EXEMPT - $130,000 - $170,000 Annually 

JOB SUMMARY

Under the general direction of the Assistant City Manager, this position oversees management of the Parks and Recreation Department personnel, programs, facilities, budgets, and activities in a manner consistent with the City’s vision, mission, values, and culture.  The Director ensures departmental operations keep current with standard practices and procedures within the parks and recreation profession. This position is responsible for keeping current the parks, recreation and open space master plan including the strategic implementation of a park capital improvement plan for Parks, Trails and Bikeways, Aquatic and Recreation Facilities, and City Streetscapes.  This includes developing innovative approaches to future developments in a manner that preserves the City’s natural features and ensures that developed projects are sustainable. This person is also responsible for writing and implementing departmental policies, procedures, contracts and other documents and reports.  This position serves as the departmental liaison to various City boards, commissions, and Councils.  Other duties include interfacing with various agencies and citizens outside of the City and providing direction to City employees.  

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Creates a vision for the department that will raise the bar and gain recognition in North Texas.  Develops a strategic plan to implement the vision coordinating activities with various plans and activities of other departments within the City.  Work with the public, special interest groups, outside agencies and various boards, commissions, or Council for development of the vision.
• Develops departmental policies and procedures.  Coordinate development of policies with other departmental practices as well as those that are standards within the profession.  Communicate adopted policies with others including departmental employees, Parks and Recreation Board, City Council, and the public.  Creates work plans, transition plans, succession plans, and strategic plans in accordance with the adopted policies, City’s Vision, Mission, and Values.
• Evaluate the departmental structure and recommend changes as needed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of operations. 
• Prepares and administers the departmental budget, including operation and capital improvement, forecasting funding needs and administering budgetary decisions.  Assures that assigned areas of responsibility are performed within budget; performs cost control activities, monitors revenues and expenditures to assure sound fiscal control; and prepares annual budget requests and reports.  Responsible for general fund and sales tax budget expenditures and revenue projects.
• Recommends park projects, purchases, and develops park land, writes requests for proposals and project scopes for all capital projects, selects professional design firms for design of approved projects in full compliance with State Law and the Professional Procurement Act, engage the public in project design development, bid projects and supervise construction services of general contractors as required to ensure compliance with Contract Documents.
• Serves as liaison with City Boards, Council, Youth Athletic Boards, and citizens by planning and attending Park Board meetings and responding as needed to Park Board members, organizing the writing technical reports, reviewing, and editing articles for newspapers and handling controversial issues that arise related to parks and recreation.
• Recruits, selects, places, and retains high performing employees.  Provide opportunities for employee development through departmental meetings, outside training, and proper leadership.  Evaluates the
• ongoing performance of department personnel to ensure positive, productive performance.  Acts as needed to correct or terminate employment of those who do not conduct themselves in accordance with the City’s culture and value system.
• Provides support for the development and implementation of diverse youth and adult sports programs. Provides programming, maintenance, and operational assistance for designated recreational and sports facilities and complexes.
• Oversees the purchase of property, developing pertinent ordinances, developing City Council communications and by writing technical documents and reports.
• Prepares and presents material for City Council and other public meetings.
• Provides premier customer service to citizens, internal and external customers by responding to requests in a positive, timely, effective, and professional manner.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of modern parks and recreation programs.
• All aspects of recreation management, including sports leagues, recreation center management, aquatics, senior adult programming, and community events.
• Equipment and facilities required in a comprehensive park and recreation program.
• Principles and practice of maintenance, construction and use of public buildings and park facilities.
• Playground safety standards, industry standards for athletic facilities and swimming pool operations.
• Community recreation needs and resources.
• Local, state, and federal planning agencies and funding grants.
• Principles and practices of office management, work organization and supervision.
• Community recreation program philosophy, planning, and administration.
• Applicable age-appropriate activities, programs, and materials.
• Equipment, facilities, operations, and techniques of a comprehensive community recreation program.
• Principles and practices of organization, administration, budget, and personnel management.
• Research methods and analysis techniques.
• Microsoft computer software applications and other commonly used office equipment.

Ability to:

• Demonstrate strong verbal and listening skills.
• Communicate clearly, confidently, and concisely with peers, customers, supervisor, visitors, city officials and appropriate agencies.  Must communicate with diplomacy and tact and have ability to resolve conflicts appropriately. 
• Display a role model behavior to subordinates and/or other assigned staff.
• Provide advice to others outside direct reporting relationships on specific problems or general policies.  Exchange of information should be conducted in a positive and proactive manner that exhibits a genuine concern for and interest in the other person’s situation and need. Contacts may require the consideration of different points of view to reach agreement.  Elements of persuasion may be necessary to gain cooperation.
• Plan, direct, manage, coordinate, and integrate the work of a City department including fiscal, budget, and strategic planning issues.
• Formulate and present information effectively.
• Analyze and evaluate many complex and significant variables.  City-wide policies, procedures or precedents may be developed and/or recommended.
• Work evenings, weekends and holidays as required.
• Lift and carry a minimum of 25lbs without assistance.

Experience and Education: Any combination equivalent to the level of experience and education that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities will qualify.

Experience:

• Five (5) years of related experience, with increasingly responsible experience in the operation of Parks and Recreation, including at least three (3) years in a supervisory capacity.  Local Government experience preferred.
• All aspects of park operations including contractual maintenance, irrigation management, forestry, landscape installation and playground safety.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible recreation programming or facility management experience.

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree with major course work in public administration, recreation administration, sports management, or related field. 
• Master’s degree in public administration, recreation administration or a related field is desirable. 

Licenses/Certifications:

• Valid Class “C” or greater motor vehicle operator’s license.
• Certified Parks and Recreation Professional preferred.
• Membership in Texas Recreation and Parks Society within 6-months of date of hire.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

The essential duties of this position are performed both indoors in a community recreational facility and outdoors in a park/playground or aquatic facility setting.  Incumbents assigned to this position must be physically capable of lifting and carrying objects weighing a minimum of 25lbs without assistance. Incumbents assigned to this position must be physically capable of using both vision and hearing during the performance of assigned duties to identify and evaluate filed emergencies. Incumbents assigned to this position must also be physically able to respond to such emergencies as appropriate. Additionally, incumbents assigned to this position must be physically capable of bending, stooping, kneeling, and reaching above shoulder height to perform daily duties. Incumbents assigned to this position can expect to perform essential job duties in a variety of work environments where the incumbent can reasonably expect to be exposed to various weather conditions such as extreme heat and prolonged exposure to the sun, wind, rain, hail, and lightning as well as dust, chemical cleaning agents and moderately loud noise levels on a routine basis. The duties of this position require that the incumbent be available to work evenings, weekends and holidays as needed.

Job Description Verification Authorization

The aforementioned statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this job.  They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel classified in this position.  This job description is subject to change as well as the needs and requirements of the job change.

ADA/EEO Compliance

The City of Sherman is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective employees and incumbents to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

Formal application, rating of education and experience, oral interview, reference and criminal background checks, work history and drug screens are required.  In addition, job-related tests may also be required.

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed.  The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the City of Sherman and the employee and is subject to change by the City of Sherman as the needs of the City and requirements of the job change.