Deputy Director – Land Stewardship, Planning & Capital Delivery

Bernalillo County•Albuquerque, NM

About The Position

Employees at Bernalillo County enjoy the ability to team up with each other to build a high quality of life for our county residents, communities, and businesses. In addition to being an organization with a strong focus on work-life balance, building a culture of flexibility, learning, and belonging the County offers many benefits. Employees of Bernalillo County enjoy many thoughtful rewards such as, but not limited to generous leave accruals; career development opportunities; remote & flex-work options as appropriate; longevity pay; education assistance program; health benefits; lucrative retirement; and so much more. The Deputy Director of Parks, Recreation & Open Space (PROS) provides senior leadership for Bernalillo County’s parks, open space, and public land assets. The role oversees land stewardship, planning and construction, operations and maintenance, and long-range system planning, while partnering closely with the Department Director to develop and implement strategies and policies that ensure effective stewardship of County land and park facilities, efficient capital delivery, and compliance with County priorities and regulations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration , Public Administration, Recreation, Planning, Engineering, Construction Management, Natural Resources, E nvironmental Science or a related field.
Ten (10) years of work experience in one or more of the following areas; Public Land Stewardship, Natural Resource management, Parks and Public Land Operations and Maintenance, Capital Project Delivery, Construction Management, Public Infrastructure Planning and Implementation
Four (4) years in a managerial role.
Any equivalent combination of related education and/or experience may be considered for the above requirements.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience leading organizational change and implementing new operating models.
Experience with asset lifecycle management systems, master planning, and capital prioritization.
Certifications relevant to land management or construction oversight, such as pesticide applicator licenses, environmental protection, irrigation or backflow certifications, CDL, or construction management credentials (e.g., CCM, PMP).

Responsibilities

Provide executive leadership for major PROS functional areas, including land stewardship, capital planning/construction, and asset management.
Advise the Department Director on operational, technical, and strategic matters; serve as Acting Director as needed.
Represent PROS in executive, interdepartmental, and external forums with County leadership, elected officials, regulators, and partners.
Lead land stewardship strategy for public lands (preservation planning, fuels mitigation, invasive species management, ecological health, interim land management).
Set stewardship standards, work plans, and performance measures aligned with the Integrated Vegetation Maintenance Management Plan, staffing, seasonal needs, and budgets; ensure coordination with public access, safety, and long-term development.
Lead interagency and cross-department coordination for land stewardship and natural resource management.
Oversee the full lifecycle of parks/recreation/public land capital projects (planning through closeout), including delivery practices, scope/schedule/cost oversight, change orders, and risk management.
Coordinate with Public Works and other County departments on facility asset identification, lifecycle planning, and maintenance responsibilities.
Provide executive oversight of parks/public lands operations and maintenance (irrigation, turf/ball fields, landscaping, hardscape, facility grounds) , establish measurable standards and evaluate outcomes against benchmarks, and implement lifecycle-based asset management to align maintenance with capital planning and sustainability.
Lead PROS redesign implementation by establishing structures/operating models, governance, cross-department workflows, and continuity during transition; build performance systems to track service delivery, asset condition , and capital outcomes and recommend long-term organizational structure/realignment.
Lead development, updates, and implementation of the PROS Master Plan; coordinate with internal teams, consultants, and partners; align programming, stewardship, and capital feasibility.
Support development and oversight of capital and operating budgets; provide executive oversight of staffing analysis, recruitment support, performance management, and succession planning.
Ensure compliance with County policies, ordinances, Standard Operating Guidelines, Directives, and applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements; support audits and maintain confidentiality of sensitive records and decisions.