Administrator Parks & Outdoors

City of Chattanooga•Chattanooga, TN

14d•$116,000 - $170,000•Onsite

About The Position

The City of Chattanooga seeks an accomplished and visionary leader for the newly created Department of Parks and Outdoors. The Administrator will be responsible for ensuring safe, sustainable, and attractive parks and recreational opportunities for residents and the public, to include planning and management of public events, maintenance and care for City facilities and open spaces, and effective and efficient operation of the department. The Administrator will understand and be committed to advancing the Mayor’s vision for Chattanooga. The ideal candidate will be prepared to play a critical role in ensuring that Chattanooga’s parks and outdoors are among the best in the nation, leveraging the unique natural assets and resources of our region to improve the quality of life of residents from every walk of life. The Department will also be responsible for managing and expanding an energetic portfolio of activities and responsibilities, to include youth sports, fitness, special interest programs for a variety of populations, outdoor recreation programs, trips and special events.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 7+ years of experience in roles of growing scope, responsibility, and demonstrable results in the urban parks and recreation sector or a related field; or any combination of equivalent experience and education.
Advanced degree in parks, recreation, landscape architecture, or a related field may be substituted on a year-for-year basis up to two years of the required 7 years of experience as described above;
A valid driver license.
Experience developing and communicating a shared vision for community challenges, needs, and opportunities;
A passion for community-centered issues and desire to work with a mission-driven organization;
Extensive knowledge of the principles and practices of parks, recreation and open space programs; extensive knowledge of equipment and facilities required in a comprehensive park, recreation and open space program; extensive knowledge of the principles and practices of maintenance, construction, and use of public buildings and park facilities; and extensive knowledge of community recreation needs and resources;
Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, coordinate, and implement a comprehensive community parks, recreation and open space program;
Demonstrated ability to execute projects while balancing multiple and competing priorities on tight deadlines, all while providing continual attention to detail and quality;
Politically astute with a proven track record of working effectively in partnership with City departments, elected officials, local, regional, and state governments, outside agencies, residents, small businesses, and other key stakeholders to achieve planning goals and objectives;
Demonstrated ability to effectively lead and manage organizational cultural change and development, comprehensively leading and energizing a diverse team;
Highly effective communicator with maturity who demonstrates cultural competence, active listening, and responsiveness to the community, residents, and staff; and
Visionary and strategic thinker who can lead and provide guidance on the interwoven issues of transportation, infrastructure, land-use, zoning, development, and environmental sustainability.

Responsibilities

Leads and directs operations to achieve goals within available resources; plans and organizes workloads and staff assignments; trains, motivates, and evaluates assigned staff; reviews progress and directs changes as needed.
Provides leadership and direction in the development of short and long-range plans; gathers, interprets, and prepares data for studies, reports and recommendations; and coordinates activities with other departments and agencies as needed.
Coordinates the master planning for all new parks, recreation, and outdoor facilities.
Plans, coordinates, and directs a diversified year-round, citywide parks program, to include the management of various fields, parks and outdoor facilities.
Reviews program areas, implements changes and/or new programs to meet the recreation needs of the community; and develops, maintains, and implements a current parks, open spaces, and the recreation services master plan.
Develops and oversees the organizational structure, the budget, and staffing of the Department of Parks and Outdoors in coordination with the Chief of Staff.
Advises the Chief of Staff, the Mayor and City Council on key matters of parks, recreation, open spaces and related outdoor issues.
Must meet regular attendance requirements.
Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers, and citizens.
Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.
Performs other duties as assigned.