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Director of Recreation & Parks
NCAA Market
Baltimore, MD, United States
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The City of Baltimore, Maryland is conducting a national search for an innovative, dynamic, and forward thinking leader to be the Director of Recreation and Parks. As a proven professional with established leadership experience, the Director will ensure that Baltimore City Recreation and Parks provides affordable, equitable, year-round recreational opportunities for all Baltimore residents. This an exciting position for an individual with a love for parks and open space and the ability to inspire a shared vision, working in collaboration with an active and involved community, in accordance with Mayor Pugh’s commitment to equity, excellence, and improved quality of life for all.
RECREATION AND PARKS IN THE CITY OF BALTIMORE
Baltimore City Recreation and Parks is the steward of beautiful parks, trails, and waterways that provide the perfect urban oasis for residents of, as well as visitors to, the City of Baltimore. The Department maintains 4,600 acres of parkland, 262 parks, and 120 playgrounds throughout the City. In addition, the Department operates 170 athletic fields, 110 tennis courts, 101 basketball courts, and 38 recreation centers. The Department looks after 2.8 million street trees in addition to trees in parks. The Department also has responsibility for 32 historic structures, over 25 miles of biking and hiking trails, 18 picnic groves, 12 pavilion groves, and three dog parks.
DIRECTOR POSITION
The Director of Recreation and Parks serves as the principal leader and administrator of the Recreation and Parks Department. This is an at-will management-level position reporting to the Mayor, with day-to-day reporting to the Chief Operating Officer. The Director will be responsible for providing high level managerial leadership, administrative, and financial direction, as well as directing the planning, development, and operation of City-wide parks, facilities, and recreation services. This position requires excellent leadership ability, great communication skills, effective decision making, and strategic thinking for all parks and all neighborhoods.
The Director oversees a staff of 908 employees, including 111 employees within Recreation and Parks administration, and a FY 2017 operating budget of $43.9 Million and FY 2017 capital budget of $10.1 Million.
Key Responsibilities:
• Ensure that Baltimore’s parks and recreation facilities and programs are “best in class” and meet the diverse needs of city residents;
• Develop a strategic plan that ensures equitable access for all Baltimore residents to excellent parks and recreation opportunities;
• Establish, implement, and communicate goals, objectives, policies, and procedures in accordance with strategic plan. Provide comprehensive information to the policymakers and the public;
• Foster collaborative and innovative partnerships with city, regional, state, and federal agencies, community groups, industry organizations, and the non-profit and private sectors to support the administration’s healthy living and environmental “cleaner and greener” priorities;
• Prepare, present, and administer the budget process for the Department and oversee budget expenditures; plan, supervise and allocate human, financial, and material resources in order to meet City’s recreational needs;
• Review legislation and assure compliance with laws, regulations, statutes, and codes that impact Department operations;
• Operate an effective, responsive, and accountable organization that can attract and retain top quality staff and provide professional development opportunities to all staff in order to successfully innovate and implement the best practices to serve the evolving needs of residents;
• Measure performance through improved data collection, and build on existing staff efforts to analyze equity considerations in capital and operating budget decision-making, and guide investments in the City’s recreation and parks.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate will be a confident, collaborative, and decisive leader with good judgment, strong professional presence, and an inspiring demeanor who can develop and sustain a highly functional department.
This includes:
• A passion for excellence in recreation and parks;
• Extensive knowledge of management in a large, complex urban environment;
• Proven ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with public officials, public/private/nonprofit agencies, and the general public;
• A commitment to diversity, equity, and excellence;
• The ability to empower, develop, mentor, and motivate agency staff;
• Experience in government finance and parks operations;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Political savvy and sensitivity to the interests of a wide-range of stakeholder groups, strategic partners, elected officials, and administrative colleagues.
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. A graduate degree is highly desirable.
Experience: Five years of responsible management experience in parks administration, public sector management, or a related field. Experience working with, or for, the public sector is highly desirable.
Any combination of education and experience that is equivalent to the above minimum qualifications is acceptable.
NOTES:
Additional Salary Information: COMPENSATION & BENEFITS The salary for this position will be determined based on the candidate’s experience and qualifications. The starting salary range is $132,000 - $175,000 annually. The City of Baltimore offers comprehensive benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life, and accidental death and disability coverage. The City provides vacation, personal and sick leave in accordance with City policy. Retirement plans are also available. Residency Requirements: The Charter of Baltimore City requires the individual selected for this position to be a resident and registered voter of the City of Baltimore at the time of appointment and to remain a resident and registered voter during the entire term of the appointment. Relocation Expenses: The City of Baltimore may provide relocation expense reimbursement, subject to the approval of the City’s Board of Estimates. Relocation expenses may include costs to move personal items as well as transitional housing not to exceed a period of six (6) months.