San Diego

Details

Parks

The City of San Diego is accepting resumes for the unclassified position of

DIRECTOR OF PARK

Details

Director of Parks and Recreation job posting

Filing Deadline:

April 27, 2007. Candidates are encouraged to apply promptly as interviews and selection may begin upon receipt of resumes from qualified individuals and prior to the closing date.

The City:

San Diego, the eighth largest city in the United States, is 342 square miles and home to over 1.3 million residents - the City has grown over 10% in the last decade. It is both a major tourist destination and also an international trade center while being one of the most desirable places to live in the nation.

There are 17 miles of coastline along Pacific Ocean beaches. In addition, there are two beautiful bays including 4,200 acres around Mission Bay Park. Despite its size, San Diego continues to have a comfortable, small town atmosphere. Most destinations within town are less than 20 minutes away by car. Pleasant Weather Rating Service voted San Diego as having the best year-round weather in the nation and the second best in the world.

Because of San Diego's proximity to Mexico, the region is bi-cultural and the City is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse places in the nation. San Diego residents have come from all parts of the world and speak more than 100 languages. San Diego also has a young population, with over 50% of its citizens under 35 years of age. The median family income approaches $60,000. San Diego is one of the safest big cities in the nation due to an aggressive anti-crime stance taken buy local government. Also, the healthcare system is among the best in the nation.

The region is home to several professional sports teams: the Chargers (football), the Padres (baseball), to name the most prominent. The arts ? music, dance, opera, film and museums - are abundant and include the San Diego Opera, the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, the San Diego Symphony, the La Jolla Playhouse, and the Old Globe Theatre. Museums include the San Diego Museum of Art, the Natural History Museum, the San Diego Aerospace Museum and the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and Space Theatre. Other famous attractions include Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, Sea World San Diego, Legoland California, the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Racetrack, and Cabrillo National Monument.

San Diego is also a center for education and research, with both public and private colleges and universities. The University of California at San Diego (UCSD), San Diego State University (SDSU) and the University of San Diego (USD) are three major universities in the City. In addition there are ten community colleges located throughout San Diego County. The City of San Diego has the highest percentage of college graduates of any City in Southern California.

From the coastline, to the inland valleys, San Diego's unique geography provides a landscape with something for everyone when it comes to housing, recreation, education, and entertainment. As the region's largest city, the City of San Diego has a combined Fiscal Year 2007 budget of over $2.56 billion and employs nearly 11,000 highly dedicated employees. Additional information about the City of San Diego can be obtained on the City's website: www.sandiego.gov

San Diego's Park and Recreation Department serves a metropolitan area of over 1.3 million while the customer base is expanded with San Diego's millions of annual visitors. The City of San Diego is currently reviewing operations and organizational structures as part of streamlining efforts; this includes maintenance and other functions within the Park and Recreation Department. The City operates one of the largest park systems in the nation with over 337 parks in over 39,314 areas of parkland and open space. Facility highlights include:

• 26.2 miles of Mission Bay shoreline
• 1 children's Fishing Lake
• 13.6 miles of Oceanfront shoreline
• 13 permanent pools
• 120 neighborhood parks
• 4 skate parks
• 48 community parks
• 1 cemetery
• 2 municipal piers
• 51 recreation centers
• 4 golf courses
• 13 dog-off leash areas

There are also three regional parks which have a myriad of activities within their boundaries including programs/facilities that are operated privately. For example, the famous San Diego Zoo, 14 museums, and the Old Globe Theater are located in Balboa Park. Similarly, Sea World and several resort hotels lie within Mission Bay Park.

San Diego Parks & Rec Department has six Divisions:

Administration Division

Provides administrative tools and resources for management of the department, including budget administration, safety and training, asset management, grants administration, public information, information technology and business management.

Community Parks I Division

Geographic by Council Districts 1, 2, 5 and 6

Serves the neighborhood community park and recreational facilities including neighborhood parks, mini-parks, community parks, recreation centers and school joint-use sites. In addition, the Division is responsible for Mount Hope Cemetery, and Centre City Maintenance.

Community Parks II Division

Geographic by Council Districts 3, 4, 7 and 8

Serves neighborhood community park and recreational facilities including neighborhood parks, mini-parks, community parks, recreation centers and school joint-use sites. In addition, the Division is responsible for Aquatics Program, Senior Services Program, Therapeutic Services Program and the Department's Volunteer Recruitment and Recognition Program.

Developed Regional Parks Division

Regional Park operations and maintenance, including Balboa Park, Mission Bay, Shoreline, and Presidio Hill. The Division is also responsible for the city-wide park maintenance services including mowing, sweeping, aquatic features, park forestry and irrigation.

Golf Operations Division

The Division is responsible for the overall management of the City's municipal golf complexes at Torrey Pines, Balboa Park and Mission Bay.

Open Space Division

The Division is responsible for the overall Open Space coordination and Open Space Regional park management of Mission Trails, Otay Valley, Tecolote, Marian Bear, Rose Canyon, Los Penasquitos, Black Mountain, and the overall San Diego River Planning Support. The Division is also responsible for city-wide Maintenance Assessment Districts (MADs), and Median Maintenance.

Input and assistance come from a variety of sources beyond the department's customers. The 11 member Park and Recreation Board meets on a monthly basis. There are also 53 citizen advisory recreation councils. Advisory staff and hands-on volunteers are very important components as they contribute in excess of 160,000 volunteer hours annually.

For additional information about the Park and Recreation Department, you may visit the City of San Diego Website at www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/.

The Position:

The new Park and Recreation Director will report to the Assistant Chief Operating Officer who oversees a variety of City functions in addition to Park and Recreation, including City-wide Administration, the Chief Information Officer, Customer Services, Libraries, Human Resources, and Purchasing.

The Director will administer an annual budget of approximately $111 million and provide leadership to a staff of 949 full time employees. The Park and Recreation program in San Diego is a 365 day annual operation. In other parts of the country, weather provides catch-up periods for the facilities and staff. The opposite is true here with pressure to utilize all available facility time and to increase programming.

The Director will address issues and opportunities which are common to major urban park and recreation departments as well as needs and situations which are unique to San Diego. One example is the community's desire for more passive recreation opportunities and open space. This is in part to San Diego having doubled population over a twenty year period. There is also an increasing sensitivity to environmental concerns. The Department will expand interpretative programs and focus attention of environmental education and protection in the City's 21,000 acres of open space, which is expected to increase over the next few years.

Qualifications:

A strong background in park and recreation management within a government agency is highly desirable. Senior level experience in managing service delivery operations in a medium or large city, county or state government agency may be substituted for park and recreation experience. The ideal candidate will also possess the following:

• Comfort operating in a fluid, big city environment with multiple constituencies, where priorities can shift rapidly;
• An ability to conceptualize and manage change efforts and ensure new missions and visions are communicated and adopted throughout an organization;
• An understanding of the difference between management and leadership, and skill in both areas;
• A commitment to public service, fiscal responsibility and innovation in government;
• The ability to effectively direct and manage a wide range of programs, projects and tasks simultaneously, without losing sight of important issues and goals;
• A focus on customer service and satisfaction;
• The ability to set clear expectations, monitoring performance and holding subordinates accountable while evaluating what the Department overall is doing well, and where opportunities exist for improvement;
• Initiative to work independently and the ability to accurately perceive and assess situations;
• Demonstrated exceptional business and political acumen to work effectively with internal customers, external agencies and businesses, elected officials and the public;
• A can-do positive attitude and proven record of achieving goals and delivering projects on time and within budget;
• An inclusive and consensus building approach which respects citizen participation processes;
• A strong sensitivity to the environment and the Department?s role in providing natural parks and environmental programs;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• A reputation for honesty, candor and unquestioned ethics;
• Active and genuine commitment to managing diversity in the workplace;
• Strong interpersonal leadership skills, with the ability to successfully interact with a variety of stakeholders, both inside and outside the City structure.
• Comfort with working with a diverse community who will at times have differing ideas/expectations and will recognize these differences as an important component of good decision making;

• A passion for parks and recreation and a recognition that the nature of the job and scope of activities require 24/7 commitment.

Possession of a Bachelot's degree in public administration, business administration or a related field and a minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional/program management in park and recreation operations would be a typical way to demonstrate these qualifications.

Compensation and Benefits:

Starting salary is commensurate with the individual?s skills, abilities and experience. The successful candidate will be eligible for:

   * Participation in the City's Flexible Benefits Plan ($5,575 annual value for Fiscal Year 2007) which offers several optional benefit plans or a taxable cash option;

   * The City's Management Benefit Plan ($3,000 annual value);

   * Paid annual leave accruing at 22 days per year for the 1st through the 15th year of service;

   * Defined benefit City retirement with CalPERS reciprocity for those with eligible service;

   * Optional deferred compensation and 401(k) programs. All employees must join the City's Supplemental Pension Savings Plan (in lieu of Social Security participation) with a minimum required contribution of 3.00% of salary; however, the City will match salary contributions up to 6.05%, which vest at 20% per year of participation. Benefits currently offered to employees may be subjected to future modifications.

Selection Process:

To be considered for this position, please contact Dr. Richard Garcia at RJA Management Services Inc., 550 W. Duarte Road, Suite 6, Arcadia CA, 91007, www.rjamanagement.com EOE/ADA.