Harbourfront Centre is a leading cultural institution in Toronto, celebrated for its vibrant arts, culture, community and recreational programs. As a not-for-profit organization, we are committed to enriching the lives of diverse communities through creativity, innovation, connection and excellence. A multi-faceted campus, Harbourfront Centre includes programming across arts, culture, recreation and learning, as well as commercial businesses that generate essential revenue to support operations.
We are currently seeking a highly organized, self-motivated and operationally-driven Assistant Manager, Marine Operations to support the day-to-day operation of Harbourfront Centre’s marine facilities, including public marinas, commercial passenger vessel operations, visiting vessels, marine events, waterfront safety and environmental initiatives, as well as assisting with the supervision of staff.
Position Title: Assistant Manager, Marine Operations
Department: Marine Operations
Reporting To: Manager, Marine Operations
Number of Vacancies: 1
Employment Type: Full-time
Hours of Work: 35 hours per week. The Marine Operations Department operates seven days per week year-round, as such the work schedule for this role will include daytime, weekends, evenings, and holidays shifts, as well as after-hours support during peak operational periods.
Compensation: Annual salary of $60,000 – $65,000, plus a comprehensive benefits package
Location: On-site at our Toronto lakeside campus
Duties
* Marine Operations & Vessel Coordination
- Support the daily operation of Harbourfront Centre’s marine facilities, including Marina Four, Marina Quay West and commercial marine operations throughout campus.
- Coordinate passenger vessel arrivals, departures and dock assignments to ensure safe and efficient waterfront operations.
- Assist with managing transient vessel activity, visiting yachts, ship placements and commercial marine traffic throughout campus.
- Monitor waterfront activity and report or address unauthorized commercial operations, trespassing or unsafe marine activity.
- Maintain strong situational awareness across marina and dock operations to support safe vessel movement and public safety.
* Marina Operations & Customer Service
- Assist with the operation of two public marinas including slip assignments, dockage administration, reservations, renewals and customer communication.
- Utilize marina management software to manage agreements, invoicing, reservations, seasonal dockage and visitor check-ins.
- Support marina administrative processes including collection of agreements, insurance documentation and payments.
- Deliver professional and proactive customer service to seasonal tenants, transient boaters, commercial operators and waterfront visitors.
- Provide general waterfront information, tourism assistance and marina concierge support to visiting boaters.
* Staff Supervision & Operational Standards
- Assist with hiring, scheduling, training and supervision of Dock Attendants and support staff.
- Ensure staff adherence to standard operating procedures, safety policies and operational expectations.
- Conduct and oversee daily dock inspections, marina checks and operational walkthroughs to maintain operational readiness and slip efficiency.
- Ensure marina offices, docks, promenades and operational areas remain clean, organized and professionally maintained.
- Maintain operational logs, staff communication records and incident reporting documentation.
* Safety, Compliance & Emergency Response
- Support marine safety initiatives and waterfront emergency response procedures.
- Coordinate and communicate with Harbourfront Centre Safety & Security, Toronto Police Marine Unit, Toronto Fire Marine Services, Transport Canada and other marine agencies when required.
- Assist with implementation of emergency response, spill response and waterfront incident procedures.
- Monitor VHF marine radio communications and maintain a valid Marine Radiotelephone Operator Certificate.
- Promote safe work practices and ensure staff compliance with all Harbourfront Centre health and safety policies and applicable legislation.
* Facilities & Site Coordination
- Identify operational deficiencies and submit maintenance or repair requests as required.
- Coordinate with Site Operations and Marine Services teams to support timely repairs and operational continuity.
- Assist with maintaining marina equipment, radios, dock carts and operational tools.
- Support environmental and waterfront cleanliness initiatives including debris monitoring and removal.
Requirements
- Experience in marina operations, commercial marine activity, boating, sailing or waterfront operations.
- Previous experience within a marina, yacht club, marine tourism or similar operational environment is preferred.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities independently.
- Professional communication and customer service skills with the ability to interact effectively with the public, tenants, staff and marine operators.
- Comfortable working outdoors in varying weather conditions throughout all seasons.
- Comfortable working around the water and capable of swimming.
- Experience supervising staff or coordinating operational teams is desirable.
- First Aid, CPR, boating safety and marine radio certifications are considered assets.
- Boat handling and vessel operation experience is considered an asset.
- Experience using marina management systems, POS systems or operational software is considered an asset.
- Must be legally eligible to work in Canada on an ongoing full-time basis.
Our Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate for this role is operationally disciplined, highly organized and comfortable working in a fast-paced public waterfront environment where marine safety, customer service and operational execution must coexist daily.
We are seeking someone who is also a proactive problem-solver with the ability to remain calm under pressure, a great communicator and someone who can confidently manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
This role is best suited for individuals who take pride in maintaining high operational standards, enjoy working outdoors year-round and are motivated by responsibility, teamwork, being of service and having a tangible impact in a public-facing marine operation.
Our Values
At Harbourfront Centre, our values—Open, Brave, Rigorous, and Kind—reflect our commitment to inclusivity, imaginative risk-taking, excellence, and respect, ensuring enriching experiences for all.
How To Apply
Harbourfront Centre is committed to diversity and inclusiveness. We encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply. Acceptable applications must include a current resume and a cover letter indicating why you wish to join the team and how you would meet the criteria for this position.
We invite qualified applicants to submit their candidacy to [email protected] by no later than July 25, 2026. Please quote Assistant Manager, Marine Operations in the subject line of your application. Applications will be reviewed and actioned on a rolling basis, as such early submission is encouraged.
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those being considered for an interview will be contacted. Suitable accommodations will be available upon request during the hiring process. Please know that our recruitment process does not involve the use of Artificial Intelligence tools; the review of received applications and hiring decisions are made by a team of people.
Pay: $60,000.00-$65,000.00 per year
Application question(s):
- How many years of experience do you have working in a marina, yatch club, marine tourism, commercial marine activity, boating, sailing or waterfront operations/environment?
- Do you have experience supervising staff and preparing work schedules?
- Are you a proactive problem-solver with the ability to remain calm under pressure, a great communicator and someone who can confidently manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment?
- What appeals to you about this role? What made you apply?
- Are you able to work on site at our lakeside campus in downtown Toronto with a flexible work schedule that can include day, evening, weekend and stat holidays shifts?
Work Location: In person
