Director, Parks and Recreation

The purpose of this classification is to provide executive leadership and operational oversight for the Town’s Parks and Recreation Department, including parks and facility operations, recreation programs, athletics, special events, capital projects, long-range planning, financial management, and employee development.
 
 The Director is responsible for ensuring departmental services, resources, staffing, facilities, and programs are effectively aligned with community needs and Town priorities. The position provides leadership in organizational development, operational efficiency, strategic planning, performance measurement, capital improvement planning, and continuous improvement.
 
 Work is performed independently under the general direction and supervision of the Senior Director of Community Services. The Director supervises and provides leadership to Parks and Recreation management, supervisory, professional, technical, and support personnel.

The following duties are normal for this position.  The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification.  Other duties may be required and assigned.

Provides leadership and directs the operations of the Parks and Recreation Department, including personnel, programs, parks and facility operations, maintenance, athletics, special events, budget administration, capital projects, procurement, and long-range planning.

Regularly evaluates the Department’s organizational structure, staffing model, span of control, roles, and workflows to ensure alignment with community needs, service demands, operational efficiency, and long-term departmental priorities; recommends and implements organizational and operational improvements as appropriate.

Develops and implements departmental goals, policies, procedures, standard operating procedures, performance standards, and management systems. Delegates development and implementation responsibilities appropriately while maintaining accountability for departmental performance and outcomes.

Provides strong leadership in employee relations, performance management, accountability, conflict resolution, and workplace conduct. Supervises and evaluates assigned staff; provides coaching and corrective direction; works closely with Human Resources on employee development, retention, discipline, and organizational effectiveness.

Develops and maintains a department-wide employee development and succession planning strategy. Identifies opportunities for employee training, professional certifications, cross-training, knowledge transfer, career development, and leadership succession.

Directs planning, coordination, and implementation of departmental programs, services, projects, and work activities. Collaborates extensively with other Town departments, governmental and regulatory agencies, consultants, contractors, community organizations, and other stakeholders to accomplish departmental and Town priorities.

Identifies and evaluates opportunities for sponsorships, community partnerships, intergovernmental collaboration, and other strategic relationships that may enhance programs, facilities, services, or departmental objectives, consistent with Town policies and priorities.

Provides overall leadership and accountability for departmental safety, risk management, regulatory compliance, inspections, and corrective-action processes across parks, playgrounds, athletic fields, facilities, programs, and special events. Ensures compliance with applicable laws, codes, ADA requirements, professional standards, and Town policies, and oversees appropriate inspection, certification, incident review, and risk-mitigation practices.

Develops and administers the departmental operating and capital budgets. Monitors expenditures and revenues, evaluates service levels and financial performance, conducts benchmarking, and develops long-range financial strategies consistent with community needs and Town priorities.

Evaluates fees, cost-recovery strategies, sponsorship opportunities, partnerships, and other approaches to improve the financial sustainability and effectiveness of departmental services while maintaining appropriate access and service levels.

Develops, monitors, and reports department-wide performance measures and key performance indicators, including program participation, facility utilization, maintenance performance, project delivery, budget performance, cost recovery, staffing metrics, and other measures necessary to evaluate departmental effectiveness and support continuous improvement.

Consults and coordinates with the Town Manager, Senior Director of Community Services, Assistant Town Manager, Town Council, Town Attorney, department directors, and other Town officials regarding Parks and Recreation operations, projects, policies, priorities, and emerging issues. Prepares and presents agenda items, reports, recommendations, and project updates to Town Council as appropriate.

Coordinates Parks and Recreation aspects of developer agreements.

Identifies capital improvement needs; develops preliminary project scopes, schedules, and cost estimates; recommends capital projects through the Town’s budget and CIP processes; and manages approved projects from planning and design through construction, closeout, and operational readiness.

Serves as the departmental owner and project manager for Parks and Recreation capital projects. Coordinates with consultants, contractors, engineers, architects, regulatory agencies, Town departments, and other stakeholders; monitors project scope, schedule, budget, risks, deliverables, and contract performance.

Establishes and implements long and short-term plans, goals, and objectives for the department; participates in strategic planning process with the Town Council and Management Team to identify strategic initiatives and priorities that align with organizational goals and objectives.

Provides overall departmental oversight of procurement and contracting activities, including requests for proposals, invitations to bid, cooperative purchasing, consultant agreements, work orders, and contract amendments. Delegates preparation and administration as appropriate while remaining accountable for timely execution, scope development, budget alignment, and compliance with Town procurement requirements. Coordinates with Procurement, Finance, Legal, and other departments as necessary.

Leads long-range planning for parks, recreation facilities, programs, and services, including implementation and periodic updates of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. Evaluates future facility and service needs and integrates identified priorities into the Town’s Capital Improvement Program, operating budget, and strategic planning processes.

Uses operational data, community needs, benchmarking, financial analysis, facility utilization, participation trends, and other relevant information to evaluate programs, services, staffing, facilities, and departmental priorities.

Leads and coordinates the Parks and Recreation Department’s emergency preparedness, response, continuity, and recovery responsibilities in accordance with the Town’s Incident Command System structure and under the direction of the designated Incident Commander. Ensures departmental staffing, resources, assignments, and operational responsibilities are carried out as directed during emergency activations.

Represents the Department at Town Council meetings, neighborhood and community meetings, major Town events, professional meetings, and other public forums. Builds productive relationships with residents, sports organizations, community groups, governmental agencies, consultants, contractors, and other stakeholders.

Coordinates with the Town’s Community Relations Department on departmental communications, public information, marketing, media relations, and promotion of Parks and Recreation programs, facilities, projects, and special events.

Promotes responsive and professional customer service throughout the Department; monitors significant complaints, service issues, and resident feedback and ensures appropriate follow-up and resolution.

Prepares, reviews, or oversees preparation of reports, correspondence, contracts, agreements, procurement documents, performance evaluations, agenda items, budget documents, purchase orders, plans, policies, procedures, and other departmental records; ensures records are accurate, timely, and maintained in accordance with Town requirements.

Reviews and acts upon departmental reports, schedules, permits, financial and budget documents, contracts, invoices, personnel records, policies, procedures, codes, professional standards, planning documents, and other information necessary to manage departmental operations and ensure timely follow-through.

Provides oversight of departmental technology and management systems, including project management, registration, reservation, scheduling, and reporting platforms. Ensures systems are used consistently to support accountability, workflow efficiency, data integrity, project tracking, and informed decision-making. Delegates system administration and routine maintenance as appropriate.

Communicates and coordinates with Town officials, employees, volunteers, other departments, consultants, contractors, vendors, government agencies, professional associations, community organizations, sports organizations, program participants, residents, and other stakeholders to advance projects, resolve issues, exchange information, and provide or receive direction.

Attends and presents at Town Council meetings, neighborhood and community meetings, professional meetings, committees, and other public forums as required. Provides executive oversight of the Town’s Parks and Recreation special event portfolio, delegates event planning and execution to assigned staff, and maintains a visible leadership presence at major Town events.

Maintains awareness of applicable laws and regulations, industry trends, emerging technologies, maintenance practices, recreational programming, professional standards, and best practices. Supports departmental participation in professional organizations, certifications, grant opportunities, awards programs, and accreditation initiatives when consistent with Town priorities.

 
ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS
 

Performs general/clerical tasks, which may include answering telephone calls, providing information to visitors, coordinating meetings, typing documents, making copies, filing documentation, or processing incoming/outgoing mail.

Operates a motor vehicle to conduct work activities.

Attends evening and weekend meetings, programs, public meetings, major special events, and other Town activities as required, including Town Council meetings and neighborhood meetings. Remains available for emergency response and operational needs consistent with the responsibilities of the position.

Provides assistance to other employees or departments as needed.

Performs other related duties as required.

A four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Parks and Recreation Administration, Recreation or Leisure Services Administration, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a closely related field.

A minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in parks and recreation operations, including personnel management, budgeting, recreation programs, parks and facility operations, capital projects, and organizational planning. Progressively responsible supervisory and management experience is required.

Must demonstrate strong organizational, leadership, analytical, project management, decision-making, written communication, and public presentation skills. Must demonstrate the ability to manage complex projects and priorities; work collaboratively across departments; supervise and develop personnel; evaluate operational and financial performance; and communicate effectively with elected officials, employees, consultants, contractors, community organizations, and the public.

A valid Florida driver’s license is required. For application purposes, a valid driver’s license from any state (equivalent to a State of Florida Class E) may be utilized with the ability to obtain the State of Florida driver’s license within thirty (30) days from date of employment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

A master’s degree in Public Administration, Parks and Recreation Administration, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred.

Ten (10) or more years of progressively responsible experience in parks and recreation, including senior management or department-level leadership experience, is preferred.

Prior experience serving as a Parks and Recreation Director or in a comparable senior leadership role is preferred.

Municipal or local government experience is preferred, particularly experience involving elected officials, public-sector budgeting, capital improvement planning, procurement, grants, and interdepartmental coordination.

Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE) and/or Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) designation is preferred.

Experience leading organizational restructuring, long-range parks planning, capital improvement programs, employee development, succession planning, performance measurement, and operational improvement initiatives is preferred.

Leadership Aptitude: Requires the ability to lead and manage change within the organization to meet the strategic goals for the Town of Jupiter. Creates buy-in, models the way, and encourages positive contributions, attitudes and investment in those they lead.

Data Utilization:  Requires the ability to collect, interpret, and apply operational, financial, participation, utilization, staffing, maintenance, and performance data; conduct benchmarking and trend analysis; and use quantitative and qualitative information to guide organizational structure, service levels, resource allocation, program evaluation, capital planning, and operational strategy.

Human Interaction:  Requires the ability to lead and manage a complex organizational unit; supervise and develop employees; address performance, employee relations, and conflict-resolution matters; collaborate across departments; negotiate and coordinate with consultants and contractors; and effectively interact with elected officials, executive management, community organizations, regulatory agencies, and the public.

Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization:  Requires the ability to effectively utilize computers, communication equipment, project management systems, recreation management systems, financial and reporting applications, and other technology necessary to manage departmental operations. Requires general familiarity with equipment and assets used in parks and recreation operations sufficient to provide appropriate managerial oversight.

Verbal Aptitude:  Requires the ability to communicate complex operational, financial, technical, and policy information clearly and effectively through written reports, correspondence, presentations, meetings, negotiations, public discussions, and recommendations to senior leadership and relevant stakeholders. 

Mathematical Aptitude:  Requires the ability to perform and interpret calculations involving budgets, percentages, cost estimates, financial projections, cost recovery, utilization rates, performance measures, ratios, and other quantitative analyses associated with departmental operations and capital projects.

Functional Reasoning:  Requires the ability to apply leadership, management, organizational, financial, and operational principles; analyze complex issues; evaluate alternatives; establish priorities; improve processes; manage risk; and develop practical solutions to operational, personnel, financial, and project-related challenges.

Situational Reasoning:  Requires the ability to exercise a high degree of independent judgment, decisiveness, and creativity in managing department-wide operations, competing priorities, personnel matters, capital projects, financial decisions, emergency situations, and issues involving significant public or organizational impact.

ADA COMPLIANCE

Physical Ability:  Tasks require the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work, but which may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight (5-10 pounds). Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or work station.

Sensory Requirements: Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate visual cues or signals.  Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally.
 
Environmental Factors: Performance of essential functions may require exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, humidity, rain, fumes, temperature extremes, traffic hazards, or bright/dim light.

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