Chief of Recreation

City of New York•New York, NY

2d•$170,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

This position is ONLY OPEN TO CURRENT FULL-TIME ANNUALLY PAID PARKS EMPLOYEES. This vacancy is only open to 1) current permanent Parks employees serving in the Administrative Community Relations Specialist civil service title or 2) on leave from the title or 3) permanent Parks employees in or on leave from a comparable title (e.g. Administrative Staff Analyst or Administrative Manager) or 4) Parks employees who are reachable on the Administrative Community Relations Specialist civil service list or a comparable civil service list or qualify for a comparable title. [Please indicate the exam and your list number or comparable title on your resume.] The Chief of Recreation will work under the direction of the Assistant Commissioner for Public Programs and working closely with the Chief of Programming and Strategic Management for Recreation (PSMR), Public Programs leadership, Park Administrators, and other Borough Chiefs of Recreation. The role involves facilitating programming that will enable all New Yorkers to lead physically active and intellectually stimulating lives through sports, fitness, outdoor adventure, technology, education and the arts. The position requires dynamic leadership for the conceptualization, development and implementation of cutting-edge recreation programs. In close coordination with the Chief of PSMR, the role will improve and expand after school, cultural, educational, fitness and sports programs with a focus on providing an equitable experience for tots, youth, teens, adults and seniors across all five boroughs. The Chief of Recreation will have direct management of Recreational facilities throughout the borough, working closely with Operations to ensure building quality through routine and preventive maintenance, and with tradespersons and Capital staff to plan and coordinate physical improvements to facilities. The role also involves leading the borough Recreation team, assessing staff development needs and encouraging growth through individualized training regimes and division-wide education opportunities like the Recreation Summit. The Chief of Recreation will represent the Agency to elected officials, community boards, local organizations, and schools, and evaluate and develop equitable programs based on community needs. The position will implement and execute grant funded programs under the direction of the office of PSMR, ensuring that all center funds are accurately tracked. Together with the Deputy Chiefs of Recreation, the role will work with each Recreation Manager and their staff to prioritize measurable goals and meet specific data-driven objectives, and to promote programs and increase center memberships, attendance, and visits. The Chief of Recreation will provide the Assistant Commissioner for Public Programs and Deputy Commissioner for Public Programs and Community Engagement with needs analyses (including justifications for budgets and new initiatives), timely reporting, and accurate statistical data. The role requires communicating and adhering to recreation policies and procedures, ensuring that departmental rules and regulations are followed, and articulating key city and agency initiatives to both staff and constituents. Finally, the Chief of Recreation will work with the Marketing and Special Events division and the office of PSMR to cultivate partnerships and to produce large borough-wide and citywide special events.

Requirements

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U. S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and four years of satisfactory, full-time community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, at least two years of which must have been in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibility for planning, organizing, coordinating, developing, evaluating and/or administering a large community service program or activity; or
A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and eight years of satisfactory, full-time experience as described in "1" above, at least two years of which must have been in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibilities as described in "1" above; or
Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above. Undergraduate education above the high school level may be substituted for the community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, but not for the two years of broad administrative or policy-making experience described in "1" above, at the rate of 30 semester credits from an accredited college or university (as described above) for each year of experience, up to a maximum of 4 years. Graduate education beyond the baccalaureate degree may be substituted for the community liaison, community organization or community relations experience, but not for the two years of broad administrative or policy-making experience described in "1" above, on the basis of 30 graduate credits from an accredited college or university (as described above) for each year of experience, up to a maximum of 2 years. However, all candidates must possess a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State’s Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and two years of full-time experience in a broad administrative or policy-making capacity with responsibilities as described in "1" above.

Responsibilities

Under the Direction of the Assistant Commissioner for Public Programs and working closely with the Chief of Programming and Strategic Management for Recreation (PSMR), Public Programs leadership, Park Administrators, and other Borough Chiefs of Recreation, facilitate programming that will enable all New Yorkers to lead physically active and intellectually stimulating lives through sports, fitness, outdoor adventure, technology, education and the arts.
Provide dynamic leadership for the conceptualization, development and implementation of cutting-edge recreation programs. In close coordination with the Chief of PSMR, improve and expand after school, cultural, educational, fitness and sports programs with a focus on providing an equitable experience for tots, youth, teens, adults and seniors across all five boroughs.
Direct management of Recreational facilities throughout the borough. Work closely with Operations to ensure building quality through routine and preventive maintenance. Work closely with tradespersons and Capital staff to plan and coordinate physical improvements to facilities.
Lead the borough Recreation team. Assess staff development needs and encourage growth through individualized training regimes and through division-wide education opportunities like the Recreation Summit.
Represent the Agency to elected officials, community boards, local organizations, and schools. Evaluate and develop equitable programs based on community needs.
Implement and execute grant funded programs under the direction of the office of PSMR. Ensure that all center funds are accurately tracked.
Together with the Deputy Chiefs of Recreation, work with each Recreation Manager and their staff to prioritize measurable goals and meet specific data-driven objectives; and to promote programs and increase center memberships, attendance, and visits.
Provide the Assistant Commissioner for Public Programs and Deputy Commissioner for Public Programs and Community Engagement with needs analyses (including justifications for budgets and new initiatives), timely reporting, and accurate statistical data.
Communicate and adhere to recreation policies and procedures; ensure that departmental rules and regulations are followed. Articulate key city and agency initiatives to both staff and constituents.
Work with the Marketing and Special Events division and the office of PSMR to cultivate partnerships and to produce large borough-wide and citywide special events.