At Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Partnership (MLSE), we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that is representative of our community and where all employees feel they belong and can reach their full potential. We are Canada’s preeminent leader in delivering top quality sport and entertainment experiences and one of North America’s leading providers of exceptional fan experiences. We are the parent company of the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs, the National Basketball Association’s Toronto Raptors, Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC, the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts and development teams with the Toronto Marlies (American Hockey League), Raptors 905 (NBA G League), Toronto FC II (MLS NEXT Pro League) and Raptors Uprising Gaming Club, the Toronto Raptors Esports franchise in the NBA 2K League.

MLSE owns and/or operates all the venues our teams play and train in, including Scotiabank Arena, BMO Field, Coca-Cola Coliseum, Ford Performance Centre, BMO Training Ground, and OVO Athletic Centre. We also provide fans in Toronto with incredible live music and entertainment events, as well as exceptional culinary experiences through our restaurants (e11even and RS) and clubs (Hot Stove Club, ScotiaClub and Platinum Club). Through MLSE Foundation, we have invested more than $45 million into Ontario communities since 2009 and with MLSE LaunchPad, we provide a place where youth facing barriers use sport to recognize and reach their potential.

We achieve all of this through our Common Purpose - to unite and empower our employees to create extraordinary moments for our fans and each other. Come be a part of the team.

As a Change the Game Research Assistant, you will get the opportunity to engage with a diverse cross-section of youth voices in research about safe sports access and spaces, and the organizations that provide sport and sport for development opportunities for youth through in-depth qualitative and solutions-focused participatory methods.  With support from Canada’s Abuse-Free Sport research grant award program and a multi-year partnership between MLSE Foundation and the University of Toronto Center for Sport Policy Studies, you will collaborate with organizations representing multiple types and levels of sport in the development, piloting, and evaluation of evidence-informed practices and approaches for improving the safety of sport cultures and environments for youth.

You will have the opportunity to support the execution of a robust knowledge mobilization strategy that includes report writing, preparing an open data portal, planning a high-impact sectoral event, and developing audience-specific awareness and discussions on key themes emerging from the research.

Hours: Part-time (12 Month Contract) – some evenings and Saturdays as required.

• Coordinate the implementation of community-based research activities and processes.
• Communicate effectively with youth, parents, researchers, staff, and volunteers of organizations who work with youth.
• Prepare data visualizations for key knowledge mobilization outputs emerging from the research including reports, in-person events, open data portals, and social channels on the web.
• Implement a data collection and analysis schedule in adherence with timelines outlined in the research grant and related ethics guidelines.
• Recruit, engage, and coach youth in the administration of data collection procedures such as through the co-facilitation of focus groups and participatory methods.
• Act as a data custodian for physical and electronic data in adherence to privacy policies and ethical standards. 
• Create, edit and collate research-related documents, including for literature reviews, outreach materials, reports, one-pagers, engagement toolkits and slide decks.
• Assist in the preparation and delivery of presentations for internal and external stakeholders.  
• Support the administration of a research grant in alignment with funder requirements for progress reporting and processes for research budget expenses.

​​​​​​Note: Before reviewing the qualifications listed below, we want you to know that we understand you may not meet all the qualifications described and have other relevant expertise and experience.  We invite you to please share this with us in the "Message to the Hiring Manager" section of our online application. 

• Comfortable with occasional travel within Ontario.
• You are community-minded: You have a good understanding of the communities we serve and aspire to create equitable opportunities and strengths-based environments for youth in sport. You have familiarity with applying anti-oppressive, anti-racist, inclusive principles to your work and engage in continued learning in these areas.
• You have experience in both statistical and qualitative research methods: You have the knowledge to conduct or support research and evaluate data collection, analysis and visualization.  You enjoy being curious, finding insights and opportunities in data from a variety of sources, and sharing knowledge in transparent and accessible ways.
• You are a creative thinker: You bring forward exciting ideas and insightful input to the work you do. You ask questions and apply your creativity toward developing new and effective practices for engaging youth in the research process.
• You are collaborative: You work well in a highly collaborative environment, accept and share constructive feedback, and are ready to both lead and pitch in depending on what the team and situation requires.
• You are well organized: You create systems and processes that enable you to effectively manage your work, adhere to project timelines, anticipate challenges proactively, and produce impactful and quality work. You are confident using tools like Microsoft Office, data analysis programs like R, Python, and NVivo, and data visualization software like Tableau, and/or are comfortable efficiently learning new types of software and applications as needed.
• You are an authentic communicator: You communicate thoughtfully in both verbal and written mediums. You are able to build effective relationships with both youth and staff of organizations inside and outside of sport and are comfortable working independently and as part of a diverse team of individuals from varying ages, cultural backgrounds, and lived experiences.

Apply by: July 24th, 2024

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. 

At MLSE, we are committed to building an equitable, diverse and inclusive organization.

We are an equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status or disability. MLSE will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in the job application process. If you have difficulty using our online application system and you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email [email protected]. Please note this email is only for accommodation requests. Resumes sent to this email address will not be considered.