, and other tournament formats. Keep events on schedule while maintaining a positive player experience. Coordinate sanctioned, DUPR-rated, charity, corporate, junior, and club championship events as appropriate. Open Play and Member Experience Design open-play sessions that provide good game rotation, competitive balance, and efficient court utilization. Create clear systems for paddle stacking, court rotation, challenge courts, and skill-level placement. Monitor member participation and adjust open-play levels, times, and court allocations based on demand. Be visible during programs and actively engage with members to understand their interests and concerns. Create an environment that is welcoming to new players while still providing strong competitive opportunities for experienced players. Handle player concerns and on-court conflicts calmly, fairly, and consistently. Program Promotion and Registration Take ownership of filling programs—not simply posting them on the schedule. Develop clear program names, descriptions, formats, eligibility requirements, and promotional messages. Work with club management and the marketing team to promote programs through email, social media, in-club signage, direct member outreach, and community partnerships. Personally engage members who would be a good fit for upcoming programs. Track registrations and take early action when a program is not filling. Build relationships with local players, tennis communities, schools, businesses, coaches, and pickleball groups to attract new participants. Convert first-time participants into repeat program attendees and long-term members. Scheduling and Operations Create and maintain an organized programming calendar. Coordinate court assignments, instructors, staff, equipment, supplies, and event setup. Ensure programs begin and end on time and that courts are properly prepared. Publish schedules and program information accurately in the club's registration platform. Coordinate with club management to prevent conflicts between programming, reservations, instruction, and private events. Train front-desk and support staff on program formats, check-in procedures, rules, and customer communication. Assist with on-court facilitation when needed. Financial and Performance Management Establish participation goals, pricing recommendations, and revenue targets for programs. Monitor registration levels, attendance, cancellations, waitlists, repeat participation, and program profitability. Track court utilization during both peak and off-peak hours. Develop programs that increase utilization during traditionally slower periods. Provide regular reports on program performance and member feedback. Make data-informed recommendations about which programs should be expanded, revised, rescheduled, or discontinued. Operate within approved budgets and manage event-related expenses responsibly. Performance Expectations Success in this role will be measured by: Program registration and fill rates League and tournament participation Repeat participation and player retention Member satisfaction and feedback Growth in off-peak court utilization Accuracy and organization of program schedules Program revenue and profitability Successful introduction of new programs Quality and consistency of event execution Responsiveness to member demand Required Qualifications At least 5 years of experience in pickleball, tennis, racquet sports, sports programming, tournament operations, or a comparable club environment. Strong working knowledge of pickleball or tennis rules, scoring, skill levels, and competitive formats. Demonstrated experience organizing leagues, tournaments, round robins, open play, clinics, or similar programs. Ability to create programs and actively drive registration and participation. Strong organizational and scheduling skills with close attention to detail. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Comfortable speaking to groups, making announcements, and interacting with players of different ages and abilities. Ability to manage multiple programs and deadlines simultaneously. Strong judgment when resolving player disputes or competitive concerns. Ability to work independently while collaborating closely with club leadership, instructors, and front-desk staff. Availability to work evenings and weekends, when many leagues, tournaments, and member programs take place. Ability to remain active and on their feet for extended periods while supporting events. Preferred Qualifications Experience working at a pickleball, tennis, racquet-sports, fitness, or membership-based club. Experience using DUPR, SWISH, PlayByPoint and other tournament or league-management software. Knowledge of pickleball tournament platforms, registration systems, or club-scheduling software. Experience developing junior, beginner, senior, or high-performance programming. Coaching or teaching experience in pickleball or tennis. Pickleball coaching certification through PPR, IPTPA, PCI, or a comparable organization. Existing relationships within the South King County pickleball or tennis community. Experience promoting events through email, social media, direct outreach, or community partnerships. Experience managing program budgets or revenue goals. Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate is both a pickleball programmer and a community builder . They understand that a successful program is not complete when it is placed on the calendar—it is complete when players register, attend, enjoy the experience, and want to return. This person pays attention to what members are requesting, recognizes participation trends, and can confidently decide whether the club needs a beginner league, a competitive ladder, a women's round robin, a junior event, a DUPR session, or an entirely new format. They are organized enough to manage brackets and court schedules, outgoing enough to recruit players, and adaptable enough to solve problems while an event is underway. Work Schedule This position requires a flexible schedule based on club programming. Regular evening and weekend availability is required. The Program Manager must be present during key leagues, tournaments, special events, and major program launches. Why Join The Picklr Federal Way? Help shape programming at one of the region's premier indoor pickleball facilities. Work in a fast-growing sport and an energetic, community-focused environment. Create programs for a diverse membership ranging from first-time players to competitive athletes. Develop signature events and programming that can become a defining part of the club. Make a direct and measurable impact on member experience, retention, participation, and club growth. Equal Opportunity The Picklr Federal Way is an equal-opportunity employer. We value a diverse team and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our employees, members, and guests.

Pay:

$50,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Dental insurance Employee discount Health insurance Paid time off Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person