Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation

Full Job Description

The purpose of this job is to plan, organize, coordinate, and administer the operations of City's Parks and Recreation Department. Work includes direct administrative support to the Department Director, direct engagement with the public, policy, and strategy development, daily management, and supervision of operations in recreation, golf, planning, maintenance and department office, budget coordination and development, contract management, supply procurement and management, performance management and preparation of various documents, presentations, and reports, as assigned. Work is performed with considerable latitude for independent decision making under the managerial direction of the Parks and Recreation Director.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES 
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by employees in this job. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

• Supervises, plans, organizes, coordinates, and assigns work of subordinate professional, clerical, technical, and operational support employees; interviews, trains, counsels, and evaluates employees; resolves personnel issues; sets performance standards and measures outcomes.
• Develops departmental budget and coordinates preparation, submittal, and presentation activities. Determines resource needs and financial requests; develops financial analytics, strategies, and performance metrics to meet priority goals; monitors the financial operations for the department.
• Prepares documents and reports of a unique or specialized nature; conducts research; maintains data and necessary records; assists with presentations; provides trend analyses, graphs, and charts as assigned.
• Creates long and short-range planning objectives and effective strategies for the department and establishes goals for alignment with other adopted plans.
• Represents the department in public forums and community initiatives as assigned
• Serves as a technical expert, provides technical and policy guidance to department personnel, city departments, and agencies. Collaborates with interdepartmental teams and leads teams as necessary and assigned.
• Establishes policies and procedures; reviews operations for compliance with City policies and makes changes as deemed necessary to improve operations; resolves difficult or unusual operational, technical, personnel or administrative problems.
• Reviews activities with the department director; participates in development of city policies and procedures and plans, ordinances, codes, laws, and regulations affecting areas of responsibility.
• Manages and participates in technically complex, difficult, and sensitive interdisciplinary projects; develops work plans, schedules, and budgets; coordinates, assigns and reviews work products; monitors progress of projects.

Initiates, develops, and implements innovative programs and solutions consistent with the department priorities.

Analyzes and recommends solutions to specific Park and Recreation issues dictated by community needs, including the gathering, analyzing, and reporting on pertinent data, policies, ordinances, and legislation.

• Plans, manages, and monitors use of federal, state, and philanthropic program funds, including developing performance measurements and reporting tools, and preparing and submitting related reports; manages and guides housing and community development programs and projects.
• Performs related work as required

Requirements

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in public or business administration, urban planning, or a closely related field

- AND-

• Five (5) years of experience in a field related to administration, recreation, and community planning

-OR-

• Any equivalent combination of training, education, and experience that provides the required skills, knowledge, and abilities

Required Licenses or Certifications

• Possession of a valid Michigan driver’s license

Preferred Education

• Master's degree in public or business administration, urban planning, or a closely related field

Additional Information

We Offer:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision starting on Day 1
• 6% employee 401a contribution with employer matching (6% or 7% based on bargaining unit)
• Employee & Employer contributions to Retiree Health Savings Account
• Voluntary benefits such as term life insurance, flexible spending accounts, accidental insurance, disability insurance, and deferred compensation plan options
• Twelve Paid Holidays
• Paid Vacation and Sick Time
• Paid parking (if applicable)
• Employee Home Ownership Incentive
• Tuition Reimbursement and professional development opportunities
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Assistance Program with free mental health counseling
• Comprehensive Wellness program with a health and wellness incentive
• Employee Discounts and Perks

Should an applicant need any disability related accommodation or other consideration in the application or selection process, please notify the human resources department upon submittal of application.

The City of Grand Rapids does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy or gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

Please Note:
This position is subject to the provisions of the applicable collective bargaining agreement and all relevant civil service rules. For additional information, links to union agreement and Civil Service Rules are provided below.

Collective Bargaining Agreements

Civil Service Rules