The City of Montgomery, Alabama is seeking an experienced leader to administer the City’s athletic, riverfront, trails, parks, and community center services and serve on the Mayor’s Cabinet in the role of Director of Parks and Recreation.
CITY GOVERNMENT
Montgomery is the capital city of Alabama and widely known as the birthplace of the civil rights movement. The government of the City of Montgomery operates under a Mayor-Council system. Both the Mayor and Council are elected by the people to four-year terms.
THE POSITION
The position of Director of Parks and Recreation exists to perform administrative duties in overseeing the daily operations of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. The Director of Parks and Recreation supervises the administrative functions of the department to include budget, purchasing, payroll, and personnel while managing activities of parks and recreation to ensure the effective maintenance and operations of recreation facilities, including all outdoor athletic and recreational centers.
The Director develops short- and long-range plans; manages special projects, events and programs; and supervises the delegation of management and operations of recreation programs for the City Montgomery. The Director monitors and evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and identifies opportunities for improvement and directs the implementation of changes in order to ensure that programming is meeting the needs of all city residents including seniors, residents from low-income backgrounds, and residents with special needs. This position reports directly to the Mayor.
Responsibilities
In alignment with the requirements of the position, the Director of Parks and Recreation has the following responsibilities:
Oversees activities of Parks and Recreation in order to ensure the consistent application of programs and services.
- Supervises and coordinates the work of all organizational elements within department.
- Recommends personnel actions such as hiring, restructuring requests, and disciplinary actions.
- Advises division heads regarding services, projects, programs, financial management, resource management, etc.
- Analyzes city issues and problems and works with division heads to identify solutions. Identifies and evaluates long-term recreational needs within the city’s corporate limits. Provides direction and technical guidance to Parks and Recreation divisions.
- Evaluates the effectiveness of existing programs while monitoring and evaluating compliance with local, state and federal environmental regulations.
- Develops or directs the development of programs to correct compliance issues.
- Reviews major requests for service from the general public and directs appropriate actions.
- Establishes department programs, functions, and direction.
- Sets goals and objectives and monitors progress.
- Reviews organization patterns, work relationships, staff responsibilities, and organizational structures to ensure effective functioning of the departments.
- Meets with executive, supervisory and administrative employees to discuss and resolve budgetary issues, review projects and programs, establish or redirect priorities, review policies and procedures and implement improvements.
- Coordinates Parks and Recreation operations with other city departments, the state and elected officials.
- Prepares and presents studies, plans, reports and recommendations affecting Parks and Recreation.
- Coordinates the utilization of departmental resources among divisions.
- Maintains awareness of and ensures compliance with existing and new regulations, legislation, statutes, laws and administrative rules that govern Parks and Recreation.
- Reviews the design of complex and difficult construction activities.
- Meets with vendors, contractors and/or consultants regarding Parks and Recreation. Provides strategic direction and oversight of all Parks and Recreation functions.
- Prepares and submits, as required, periodic reports on the status of programs, plans, and the actual delivery of services.
Develops short- and long-range plans for overall direction of the Parks and Recreation Department to include developing, implementing and monitoring policies and procedures in accordance with current professional standards.
- Monitors operations in order to identify and evaluate the effectiveness of operations and programs and identifies problems to be addressed.
- Monitors and evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures; assesses and monitors workload, administrative and support systems, and internal reporting relationships.
- Identifies opportunities for improvement and directs the implementation of changes.
- Visits recreation sites and programs to observe and evaluate program effectiveness and resident/participant satisfaction.
- Ensures that programming is meeting the needs of all city residents including seniors, residents from low-income backgrounds and residents with special needs.
- Directs activities in researching and developing or revising policies and procedures and programs.
- Analyzes reports and information received and makes decisions regarding development and enforcement of new policies and procedures and programs.
- Approves and directs the implementation of department policies and procedures and programs.
- Develops and/or supervises the development of plans, procedures, and programs related to the delivery of the various services for which Parks and Recreation is responsible.
Performs administrative duties for the Parks and Recreation and Zoo Departments using budget information, personal computers, city rules and regulation, and state law to include budgeting and project management in order to manage the department’s budget and keep officials informed of programs and plan status.
- Oversees the administrative functions of the Parks and Recreation Department to include management budget, payroll, and personnel functions.
- Manages the preparation and execution of consolidated operational and capital budget for Parks and Recreation.
- Authorizes and monitors expenditures and makes budget adjustments.
- Responds to requests for information and assistance from the Mayor, city council, employees, outside agencies, and the public.
- Researches and analyzes current practices and trends in Parks and Recreation.
- Reviews budget estimates for the departments including Parks and Recreation and Zoo.
- References city ordinances and resolutions, state laws, policy manuals, and other materials in order to provide accurate information.
- Provides information and data to other departments and offices within the city government to facilitate the development of plans, programs and implementation activities as necessary to support overall developmental activities and for dissemination to the public.
- Receives and handles complaints or requests from the public.
- Develops and maintains effective working relationships with residents, constituency groups, business and community leaders, volunteers, council members, department heads, and/or the media in order to plan work and resolve problems.
- Gives speeches to civic groups and professional organizations concerning Parks and Recreation programs.
- Researches and gathers pertinent information regarding problems or complaints in order to identify solutions.
- Refers the public to appropriate city resources that would provide requested services.
- Composes letters, memos, e-mail documents and other material in order to respond to complaints or inquiries.
Manages special projects, events, and programs in order to provide effective and efficient city services and programs.
- Prioritizes projects based on needs and urgency in order to handle several tasks within established time frames.
- Establishes project plans and procedures in order to accomplish project goals.
- Reviews budget reports, financial statements, and requests for proposals (RFPs). Monitors continuous projects.
- Plans, directs and reviews all Parks and Recreation activities to include all phases of design, survey, inspection, and maintenance.
Supervises management level employees, following personnel rules and regulations in order to ensure consistent application of programs and services throughout the City of Montgomery.
- Defines job duties and requirements of the various classifications in the Parks and Recreation department, and communicates those requirements to employees and to the Personnel Department.
- Sets standards for performance of employees.
- Evaluates employee performance and counsels employees concerning strengths and weaknesses.
- Recommends and oversees the administration of disciplinary action to improve unsatisfactory performance to include written reprimand, suspension of up to five days or other disciplinary action.
- Recommends to the Mayor more severe disciplinary action to include demotion, suspension of more than five days or dismissal.
- Selects, supervises, trains and evaluates professional, technical, and administrative support staff.
- Periodically conducts formal reviews of the work being performed and the personnel responsible for such performance.
Qualifications
The qualified applicant will have a bachelor’s degree in Recreation Administration, Public Administration, Business Administration or closely related field and five (5) years of Parks and Recreation managerial, programming and supervisory experience to include policy and procedure administration with a minimum of 2 years of experience in recreation, human resources, finance, operations, or related field. Experience with facilities, operations, leading and managing professional staff is preferred.
The ideal candidate will possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
- Knowledge of youth and adult recreational programs and operations as needed to identify effective programs for possible use in the city and to develop and manage the City of Montgomery’s recreational activities.
- Knowledge of general building maintenance and facility operations as needed to maintain the department’s structures in proper condition.
- Knowledge of materials, methods, equipment, manpower, and programming used in Parks and Recreation department operations.
- Knowledge of laws, ordinances, regulations and statutes which govern Parks and Recreation functions.
- Knowledge of project management principles including contract management and cost analysis.
- Knowledge of strategic planning principles.
- Knowledge of the organization, interrelationships and operations of the City of Montgomery departments’ objectives.
- Knowledge of the principles, practices, methods and equipment employed in modern municipal operations and services.
- Knowledge of modern management methods as applied to municipal administration.
- Knowledge of local, state and federal laws, regulations or procedures pertaining to employment such as hiring, discipline, termination, working conditions and handling employee complaints.
- Knowledge of the principles and practices applied to the organization, management, and administration of Parks and Recreation programs and services.
- Knowledge of principles and practices of budget administration.
- Knowledge of financial management and fiscal planning procedures.
- Knowledge of personnel management and supervision principles as needed to manage employees at all levels to include delegation, performance evaluation, counseling and assigning human resources.
- Skill in oral communication as needed to explain policies and procedures, discuss problems, and to address civic groups or the media.
- Skill in written communication as needed to prepare or review written documentation, develop policies and procedures and prepare reports or correspondence.
- Ability to organize, plan, assign and direct the activities of a large group of diverse employees performing a variety of administrative and service activities.
- Ability to direct the operations of multiple city departments as needed to ensure all departments are functioning effectively and efficiently.
- Ability to maintain discipline and earn the respect and confidence of subordinates.
- Ability to establish effective working relationships with staff, City, County and State officials, dignitaries and the public.
- Ability to plan and implement short- and long-range plans as needed to reach established goals.
- Ability to establish and implement effective community/public relations programs as needed to communicate the city’s Parks and Recreation programs to the public.
- Ability to identify needs in terms of staff development programs and to establish and implement effective employee relations and staff development programs.
- Ability to read and understand complex legal and technical material such as laws, regulations, and manuals.
- Ability to make difficult decisions under time constraints to ensure the best procedure is implemented.
- Ability to gather information and facts, analyze information and staff input and to make decisions regarding the city’s Parks and Recreation department policies, procedures, operations and long-range plans.
- Ability to consider the facts in order to make fair decisions or take appropriate action without interference or personal bias.
- Ability to identify legal concerns and to analyze the legal and practical implications of decisions and actions and to make difficult decisions regarding parks and recreation operations while ensuring compliance with local, state and federal laws or guidelines.
- Ability to balance competing interests and to make decisions that will benefit the city.
- Ability to enforce rules and regulations and to administer disciplinary action to include counseling employees on expected job performance or firing employees.
- Ability to garner support and cooperation from staff and volunteers in order to implement the policies and programs aimed at improving parks and recreation’s services.
- Ability to handle multiple projects and tasks simultaneously.
- Ability to prioritize projects and tasks as needed to accomplish goals and meet deadlines. Ability to be diplomatic in handling irate citizens as needed to resolve complaints and problems.
- Ability to coordinate multiple city department efforts as needed to complete projects and plan for special events.
TO APPLY
The City of Montgomery is partnering with POLIHIRE to identify the Director of Parks and Recreation. If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit your application below.