Deputy Director- Park Services

City of Alexandria • Alexandria, VA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The City of Alexandria is seeking a Deputy Director of Park Services for the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities (RPCA). This role serves as a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, providing strategic leadership and executive oversight for five core divisions: Park Maintenance, Natural Resources, Urban Forestry, Athletic Field Maintenance, and Planning, Design & Construction. The Deputy Director will lead the stewardship, planning, development, maintenance, and enhancement of Alexandria’s parks, natural resources, public landscapes, athletic facilities, and capital projects. This position requires a collaborative, visionary, and values-driven leader passionate about public service, developing people, and building high-performing organizations. The successful candidate will embrace innovation, value teamwork, make thoughtful decisions, and inspire others through integrity, accountability, and a commitment to excellence. This is an opportunity to make a lasting impact, develop exceptional teams, and help shape the future of a nationally recognized and historic community.

Requirements

• Bachelors’ degree in recreation and parks or related field
• Seven (7) years of related experience
• Three (3) years of supervisory or managerial level experience in planning, coordinating, and conducting park maintenance, forestry, land management, park design, community planning, and park construction operations
• Equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree
• Executive municipal leadership experience
• Presentations to elected officials
• Organizational transformation
• Professional certifications (CPRP, CPRE, ISA, APWA, or similar)

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership for the City’s Park Maintenance, Natural Resources, Urban Forestry, Athletic Field Management, and Landscape Management operations.
• Lead and develop Division Chiefs and senior managers responsible for maintaining more than 900 acres of parks, athletic facilities, natural areas, and public landscapes.
• Serve as a key member of the Department’s Executive Leadership Team, helping shape strategic priorities, organizational performance, and operational excellence.
• Translate departmental vision into measurable results through data-driven decision-making, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee multimillion-dollar operating budgets, resource allocation, procurement, contracts, and fiscal stewardship.
• Champion exceptional customer service while ensuring parks, athletic fields, trails, natural areas, and public spaces are safe, welcoming, and well maintained.
• Lead the City’s Urban Forestry Program, including tree canopy preservation and expansion, risk management, and long-term forest sustainability.
• Direct Natural Resources programs focused on ecological restoration, invasive species management, environmental stewardship, and climate resilience.
• Provide executive oversight of athletic field operations, ensuring high-quality, safe, and sustainable facilities for community use.
• Implement enterprise asset management and preventative maintenance strategies to maximize the life cycle of public assets.
• Lead emergency operations, severe weather response, and continuity of operations for Parks Services.
• Build collaborative partnerships with City departments, elected officials, regional agencies, community organizations, and residents.
• Represent the Department before City Council, Boards and Commissions, executive leadership, and community stakeholders.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, employee engagement, leadership development, and operational excellence.
• Lead the development and implementation of the Urban Forestry Master Plan, establishing a long-term vision for preserving and expanding Alexandria’s urban tree canopy.
• Lead the development and implementation of the Parks & Recreation Master Plan, establishing strategic priorities for parks, facilities, open space, recreation amenities, and future investment.
• Advance the Natural Resources Management Plan and Implementation Strategy, focusing on ecological restoration, environmental stewardship, climate resilience, invasive species management, and habitat conservation.
• Oversee a comprehensive Community Needs Assessment to evaluate current and future recreation, park, athletic field, natural resource, and public space needs while identifying opportunities to improve services and expand access.
• Strengthen partnerships with Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) to coordinate the planning, development, maintenance, scheduling, and shared use of parks, athletic fields, open spaces, and recreational facilities that support community and school programming.
• Modernize the Department’s Asset Management and Capital Planning Program by developing lifecycle replacement strategies, maintenance standards, performance measures, and long-range investment priorities for parks, athletic fields, public facilities, fleet, and infrastructure.
• Complete all seasonal park maintenance, athletic field maintenance, urban forestry, natural resources, waterfront, and facility maintenance cycles through a combination of department staff and contracted services while meeting established service levels.
• Collaborate with City departments and regional partners to deliver park development projects, open space initiatives, waterfront improvements, facility renovations, and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects that enhance Alexandria’s public realm.
• Evaluate and implement operational efficiencies, technology solutions, and performance management systems that improve service delivery, enhance customer experience, and strengthen organizational accountability.
• Develop a comprehensive workforce development and succession planning strategy that builds leadership capacity, supports employee growth, and prepares the next generation of Parks Services leaders.

Benefits

• The City of Alexandria is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its workforce. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, military status, or disability.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager