Deputy Director, Parks & Recreation

The Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation oversees and manages the three main areas of the Parks and Recreation Department, including Field Operations and Planning Services, Parks and Facilities and Venues and Recreation divisions. These areas include maintenance and/or operations of Peoria’s three community parks, 37 neighborhood parks, the Peoria Sports Complex’s Major League Baseball Stadium and grounds, the Recreation Center, and programs such as aquatics, youth and adult sports, outdoor recreation, enrichment, the citywide trail system, rights-of-way contracts, open space acquisition, planning and development.

The primary function of the Deputy Director position is to support the Parks and Recreation Department by working closely and collaboratively with internal City departments, executive staff, the department management team and other staff, community groups, outside agencies, not-for-profit agency boards and the City Leadership Team, Council, and Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Regular job responsibilities include budgeting, staff development, strategic planning, relationship building and fostering current key stakeholders.

 The ideal candidate for this position will have strong communication and people skills, and a high acumen towards customer service skills. A successful leader of the Parks and Recreation Department and its teams will possess:

•  Management skills, problem-solving skills and time-management skills that are second to none
• Extensive experience supporting and evolving a varied group of programs, staff, divisions, City and leadership initiatives
• Proven success managing various divisional budgets and creating new ideas for revenue generation through new program and service offerings
• Ability to work on diverse projects and policies while simultaneously working with internal staff and the general public as necessitated
• The ability to understand the city’s financial needs and priorities and ensure that divisional budgets meet those needs through both financial knowledge and management success
• Demonstrated ability for consistent tracking of department performance measurements and analyzing data for effective decision making and creating innovative concepts for staff and service delivery efficiencies
• The desire to lead a successful team of varied professionals and front-line staff, helping staff to professionally develop while excelling at fulfilling the goals of the city and department
• Experience with management of Capital Improvement Projects thereby creating long-term sustainable programs for funding and execution of department rehabilitation projects
• The ability to create and foster a cohesive and effective team environment so that staff can work together to achieve and surpass common goals and get results
• Experience effectively leading and managing a large front-facing public-serving department
• Proven experience thinking strategically, identifying opportunities and threats, and developing and pursuing actionable ways to achieve City Council goals
• Successful experience communicating the mission, vision and goals of the department and the City to a wide variety of audiences through various mediums, including public speaking
• The ability to find and implement effective solutions to complex issues requiring creative innovative thinking

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in any field with major course work in management, recreation management, sports management, maintenance operations, turf of agronomy management.
• A minimum of seven (7) years increasingly responsible professional experience in a related field.
• At least three (3) years of supervisory responsibility.
• Advanced knowledge in highly specialized systems and procedures.
• Valid AZ Driver’s License upon hire.

In addition to offering a competitive salary, Peoria offers a comprehensive benefit package to include the following:

• Major Medical, Dental and Vision
• Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS)
• Life Insurance
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Vacation, Sick Leave, and Personal Leave
• Basic Life Insurance and Optional Voluntary Life Insurance
• Deferred Compensation Program
• Employee Assistance Program
• Tuition Assistance Program
• Rio Vista Gym Membership
• Wellness Program
• Diversity Program
• Outdoor Walking/Running Trail
• Years of Service Recognition
• Partnership for Prevention Program
• Flex Spending Account