Director, Venue Hockey Operations

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) is one of the largest integrated sports and entertainment companies in the country with one of the most diverse partnership groups in all of sports. MSE owns and operates seven major and minor sports teams: 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals, NBA’s Washington Wizards, WNBA’s 2019 Championship Washington Mystics, NBA G League’s Capital City Go-Go, 2021 & 2020 NBA 2K League Champion Wizards District Gaming and Caps Gaming, an esports sub-brand of the Capitals. Additionally, it holds a significant investment in a seventh professional team, Team Liquid, an endemic esports team owned and operated by aXiomatic, in which MSE is an investor.

In September 2022, MSE acquired the regional sports network, then-called NBC Sports Washington and newly rebranded as Monumental Sports Network. Monumental Sports Network now holds the exclusive local television media rights to Capitals’, Wizards’, and Mystics’ games. The network is both a linear channel and a digital operation. Prior to acquiring the linear platform, the digital platform was launched by MSE in 2016, as the first-of-its-kind regional sports network for digital, mobile, and streaming platforms. Those linear and digital platforms are now combined and join Caps Radio, Wizards Radio, MSE Outdoor and Monumental Productions for a full suite of six media enterprises.

In addition to Capital One Arena – a venue which hosts 3M+ visitors across over 250 events annually, MSE also manages MedStar Capitals Iceplex (training facility for the Capitals), MedStar Health Performance Center (training facility for the Wizards, Mystics, and Go-Go) and EagleBank Arena (a 12,000+ live event venue on George Mason University’s campus).

In July 2020, MSE partnered with William Hill (subsequently acquired by Caesars Entertainment) to open the first ever in-arena sportsbook in North America, now called Caesars Sportsbook. The space now also boasts a destination culinary experience, Guy Fieri’s DC Kitchen + Bar.

MSE opened “District E powered by Ticketmaster” in the spring of 2023, a flagship esports and entertainment venue. This 14,000-square-foot live-event theater offers a 365-day-a-year series of immersive experiences in esports, music, culinary excellence, event programming, and community events.

MSE proudly promotes its core values for all those that interact with the company. As a member of our team:

1. You will provide first-class customer service and value for our fans.
2. You will champion a double-bottom line that engages, unifies, and gives back to the community we serve.
3. You will work tirelessly to build generationally exceptional teams that compete for championships year after year and create lifelong memories for our fans.
4. You will measure performance with specific objectives and metrics and our analysis and decisions are compelled by data.
5. You will prize leadership, but you should value teamwork and collaboration and transparency even more. We treat each other with respect. We act with honesty and integrity. We remain humble.
6. You will innovate. We are nimble and first to market. We are not averse to risk.
7. You will have fun. We are in the business of happiness.

Position Overview: The Director, Venue Hockey Operations is a key player in overseeing all aspects of venue operations related to hockey events, ensuring compliance with league standards, and enhancing collaborator experiences. This role demands a deep passion for hockey, strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage complex logistics in a fast-paced environment.

Do you have ice operations experience, are passionate about hockey, and thrive in dynamic environments? We'd love to hear from you!

Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive arena hockey maintenance program to include an all-inclusive maintenance manual of industry standard processes for ice maintenance and staffing, as well as procuring and maintaining related ice equipment.
• Collaborate as needed with ice operations at practice facility and work with the engineering department on arena HVAC conditions to optimize ice quality.
• Supervise the arena hockey part-time event crew and the Capitals game shovel crew.
• Develop a fully robust ice resurfacing driver and ice maintenance staff training program.
• Liaison for league, front office, and player communication regarding ice quality and operations.
• Ensure all league required maintenance and operational elements are addressed and maintained.
• Assist the VP of Operations in overall department supervision.
• Ensure smooth coordination of all venue operations maintenance for event safety and league standards.
• Facilitate any necessary repairs and upgrades to related operations equipment
• Collaborate with event production managers to coordinate and successfully complete game-related elements primarily for the NHL Washington Capitals and NCAA Frozen Four.
• Support NBA, WNBA, NCAA games, concerts, and special events hosted at the arena.
• Assist with operations department hiring, training, and leading staff members responsible for venue maintenance, conversions, game day operations, and essential services.
• Assist with creating and managing the op budget; including event-related expenses, staffing costs, CAPEX, planning, and facility maintenance.
• Establish and maintain relationships with vendors and suppliers to ensure timely delivery of necessary goods and services.
• Assist VP with vendor-specific contract management as assigned.
• Ensure the arena operates in compliance with local regulations, safety protocols, and NHL league standards.
• Actively support enhancing the overall guest, internal/external client, promoter, and player/artist experience through the entire event life cycle.
• Develop contingency plans and protocols with team medical and engineering staffs to train and prep for emergency situations or unexpected disruptions during events.
• Coordinate primarily with NHL team management, Game Presentation, MSN and TBOPs to support their needs and create a seamless experience for players, coaches, patrons, and staff; while also supporting other tenants/events as assigned.
• Support continuous improvement by identifying areas for improvement in arena operations and implementing strategies to enhance efficiency and profitability.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 10 years in direct supervision of NHL or equivalent ice operations.
• Experience in venue operations, event management, and staff supervision.
• Strong leadership and problem solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Certified Ice Resurfacer driver (Olympia and/or Zamboni) required.

Pay Range: $115k - $125k USD

Benefit Eligibility: This role is eligible to participate in health and welfare benefits.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.