Parks and Recreation Special Projects Manager

City & County of Denver, CO•Denver, CO

32d•Hybrid

About The Position

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose - for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills, and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive, and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver. Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) provides a broad range of programs, services, facilities, and park amenities within the City and County of Denver. The City's park system encompasses more than 290 urban parks, parkways, and natural areas, totaling over 7,000 acres. The Department boasts more than 14,000 acres of pristine mountain parks, eight golf courses, 24 lakes, more than 87,000 park trees, 187,000 right-of-way trees, over 90 miles of off-street trails, 14 off-leash dog parks, and over 300 athletic fields. The recreation system serves approximately 2.25 million visitors annually. It includes 30 active recreation centers, 16 outdoor pools, and 16 current indoor pools. Recreation activities include arts and cultural classes and events, aquatics, sports and fitness opportunities, and youth programming. In addition, the Department offers programs focused on outdoor education, youth and adult sports leagues, and out of school programs offered in conjunction with Denver Public Schools. DPR comprises four divisions: Administration, Recreation, Parks, and Planning, Design and Construction. The Department of Parks and Recreation has an opening for a Special Projects Manager to support our Parks and Recreation Administration. Theâ¯Special Projects Managerâ¯is responsible for managing and developing strategic initiatives, special projects, partnerships and policy for DPR.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Management, or a related field.
Three (3) years of professional experience at the type and level of Management Analyst Senior or planning and conducting operational and/or management studies including determining study methods and procedures, analyzing data, developing recommendations and implementation strategies, and preparing reports of findings and recommendations.
Extensive Project Management, Planning or Public Administration experience
Proven experience in strategic leadership and strong political acumen
Experience managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders and funding sources
Experience cultivating, fostering and managing a diverse portfolio of partner organizations
Experience managing, developing and negotiating contracts and policies
Strong communication skills (written, verbal and visual) and public speaking experience
Critical thinking skills with ability to pivot strategically and tactically

Responsibilities

Performs a variety of comprehensive and technical administrative activities for Denver Parks & Recreation Director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives, which includes providing leadership and technical expertise on departmental critical needs, initiatives, programs, policies and services
Develops and recommends long range and short-term strategic planning and operational initiatives to align with departmental goals, objectives, and priorities
Manages the development and implementation of performance criteria and metrics for Denver Parks & Recreation's strategic plan (Game Plan for a Healthy City) and evaluates the department's work plan performance in meeting the action plan goals and objectives
Represents Denver Parks & Recreation while performing all job functions and cultivates business relationships in the private and public sectors with organizations whose mission aligns with DPR's goals, objectives and priorities.
Acts as a technical expert and resource by performing legislative and/or policy analysis of issues, conducts research of best practices, market studies and analyzes data to formulate approaches and plans that address identified issues. Briefs the Director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives and department leadership on concerns and issues by providing information and recommendations required for decision-making
Communicates effectively (written, verbal and visual) with Denver Parks & Recreation leadership and staff and representatives of Mayor's Office, City Council, various city agencies, community/business groups, internal/external partners, the public and/or other stakeholders regarding issues/concerns of major significances in addition to departmental critical needs, initiatives, programs, policies and services
Represents Denver Parks & Recreation at meetings and participates on committees and task forces in order to resolve complex technical issues
Develops, negotiates and manages contracts, including partnership contracts, and other legal documents for Denver Parks & Recreation, including drafting RFP for professional/services contracts, evaluating proposals, selecting successful bidder, administering the contracts, and monitoring contracts for compliance and expenditures
Prepares comprehensive annual reports and presentations describing the progress towards Denver Parks & Recreation's goals and objectives and overall accomplishments related to strategic initiatives, strategic partnerships, policies and legislation.
Collaborates with DPR's partners, including internal/external organizations, and manages, coordinates, facilitates the development and implementation of projects, programs and services that fulfill DPR's mission and goals.
Performs other duties as assigned

Benefits

A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
457B Retirement Plan
140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 13 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year
Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

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