Curling Canada is looking for an organized, resourceful, and experienced Patch Manager to help bring one of curling’s most legendary traditions to life at our Season of Champions events!
If you’ve ever been to The Patch, you know it’s not your average post-game gathering. Known as curling’s party place and recognized as Canada’s largest travelling bar, The Patch is where curling fans, athletes, volunteers, and communities come together for live entertainment, great food and drinks, and unforgettable experiences.
But behind every great party is someone making sure everything runs like a well-oiled machine (even when things get a little chaotic!).
That’s where you come in.
We’re looking for someone who thrives behind the scenes, loves bringing people together, and knows how to balance the excitement of live events with the organization, leadership, and attention to detail needed to pull them off. From planning and coordinating food and beverage operations to leading volunteers, managing inventory, and keeping everything running safely and smoothly, you’ll play a key role in making The Patch an experience our fans know and love.
What You’ll Be Doing
Bringing The Patch to Life…
Long before the first fan walks through the doors, there’s plenty happening behind the scenes. You’ll work closely with Curling Canada’s event operations team, venue partners, and service providers to ensure The Patch is ready to welcome thousands of curling fans.
You may be responsible for:
• Coordinating the planning, setup, and day-to-day operations of The Patch at designated Season of Champions events.
• Working alongside Event Managers, venue management, and event partners to plan venue layouts, bar locations, and efficient food and beverage service operations.
• Participating in event planning meetings, site visits, and operational discussions to ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Coordinating with food service providers, entertainment partners, and production teams to keep event programming and operations running smoothly.
• Supporting the development of event budgets, forecasts, and operational plans.
• Overseeing venue setup and teardown, ensuring everything is ready to go when the doors open and properly wrapped up when the party ends.
Keeping the Drinks Flowing (and the Numbers Adding Up!)
A successful Patch is about more than great entertainment. Behind the bar, there’s a whole lot of planning, coordination, and inventory management that keeps everything running.
You may be responsible for:
• Planning, coordinating, and overseeing food and beverage operations throughout the event.
• Managing the ordering, delivery, storage, and distribution of beer, wine, spirits, and other products.
• Establishing and maintaining inventory controls, including daily counts, product requisitions, and secure storage.
• Monitoring product usage, identifying discrepancies, and ensuring inventory is accurately tracked throughout the event.
• Working closely with Curling Canada’s finance team to reconcile daily sales, point-of-sale transactions, and inventory records.
• Coordinating inventory requirements for designated lounges, entertainers, and other event activities.
• Managing end-of-event inventory, product returns, and final reconciliations.
Leading the Team Behind the Party…
The Patch wouldn’t be possible without the incredible volunteers and event partners who help bring it to life. You’ll play an important role in making sure everyone knows what they’re doing, feels supported, and has what they need to succeed.
You may be responsible for:
• Working with volunteer leadership and the event office to establish schedules and coordinate staffing for bar operations.
• Identifying, supporting, and providing direction to volunteer shift supervisors.
• Training and supervising volunteers involved in bartending, bar backing, bussing, and other operational activities.
• Leading daily meetings with volunteer supervisors to review challenges, communicate updates, and prepare for the day ahead.
• Helping volunteers feel confident and prepared, regardless of their previous experience.
• Maintaining strong working relationships with venue staff, entertainment partners, vendors, security personnel, and other members of the event team.
• Troubleshooting operational challenges and adjusting staffing or processes as needed to keep things moving.
Making Sure the Fun Stays Safe…
We love a good party, but making sure everyone can enjoy themselves safely and responsibly is always a priority.
You may be responsible for:
• Coordinating the necessary liquor licence applications and ensuring operations comply with applicable licensing requirements.
• Sourcing and coordinating venue security, including developing and implementing security plans.
• Promoting responsible alcohol service practices and communicating expectations to volunteers and supervisors.
• Working with event partners to support a safe, welcoming, and enjoyable environment for everyone.
• Ensuring appropriate inventory security, stock controls, and operational procedures are followed.
• Responding to unexpected challenges with sound judgment, professionalism, and a solutions-focused approach.
What You Bring…
We’re looking for someone who knows how to make things happen. You might come from hospitality, food and beverage management, festivals, live entertainment, large-scale events, or another environment where you’ve learned to juggle moving parts, lead teams, and keep operations running smoothly.
We’d love to hear from you if you:
• Have experience managing food and beverage operations, hospitality services, festivals, or large-scale events.
• Bring strong organizational and planning skills, with an eye for the little details that make a big difference.
• Are comfortable managing inventory, tracking expenses, reconciling sales, and maintaining accurate financial records.
• Have experience leading, scheduling, training, or supervising teams, ideally including volunteers.
• Understand the importance of responsible alcohol service, liquor licensing requirements, and safe venue operations.
• Are a natural problem-solver who can think on their feet and remain calm when things don’t go according to plan.
• Can confidently coordinate with multiple stakeholders, service providers, and event partners.
• Are comfortable making decisions, taking initiative, and managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Know how to balance operational efficiency with creating an exceptional experience for guests.
• Are flexible, dependable, and willing to roll up your sleeves when the situation calls for it.
• Have an interest in curling, sport, entertainment, and bringing people together.
Previous experience managing licensed beverage operations, working with point-of-sale systems, and coordinating large teams or volunteers would be considered strong assets.
Above all, we’re looking for someone who takes pride in running a tight ship, builds great relationships, and understands that the best event experiences happen when the people behind the scenes have everything under control.
Contract Details:
This is a contract position supporting designated Curling Canada Season of Champions events. Hours will vary depending on the event schedule and may include daytime, evening, weekend, and extended event-day work.
The Patch Manager will be required to work on-site during assigned events, with additional travel for site visits and event preparation as required. Planning, coordination, and administrative responsibilities leading up to each event may be completed remotely.
Flexibility is important. Live events are dynamic environments, and schedules, staffing needs, and operational priorities can change quickly.
Specific event assignments, dates, locations, contract duration, and travel expectations will be confirmed with selected candidates.
Contract Scope: The contract will include approximately 12 days on-site per event across three events, in addition to pre-event planning, preparation and coordination responsibilities. Specific timelines and deliverables will be confirmed upon contract signing.
Compensation: $45,000 – $52,500 ($15,000 – $17,500 per event) for the full contract, plus travel, accommodations and per diems
Anticipated Start Date: September 2027 however orientation and potential periodic shadowing opportunities planned during 2026-2027 season (December 2026-April 2027)
Contract Duration: Approximately eight months with opportunity for annual renewal.
Why Curling Canada?
Curling brings people together – and nowhere is that more evident than in The Patch.
From fans celebrating an incredible shot to athletes connecting with the curling community, The Patch is where friendships are made, stories are shared, and some of the most memorable moments of our events happen long after the final stone has been thrown.
Behind all of that excitement is a dedicated team of people working hard to make it possible. As our Patch Manager, you’ll help create the environment where those experiences can happen.
At Curling Canada, our vision is to create a sport where everyone is unique, but never belonged more, and our purpose is to create meaningful experiences. We’re looking for someone who can bring those words to life by creating an environment where fans feel welcome, volunteers feel supported, and everything comes together to deliver an exceptional event.
Interested?
We’d love to hear from you.
Please submit your resume and a brief introduction telling us why you’d be a great fit for this opportunity to careers@curling.ca with the subject line [FIRST NAME LAST NAME – PATCH MANAGER] on or before Sunday, November 15th at 5PM EST.
If you have experience managing festivals, licensed venues, major sporting events, or other large-scale hospitality operations, we’d love to hear about the events you’ve helped bring to life and the role you played in making them successful.
Curling Canada is committed to creating an inclusive environment where people can bring their authentic selves to our sport and our team. We encourage applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.