Director of Parks and Recreation
This position is responsible for planning, directing, managing, and administering the Town’s Parks and Recreation services, programs, and operations.
Essential Functions
- Plans, directs, administers, and supervises the work of the Parks and Recreation Department. Establishes goals and priorities in conjunction with the Town Administrator and appropriate boards and committees; establishes work methods, policies, procedures, and performance standards; supervises staff, volunteers, and vendors; manages equipment, technology, and facilities, which includes athletic complexes, fields, playgrounds, and other recreational areas; establishes and maintains administrative and recordkeeping systems.
- Develops, markets, and oversees a wide variety of programs, events, and services to promote and support the health and wellbeing of community members. Creates a welcoming environment; identifies and advocates for needs and funding; plans recreational, health, social, childcare, developmental, and educational programs; maintains data and analyzes trends; monitors and informs others on legislation, trends, and opportunities related to the health and wellness of the community.
- Oversees the operations of camp, swim pond, fields, and all other Department programs. Develops and implements staff and volunteer recruitment and retention strategies. Ensures programs are adequately staffed and operate safely, efficiently, and in accordance with regulations and best practices; fees are accounted for; facilities are properly maintained; staff and vendors complete all hiring requirements, are set-up in payroll and accounting systems, and are trained.
- Oversees the Department’s administration of Criminal Offender Record Information checks in accordance with applicable mandates.
- Organizes and oversees capital projects; works with the Parks and Recreation Commission to develop master plans.
- Develops, monitors, and processes the Department operating and revolving fund budgets, expenses, and revenues. Prepares budget projections and requests; prepares staff payroll and related payments; orders materials and supplies; records and tracks expenses and receipts; prepares schedules for payment; turns over fees collected; reconciles accounts; ensures the accuracy, integrity, and timely oversight of all financial records and transactions through regular review and monitoring.
- Provides professional support to the Commission. Attends meetings; advises and reports on areas under their charge; recommends and implements decisions; prepares meeting postings, agendas, materials, and minutes.
- Fosters coordination of service efforts, information sharing, program planning, and general collaboration among area schools, agencies, service providers, youth and sports groups, organizations, boards, committees, staff, and Town departments; attends, leads, and participates in related meetings.
- Ensures appropriate handling of confidential and sensitive information through secure recordkeeping practices, discretion, and staff training.
- Reports suspected abuse, neglect, self-harm, threats of harm to others, and other health, safety, or life‑threatening concerns in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, Town policies, and mandatory reporting requirements.
- Oversees production and publishing of the Department’s public communications, including marketing materials and social media content.
- Compiles and analyzes data and generates reports of Department activity and operations.
- Researches, applies for, and manages grant opportunities and funding.
- Performs other related job duties as required.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED
The employee works from policies, goals, and objectives; establishes short‑range plans and objectives and departmental performance standards and assumes direct accountability for department results; consults with the supervisor only where clarification, interpretation, or exception to policy may be required or as requested by the supervisor; exercises control in the development of departmental policies, goals, objectives, and budgets; and is expected to resolve all conflicts that arise and coordinate with others as necessary.
SUPERVISION EXERCISED
The employee is accountable for the direction and success of programs accomplished through others; is responsible for analyzing program objectives, determining the various departmental work operations needed to achieve them, estimating the financial and staff resources required, allocating the available funds and staff, reporting periodically on the achievement and status of the program objective, and recommending new goals; formulates or recommends program goals and develops plans for achieving short and long‑range objectives; and determines organizational structure, operating guidelines, and work operations.
JUDGMENT AND COMPLEXITY
Guidelines only provide limited guidance for performing the work, which may be in the form of administrative or organizational policies, general principles, regulations, legislation, or directives that pertain to a specific department or functional area. Extensive judgment and ingenuity are required to develop new, or adapt existing, methods and approaches for accomplishing objectives or to deal with new or unusual requirements within the limits of the guidelines or policies. The employee is recognized as the authority in interpreting the guidelines and in determining how they should be applied.
NATURE AND PURPOSE OF CONTACTS
Relationships are with co‑workers and the public, and with groups or individuals who have conflicting opinions or objectives, diverse points of view, or differences where skillful negotiating and achieving compromise is required to secure support, concurrence and acceptance, or compliance. The employee may represent to the public a functional area of the organization on matters of procedures or policy where perceptiveness is required to analyze circumstances to act appropriately.
CONFIDENTIALITY
The employee has regular access at the departmental level to a wide variety of confidential information, including personnel records, medical records, lawsuits, and client records.
Education And Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Physical Education, Management, Leisure Studies, or related field plus 3 to 5 years of progressively responsible experience in a recreational field; or any equivalent combination of education, training, certification, and experience.
LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
- Class D Driver’s License.
- CPR and First Aid Certifications required within one year of hire.
Knowledge, Ability, And Skills
Knowledge: Thorough knowledge of all activities that comprise a comprehensive recreation program, and the ideals and objectives of planned recreational programs; the use and care of recreation equipment, materials, tools, facilities, and other resources; and the laws, principles, and practices relevant to essential functions including those related to recreation management, recreational programming, camp licensing and certification, and playground safety. Working knowledge of administrative and clerical practices; financial recordkeeping; office equipment and software including email, word processing, spreadsheets, social media, and web applications; electronic and physical records management.
Abilities: Ability to be cleared through the Criminal and Sexual Offender Record Information (CORI/SORI) background checks; apply regulations and standards applicable to caring for children and operating recreational programs; and maintain an empathetic and calming persona in time of crisis. Ability to recognize town‑wide priorities and work cooperatively to support their accomplishment; plan and prioritize work, change direction, and rearrange tasks according to deadlines and circumstances; manage revolving and enterprise accounts and budgets; and use scheduling/registration and presentation software. Ability to exercise initiative and independent judgment; develop new or revised systems; multi‑task; work with a high level of detail; meet deadlines; work independently; and be self‑motivated. Ability to manage conflict; communicate effectively with tact and discretion; fairly and tactfully enforce policies; maintain confidentiality; present ideas clearly and concisely; maintain good public relations and effective collaborative working relationships; respond in a courteous and professional manner; and work with diverse groups.
Skills: Strong business management, project management, budgeting, and communication skills. Effective problem‑solving, public relations, customer service, supervisory, writing, record‑keeping, organizational, and administrative skills. Proficient personal computer skills.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work is performed in an open and often loud office/community centre setting. Working conditions also involve occasional exposure to heat, activity, odors, and noise found in recreational areas, fields, and beaches, but outdoor work can typically be rescheduled to avoid harsh elements.
Physical, Motor, And Visual Skills
Physical Skills: Administrative work is in an office setting, involving sitting, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. When in the field, work requires agility and physical strength, such as moving in or about recreational sites or over rough terrain or standing or walking most of the work period. Occasionally, work may require lifting heavy objects (up to 50 lbs.) and carrying them; there may be a need to stretch and reach to retrieve materials.
Motor Skills: Duties require motor skills for activities such as moving objects and using office equipment, including but not limited to telephones, personal computers, handheld technology, and sports equipment.
Visual Skills: Visual demands require routinely reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes, including handwriting, maps, blueprints, and forms; inspecting surroundings and fine details to assess conditions of materials, equipment, landscapes, and buildings; and reviewing detailed information displayed on a computer screen.
Salary Range
This is an exempt position with a range of $97,696-$128,922, depending on qualifications.
