Director of Recreation & Parks

The City of Santa Maria, City Manager’s Office, invites applications for the position of Director of Recreation and Parks. Lead a dynamic team that enriches lives through engaging programs and well-maintained parks and help shape the future of our community in a growing California city!

The Recreation and Parks Department Director Strategic Leader is a key member of the City’s executive leadership team reporting directly to the City Manager. This strategic and visionary role leads the planning, coordination, and delivery of comprehensive recreation programs, parks operations, facility maintenance, and community events. The Director fosters community relationships, guides departmental staff, and ensures high-quality services that align with City priorities and resident needs.

IDEAL CANDIDATE STATEMENT:
The ideal candidate is a seasoned professional with a strong background in municipal recreation, parks management, and community engagement. They are passionate about enriching lives through safe, inclusive, and innovative programs, as well as maintaining high-quality parks and facilities.

This individual excels in strategic planning, operational oversight, and fiscal management, and brings a proven ability to inspire, develop, and lead a diverse team. They are an effective communicator who can build strong partnerships with residents, community organizations, and stakeholders. The ideal candidate embraces creativity, fosters equity and accessibility in all programs, and is committed to shaping the future of recreation and community wellness.

DUTIES
Examples Of Duties:

These duties are a representative example; position assignments may vary depending on the business needs of the department and organization. This position:
-Develops and shares a vision along with strategic goals in the planning, coordinating, and promoting of a comprehensive program of rec­reation and park activities including activities of cultural, instructional, wellness, sports and community special activities/events.
-Demonstrates leadership and team-building capacity in unifying various professional and technical staff, responsible for specific tasks in a development process, and establish a culture of collaboration and integrated-thinking.
-Evaluates community needs for parks and recreation; meets with interested groups and individuals to discuss programs, facilities and needed improvements and develops the budget to align resources with these needs.
-Establishes relationships to foster collaboration and consultation with the stakeholders including the Recreation and Parks Commission.
-Establishes expectations for responsive customer service, and provides direction on implementing effective workflow processes.
-Seeks innovation and oversees research of possible funding sources to supplement city resources and administration of grant programs received by the City in recreation and parks.
-Upholds the values of the organization and has strong customer service orientation.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
-Significant years of leadership and management experience to perform the job effectively; and
-Graduation from college with specialization in recre­ation management, public administration/finance or social group work, and/or
-An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job such as those listed above.
-Desired licenses and/or certifications associated with the assignment. Should possess First Aid/CPR; Professional membership in Calif Park and Rec Society or National Rec and Park Association.

DESIRED CORE COMPETENCIES
Strategic Leader:

-Mission Focus – Effective performers understand and support the organization’s mission, believe in it, value it, and are committed to it.
-Visioning – Effective performers are imaginative, able to create a vision of a preferred future, and communicate it clearly and enthusiastically to others.
-Strategic Thinking – Effective performers act with the future in mind, understand the factors influencing strategy (e.g., core competence, community needs, and the organization’s current strengths and limitations), and consider future impact when weighing decisions.
-Business Thinking – Effective performers see the organization as a series of integrated and interlocking business processes, understand general business concepts that govern these systems, and understand how change impacts the entire organization.
-Diplomacy – Effective performers work well within the organization’s power network. They recognize personal agendas, balance internal politics, work well with elected officials and navigate the political environment effectively.
-Global Mindset – Effective performers see their city role in a larger context within the community, region and beyond. They value diversity and other points of view, identify partnership opportunities and exhibit coalition-building skills.
-Risk Taking – Effective performers have a history of, and propensity for, taking calculated chances to achieve goals. When they fail, they accept it, learn from it, and move on.
-Leadership Identification – Effective performers identify with the role of leader, and enjoy positions of responsibility and authority.
-Presentation Skills – Effective performers are comfortable and confident in front of an audience, deliver messages effectively to inform or persuade, and are adept at public engagement.