SANTA FE LAKE CARETAKER

City Of Augusta • Augusta, KS

3d

About The Position

The City of Augusta, KS seeks an engaged, creative, hard-working leader to join our management team as Santa Fe Lake Caretaker.

The SFL Caretaker is a professional supervisor and management position responsible for the overall operation and upkeep of this growing recreational nature park in the Wichita metro area. With tens of thousands of annual visitors, SFL is now a regional destination for outdoor enthusiasts. The SFL Caretaker will ensure they continue to have amazing experiences and help preserve this beautiful outdoor park attraction.

Santa Fe Lake (SFL) is 220 acres of water on a 450-acres property that provides unique recreational opportunities for the region. Over the years, SFL has converted to a recreational nature park with the lake being “no-wake” and geared towards canoes, paddleboards, and man-powered craft. The property features, swimming areas, camping areas, hiking/biking trails, etc. The property features Knockwood Disc Golf Course (currently ranked as a top 100 disc golf course in the world). SFL is known for immaculate upkeep and its friendly staff who cater to tens of thousands of visitors every year looking to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life. Visitors from outside of Augusta make up the bulk of the park’s daily users. Entry is permitted, so the property is considered a “pay-to-enter” facility.

Santa Fe Lake has one caretaker, one full-time maintenance technician, and one full-time office clerk. The Division is responsible for upkeep of the park grounds and managing the patrons that frequent the facility for recreation. Activities include swimming, biking, hiking, disc golf, fishing, etc. The Caretaker reports to the Parks & Recreation Superintendent but has considerable discretion and independence over daily park operations and customer interactions.

A key member of the Community Development Department’s leadership team, the next SFL Caretaker will be interested in leading this nature park into the future, maintaining and growing its user base strategically, and implementing operating efficiencies to ensure that it continues to operate within budget.

The position requires administrative, technical, and interpersonal skills, and commitment to high quality customer service. SFL is known for its immaculate maintenance, and the new caretaker will be responsible for ensuring that staff continue to meet those customer expectations.

The successful candidate will have in-depth knowledge and experience in customer service, parks and/or lakes management, project management, and facilities maintenance. Supervisory experience is also preferred and will include both maintenance workers and office staff. The SFL Caretaker will operate with considerable discretion and independence overseeing customer interactions and managing the daily operations of the park.

The ideal candidate will possess strong communication skills and a willingness to back up and supplement both office and technical staff as needed to ensure that the park runs smoothly. The SFL Caretaker manages personnel, budget, programs and activities with an eye for continuous improvement to meet the needs and expectations of the city and lake patrons.

We are searching for a candidate with a strong, collaborative, problem-solving style of leadership, who is engaging and personable and willing to serve as the “face” of the facility that patrons come to know.

Requirements

• administrative, technical, and interpersonal skills
• commitment to high quality customer service
• in-depth knowledge and experience in customer service, parks and/or lakes management, project management, and facilities maintenance
• strong communication skills
• willingness to back up and supplement both office and technical staff as needed
• strong, collaborative, problem-solving style of leadership
• engaging and personable
• High School Diploma
• minimum of 5 years of increasingly responsible experience in customer service, parks/lake management, groundskeeping and facilities maintenance, or related fields

Nice To Haves

• Supervisory experience
• experience related to security, law enforcement, or rescue operations
• Additional experience or education/certifications in watershed management
• ability to interface with regulatory agencies like the Kansas Department of Health & Environment (KDHE) during blue-green algae outbreaks as well as the Division of Water Resources regarding dam and spillway maintenance and emergency response.

Responsibilities

• overall operation and upkeep of this growing recreational nature park
• ensuring visitors continue to have amazing experiences
• preserve this beautiful outdoor park attraction
• maintaining and growing its user base strategically
• implementing operating efficiencies
• ensuring that staff continue to meet customer expectations
• overseeing customer interactions
• managing the daily operations of the park
• manages personnel, budget, programs and activities with an eye for continuous improvement to meet the needs and expectations of the city and lake patrons.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: High school or GED