Park Services Manager - Willamalane Park and Recreation District

Park Services Manager
$68,557-$92,539willamalane.org
Plus excellent benefits
Apply by 5 p.m. March 10
Springfield, Ore.
541-736-4544
Springfield, Oregon
Willamalane Park and Recreation District
Located in the picturesque Willamette Valley and flanked by
the free-flowing McKenzie and Willamette rivers, Springfield
offers the ideal place to live and play. This is a family-friendly
community with all the amenities, attractions and services
you’d find in larger cities, but without the traffic and congestion. The schools are top-notch, the medical care is state-ofthe-art and the economy is thriving. Ideally situated just east
of Interstate 5 and the city of Eugene, the location provides
easy access to a major university and a gateway to the McKenzie River recreation area. It is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts
with both the breathtaking Oregon Coast and majestic Cascade
Range less than an hour away. With a deeply rooted history and
an adventurous pioneer spirit, Springfield is home to progressive-thinking individuals who plan for the present with an eye
on the future.
Established by voters in 1944, Willamalane Park and Recreation
District has been the principal provider of park and recreation
services in the city of Springfield for 71 years. Willamalane is a
special purpose tax district, separate from the city, with its own
boundaries and tax authority. It is governed by a five-member,
elected board of directors and managed by a district superintendent. Named as a 2014 National Gold Medal Award Finalist,
Willamalane features 44 parks, 25 playgrounds and 17 sports
fields, as well as five recreation facilities (including two yearround swim centers). Willamalane has doubled its green space
over the past three years and now boasts nearly 1,500 acres of
parks and natural area, 13 waterfront areas, and 25 miles of hiking and biking trails. Thanks to the forward-thinking planning
efforts of the board of directors, staff and volunteers, Willamalane is prepared to continue providing high-level recreation
services to our community as it grows by an estimated 16,000
people over the next 20 years.
Population: 60,000
Average annual high: 63 degrees
Average annual low: 43 degrees
Annual rainfall: 46.06 inches*
*This may seem like a lot of rain, but that is what keeps Oregon green and
beautiful year-round.
Opportunities and Challenges
The following opportunities and challenges will be in the offering of the successful candidate. They include, but are not
limited to:
• Leading the effective use of our maintenance management
system, Cityworks, by all staff and the public to improve Willamalane’s ability to plan, implement and track work.
• Providing administrative oversight to the Park Services Department to ensure organizational policies and practices are
followed.
• Coordinating the development of standard operating procedures for the Park Services Department. Clarify service level
standards and work flow expectations.
• Developing strategies to grow the depth and breadth of leadership and supervision skills within the Park Services Department to build organizational resilience and stability.
• Facilitating an update to the District’s Integrated Pest Management program.
• Using our solid platform of GIS data for parks and facilities to
assist with operational planning, capital improvement planning and asset management.
• Assisting efforts to improve interdepartmental collaboration,
cross-promotion and information sharing.
About the Position
The Park Services Manager reports directly to the Assistant
Superintendent for Parks, Planning and Natural Resources. The
Park Services Manager will directly supervise three operational
supervisors, a mechanic and one office assistant. The Park
Services Manager will have responsibility for a $3.5 million
budget and approximately 18 full-time-equivalent employees
and additional part-time and seasonal employees. The Park
Services Manager is responsible for ensuring that our parks,
natural areas and pools are maintained at a high standard, and
that each operational team is implementing best management
practices. The manager is also expected to provide sound, well
thought-out advice to the Assistant Superintendent and the
District Management Team on park and pool facility operational matters.
The Parks Services Manager:
•Works with the Assistant Superintendent to establish and
analyze overall priorities, goals and objectives for the Park
Services Department that are consistent with and complement district goals; works with the individual operational
supervisors to establish goals and objectives and set direction
for each of their work units in the areas of budget, maintenance standards and staffing.
•Leads the Park Services Department supervisor team and
works with the Assistant Superintendent to ensure park
services programs and activities operate smoothly and efficiently.
•Prepares an annual budget for the park services department;
monitors expenditures to remain within budgetary constraints.
•Conducts research, prepares reports and communicates findings and recommendations regarding long-term direction,
service levels and needs of the Park Services Department to
the Assistant Superintendent.
•Supervises subordinate employees including assigning and
reviewing work, evaluating performance, training, taking
necessary disciplinary action, and making hiring and termination decisions.
•Responds to inquiries from the public regarding park operations and services.
•Assists with developing, and complies with, district policies
and procedures.
•Maintains good communication links and teamwork across
district, division and department lines and activities.
• Promotes the use of parks and related programs to the public
through speaking engagements and media contacts.
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will have a strong track record of effectively leading and supervising teams of people in the maintenance
and operations of outstanding parks and recreational facilities.
We are seeking a candidate who is:
•Skilled in maintaining a positive, team-oriented work environment and who helps develop employees, and the resilience of their teams, by promoting training, education and
mentoring.
•Proficient in business practices such as budgeting, contracting, procurement, developing service level standards and
work flow management.
•Adept at developing and implementing plans, programs, actions and policies.
•Actively pursues partnerships with other local jurisdictions
and private industry regarding the maintenance of facilities,
equipment, parks and open spaces.
•Skilled in the use of computer software routinely used within
a park and recreation agency, including Geographic Information Systems, maintenance management systems and the
Microsoft Office suite.
•Works with the Planning and Development Manager and Assistant Superintendent to ensure effective project coordination.
•Committed to excellence and the continuous improvement of
himself or herself, and of the teams he or she supervises.
•An excellent written and oral communicator.
•Able to set a positive example of competence, professionalism, energy and work ethic.
•Known as someone who demonstrates the highest degree
of personal and professional integrity, and who holds
herself or himself — and others — accountable for their
actions.
Experience and Education
Successful candidates will hold a bachelor’s degree in recreation and park management, public administration, business
administration, landscape architecture, environmental science,
or a related field, and five years of progressively responsible
municipal park systems experience at a management level. A
master’s degree is preferred. Professional certification in parks
and recreation is also highly desirable. Or, the candidate may
have any satisfactory combination of experience and training
that demonstrates the knowledge, skills and ability to perform
the duties of the position.
Compensation and Benefits
Willamalane Park and Recreation District offers an exceptional
compensation and benefits program. The salary range for this
position is $68,557–$92,539, with initial salary dependent upon
qualifications and experience. Benefits include medical, dental
and vision insurance; retirement; paid vacation; free pool
admission; discounts on classes and more.
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed and rated by a panel of Willamalane Park and Recreation District staff members. Personal
interviews with those candidates who most closely meet the
desired qualifications and attributes will be conducted. Finalists may be asked to participate in multiple interviews. This
position recruitment will close at 5 p.m. Thursday, March 10,
2016. The first round of interviews is tentatively scheduled for
March 31 and April 1.
To apply, please complete and submit your application, supplemental questionnaire, cover letter, and resume online. Find the
application packet online at www.willamalane.org/contact/jobs.