Recreation Services Director

The Recreation Services Director provides executive leadership and strategic direction for one of the Citys most community-focused departments. This executive-level position is responsible for the overall leadership management and direction of the Recreation Services Department including its diverse portfolio of programs facilities services and operations.

With a focus on City priorities the Recreation Services Director establishes strategic goals aligned with City priorities the Recreation Services Master Plan and evolving community needs. The Director leads a broad range of recreational services and amenities including parks athletics aquatics racquet sports golf community centers libraries camps special events and other recreational programs and facilities.

This position offers an exceptional opportunity for an experienced public-sector leader to shape the future of recreation services enhance quality of life foster community wellness and ensure the City continues to provide innovative accessible and high-quality recreational experiences for residents and visitors.

Essential Functions

• Provides executive leadership vision and strategic direction for the Recreation Services Department in alignment with the Citys Strategic Plan the Departments Strategic Plan the Parks and Recreation Master Plan and organizational priorities.
• Serves as the Citys principal advisor on recreation facilities and services community wellness quality-of-life initiatives and emerging industry trends.
• Leads all departmental operations through subordinate managers ensuring organizational effectiveness operational excellence and exceptional customer service.
• Shapes implements and monitors the Departments Strategic Plan long-range initiatives departmental goals performance measures and service standards that support continuous improvement in alignment with City priorities.
• Guides the planning delivery evaluation and enhancement of comprehensive recreation services including park preserve and athletic field maintenance libraries aquatics athletics racquet sports golf community centers adaptive recreation nature center special events outdoor recreation and other community programs.
• Directs the planning design construction renovation replacement and lifecycle management of recreation facilities and related capital improvement projects.
• Coordinates capital improvement planning and project implementation in collaboration with City departments consultants contractors and other public agencies.
• Develops and maintains a collaborative working relationship with the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District to coordinate strategic planning capital improvement initiatives funding opportunities recreation programming and policies and shared community pride.
• Evaluates community needs demographic trends and industry best practices to develop innovative recreation programs facilities and services.
• Ensures effective stewardship of public assets through sound risk management regulatory compliance and responsible operational oversight.
• Promotes sustainable resilient and accessible facility design and operational practices.

• Develops departmental policies operating procedures and administrative practices that ensure compliance with applicable laws regulations accreditation standards and City policies.
• Oversees the recruitment selection coaching mentoring performance management and professional development of management and supervisory staff.
• Shapes organizational development initiatives succession planning leadership development employee engagement and workforce planning.
• Builds strategic partnerships with educational institutions nonprofit organizations youth sports organizations cultural organizations community groups and business partners.
• Leads community engagement efforts related to recreation planning capital improvements and service delivery.
• Advises the City Manager Deputy City Manager City Council advisory boards and executive leadership on departmental operations policies budgets and strategic initiatives.
• Represents the City before community organizations professional associations governmental agencies and regional state and national recreation organizations.
• Serves as executive liaison to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board by providing professional guidance preparing agendas and reports presenting departmental initiatives facilitating board recommendations and supporting implementation of Board and City Council priorities.
• Prepares and presents executive reports policy recommendations strategic analyses and performance updates to executive leadership and elected officials.
• Collaborates with the Citys Public Affairs staff to provide executive oversight of department communications marketing branding public information and digital customer engagement.
• Directs the implementation and use of technology business intelligence tools performance dashboards and data analytics to improve operational efficiency customer experience and informed decision-making.
• Establishes and monitors key performance indicators customer satisfaction metrics and operational benchmarks to evaluate departmental performance.
• Directs departmental emergency preparedness continuity of operations disaster recovery and emergency response activities in coordination with City departments and partner agencies.
• Leads the Department during declared emergencies and ensures staff readiness through planning training and emergency exercises.

Financial Responsibilities :

• Develops administers and monitors the Departments operating and capital improvement budgets while ensuring fiscal responsibility long-range financial sustainability and effective resource allocation.
• Oversees enterprise operations cost recovery strategies grants sponsorships contracts procurement concessions and alternative revenue opportunities.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of executive leadership municipal administration and recreation services management.

• Recreation program development facility operations capital planning budgeting and public-sector financial management.
• Strategic planning performance measurement organizational development and continuous improvement practices.
• Applicable laws regulations safety standards accessibility requirements and industry best practices.
• Public-sector personnel management best practices including recruitment labor relations and progressive discipline.

Skilled in:

• Strategic program development and long-range service planning.
• Budget development financial analysis and resource allocation.
• Capital planning and project prioritization.
• Public speaking and presentation before governing bodies and community stakeholders including complex interdepartmental coordination.

Ability to:

• Provide strategic leadership and direction for a diverse recreation services department.
• Plan organize and direct complex operations through subordinate managers and supervisors.
• Develop and administer budgets policies programs and performance standards.
• Analyze community needs and translate priorities into effective services and initiatives.
• Establish effective partnerships with community organizations agencies and stakeholders.
• Establish a culture of accountability collaboration innovation inclusion and continuous organizational improvement.
• Communicate effectively with executive leadership elected officials employees and the public.
• Promote a safe welcoming equitable and inclusive environment that enhances the quality of life for residents and visitors.
• Lead organizational change; foster an environment that encourages innovation such as technology adoption deployment of new recreation models process improvement and public-private partnerships; and promote accountability and customer-focused service delivery.

Required Experience:

Director