Director of Citywide Services Division (Executive 2)

About Seattle Parks and Recreation:

Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR)is a national leader and innovator in the services and programs we provide to our residents who enjoy our public spaces such as parks, community centers, specialty gardens and swimming pools. Our mission is to equip employees and the public for well-being as we support healthy people, a thriving environment and vibrant community. We provide safe and accessible spaces for residents and visitors to work, recreate, rejuvenate and enhance quality of life and wellness for children, teenagers, adults and seniors. Delivering excellent customer service to all is a core value.

Equity & Inclusion:

The Director of  the Citywide Services Division will oversee operations for the Natural Resources, Emergency Services, and Unified Care Team.  More specifically, the division provides citywide services and manages the following programs area: Horticulture, Urban Forestry, Trails Maintenance, Landscape Renovation, Greenhouse and Nursery operations, Japanese Garden, Volunteer Park Conservatory, and Kubota Gardens maintenance, Landscape capital projects, comprehensive vegetation management, integrated pest management, and landscape and forest restoration. Citywide Services works 365 days a year on multiple shifts and operates 24 hours a day to provide an outstanding level of service and responsiveness. The division is comprised of approximately 200 FTE with $35M in annual funding.  This position provides strategic, operational, and people centered leadership for these critical services. Reporting to the Deputy Superintendent, this Executive 2 role ensures that division operations exemplify SPR’s commitments to environmental stewardship, high-quality service delivery, and racial equity and social justice. 

• Set the overall vision, direction and strategy for the Citywide Services Division.
• Direct all aspects of operations in a division of approximately 200 FTE with 6 direct reports and biennial funding exceeding $35 million.   
• Provide fiscal oversight to ensure the division’s resources are allocated appropriately, managed responsibly, and expended within established limits.
• Lead staff in developing and executing annual and multiyear work plans; facilitate results-based team meetings; and strategically deploy resources to maintain natural assets and ensure safe, clean, and welcoming parks.
• Promote equity and inclusion by being a leader in maintaining safe and welcoming spaces for the community and visitors.
• Partner with SPR Human Resources on classification and compensation processes, recruitment and training, employee and labor relations, health and safety, and collective bargaining activities.
• Monitor and evaluate division operations to ensure effective, customer centered service delivery.
• Prepare briefing papers, legislation, and contractual documents in coordination with SPR leadership and the City Attorney’s Office for the Superintendent, Mayor’s Office, and City Council.
• Represent SPR in meetings, workgroups, and partnerships involving elected officials, advisory councils, community stakeholders, and other City department staff.
• Collaborate with department leadership on SPR’s annual budget development and the renewal of the Seattle Park District.
• Ensure quality control of work products and guide the development of performance metrics, operating standards, and workplace protocols. 
• Promote and reinforce sustainable, climate forward landscape practices that support the long-term health of natural areas and help achieve the City’s urban forest and climate goals. 

• Natural Resources and Urban Forestry: Responsible for horticulture for specialty gardens; pest management; wildlife management; the Green Seattle Partnership (restoration of natural areas and urban forests); urban forestry; trail maintenance; and the Green Youth Corps
• Horticultural Asset Stewardship: Maintenance, care and renovation of specialty gardens, trees, shrubs, and planting beds throughout city parks.
• Unified Care Team Oversight: Managing a team of SPR staff that is part of a broader multidepartment effort working to ensure Seattle’s public spaces, sidewalks, and streets remain clean and accessible to all.
• Emergency Management and Security: Responsible for Emergency Management Operations; management of a 7 day after-hour call center; and the management of Security and Park Rangers.
• Park Activation: These activations support positive use of park spaces, work to build a stronger sense of safety among community members and creates space for increased social and community connections. The park activation program includes daily Busking, Park Concierges, annual special events such as Center City Cinema Series, Dancing 'til Dusk, ongoing community and culturally relevant events and many other classes and activities
• Communications: conveying information on important green programs, projects, and initiatives
• Partnerships: Supporting and enhancing SPRs partnerships with local, regional, national, and international partners to advance SPR’s Thriving Environment goals. 
• Policy: Adherence and advancement of the City and SPR policies and initiatives including but not limited to the Climate Action Plan, Nature Based Solutions, Sustainability practices, Tribal Relations and Biodiversity Goals.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in public administration; Business Administration; Environmental Management; Forestry and Horticulture, and Parks and Recreation Management or a related field (or the equivalent of two years' experience and/or training and/or education in the fields mentioned above that provides the equivalent to work in the class).
• At least seven years of progressively responsible leadership experience, including five or more years in supervisory roles managing teams, budgets, and complex operational or environmental projects in a large urban or public-sector setting.
   

In addition to the minimum required qualifications, competitive candidates for this position will demonstrate:

• Deep understanding of change management and process improvement methodologies.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities, including strategic thinking, sound judgment, interpersonal effectiveness, and collaborative decision-making.
• Experience leading cross functional teams and largescale operational initiatives.
• A proven track record of effectively managing relationships with employees, residents, community members, elected officials, partner organizations and advocacy groups.
• Excellent leadership and supervisory skills including strategic thinking, sound decision-making, strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative approach to achieving results.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to distill complex information for decisionmakers. 
• Demonstrated ability to strengthen organizational capacity by developing high-performing teams and leaders that improve collaboration, productivity and long-term effectiveness.
• Politically astute and comfortable dealing at all levels of City government, concerning local and regional issues, while maintaining clear focus on Department values and vision.  
• Ability to manage and direct a professional staff by ensuring the quality and efficiency of work, the understanding of their responsibilities, and the resolution of their questions. 
• Ability to effectively direct multi-dimensional responsibilities simultaneously while understanding and supporting a work/life balance.
• Ability to quickly learn and use new skills and knowledge brought about by rapidly changing information and/or technology. 
• Ability to work in an urban environment with people from a broad range of cultural backgrounds; experience with diversity including economic, ethnic, age, and gender.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to deliver clear, concise and strategically aligned messaging to diverse audiences (including internal and external stakeholders).