Parks & Recreation Director

Job Title: Parks and Recreation Director
Department: Parks and Recreation
Reports To: Assistant County Manager
Classification: Full-Time, Exempt 
Compensation Range: $85,000 - $95,000 annually  
Benefits: Employee Benefits | Lake County, CO  

Why join our team? 
Join a workplace where public service meets opportunity. At Lake County Government, employees are empowered to grow, collaborate, and make a meaningful impact every day. We offer a supportive environment that values innovation and connection, with reliable compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a commitment to helping you succeed both professionally and personally. 

Cultural Expectations 

• Assume Good Intent: Approach each interaction with positive mindset and openness to understand others. 
• Model Professionalism: Maintain high standards in behavior and communication that reflects our values. 
• Apply County Wide Lens: Consider the broader impact of decisions on our community and organization as a whole. 
• Be Solutions-Oriented: Focus on finding constructive solutions rather than dwelling on problems or challenges. 
• Practice Servant Leadership: Prioritize the needs of others, fostering a supportive and collaborative work environment. 
• Support Meaningful Work-Life Balance: Encourage boundaries that support personal well-being while achieving professional responsibilities.  

Position Summary 
The Parks & Recreation Director provides strategic and operational leadership for the Parks & Recreation Department, overseeing staff, programs, facilities, budgets, partnerships, and long-term planning, while maintaining focus on providing inclusive access to indoor and outdoor recreation programs and amenities. Ability to cultivate collaborative partnerships with state, federal, and local partners.  This is a critical leadership position responsible for guiding the department through a period of organizational transition and renewal. 

The successful candidate will be a steady, collaborative, and accountable leader who can build trust within a team that has recently experienced organizational change, strengthen morale and performance, and establish a culture of professionalism, consistency, and service. 

The Director will bring strong financial and operational discipline to the department while positioning Parks & Recreation as a visible, valued, inclusive, and innovative community resource. This includes improving the consistency and visibility of programming; strengthening partnerships with Colorado Mountain College, the City of Leadville, Lake County School District, nonprofit partners, recreation providers, and community organizations; evaluating the condition and future needs of aging infrastructure; and aligning department resources with community priorities and long-term financial capacity. 

This position requires a leader who can balance people, finances, operations, community expectations, and long-term strategy while maintaining a clear focus on inclusive recreation opportunities. 

General Duties and Responsibilities 
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions 
Leadership, Culture, & Team Development 

• Provide clear, consistent, and accountable leadership to the Parks & Recreation Department. 
• Establish clear expectations, roles, responsibilities, performance standards, and lines of accountability. 
• Develop staff through coaching, mentoring, professional development, and regular performance feedback. 
• Address performance, communication, and workplace issues promptly, fairly, and consistently. 
• Foster a culture that values teamwork, professionalism, innovation, customer service, and personal accountability. 
• Lead a comprehensive review and modernization of department operations, staffing practices, workflows, service standards, improve Recreation and GOL! programs to improve organization, accountability, responsiveness, and community impact. 
• Build strong working relationships with employees, County departments, elected officials, community leaders, residents, and external partners; maintain a visible, engaged leadership presence across programs, facilities, and field operations. 

Financial & Budget Management 

• Maintain a firm and comprehensive understanding of departmental budgets, expenditures, revenues, contracts, and financial commitments. 
• Develop, manage, and monitor the annual Parks & Recreation budget in alignment with county leadership.  
• Identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary costs, improve efficiency, increase revenue, and maximize the value of existing resources. 
• Regularly evaluate programs and services based on cost, participation, community benefit, and available resources. 
• Develop a diversified revenue and cost-recovery strategy using grants, community sponsorship programs, user fees, partnerships, and other appropriate revenue sources, with clear targets for improving the department's ability to offset program and operating costs while preserving equitable access. 
• Ensure that staffing, programming, facilities, and capital investments are financially sustainable over the long term. 

Programs, Services & Community Visibility 

• Evaluate the department's current programming and establish a clear, consistent, and sustainable approach to program development and delivery. 
• Improve the visibility, communication, marketing, and accessibility of Parks & Recreation programs and services. 
• Ensure that staffing, programming, facilities, and capital investments are financially sustainable over the long term. 
• Use participation data, community feedback, and demographic information to identify who is and is not being served and develop practical pathways to broaden participation across Lake County. 
• Establish measurable goals and performance indicators for programs, facilities, and services. 

Partnerships & Community Engagement 

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with community organizations, schools, nonprofits, businesses, recreation providers, civic organizations, and other partners. 
• Represent the department effectively in community meetings, public events, and regional initiatives. 
• Seek community input and incorporate meaningful feedback into departmental planning and decision-making. 
• Position Parks & Recreation as a strong community partner and a trusted steward of public resources. 

Facilities, Infrastructure & Capital Planning 

• Serve as an engaged departmental partner in the County's Capital Asset Management Plan, working alongside the Natural Resources Manager, Community Planning & Development (CPD), Facilities, Finance, and other departments to inventory assets, assess condition and lifecycle needs, prioritize investments, and establish realistic maintenance standards. 
• Benchmark Lake County's parks, recreation facilities, amenities, and service levels using meaningful measures such as facilities and acreage per capita, utilization, operating cost, condition, and community benefit; clearly present findings and tradeoffs to County leadership and the Board of County Commissioners. 
• Develop recommendations that align the County's recreation portfolio with available staffing, operating revenue, maintenance capacity, and capital resources, including when appropriate consolidation, partnerships, repurposing, or changes in service delivery. The department should not add or retain facilities and services beyond what can be responsibly operated and maintained. 
• Evaluate creative and sustainable approaches to addressing aging facilities and infrastructure, including partnerships, grants, phased improvements, alternative funding models, and changes in service delivery where appropriate. 
• Ensure facilities and public spaces are maintained to appropriate standards for safety, accessibility, functionality, and community use. 

Strategic Planning & Continuous Improvement 

• Develop and implement a clear strategic direction for the Parks & Recreation Department. 
• Identify opportunities to modernize departmental practices and improve efficiency. 
• Balance immediate operational needs with long-term planning and sustainability. 
• Work collaboratively across County departments, including Natural Resources, CPD, Facilities, Finance, Public Works, and Administration, planning, land use, asset management, capital projects, grants, community engagement, and other shared priorities. 
• Regularly communicate departmental priorities, progress, challenges, and results to organizational leadership and the community. 

Supervisory Responsibilities 

• This position will oversee the entire Parks and Recreation Department, which consists of seven full-time and two part-time positions.  
• Supervisory experience of five years or more.  

Requirements 
Compensation will be determined by the applicant's full skillset with consideration of the below: 

• Bachelor's degree in Parks and Recreation, Public Administration, Business Administration, Recreation Management, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered. 
• Significant progressively responsible experience in parks and recreation, municipal operations, public administration, or related fields. 
• Demonstrated experience managing employees, budgets, programs, facilities, and/or public services. 
• Demonstrated experience developing and managing departmental budgets and making financially responsible operational decisions. 
• Experience leading teams through organizational change, restructuring, or other significant transitions is strongly preferred. 
• Experience developing community partnerships and working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders. 
• Strong written, verbal, organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills. 
• Travel to conferences or events within and outside of the state of Colorado may be required. 
• Proficiency in Spanish preferred.   
• Certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP) Certification or the ability to obtain one within 12 months of hire. 

Physical Activity & Work Environment 

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer. 
• Prolonged periods of standing or walking. 
• Occasionally pushing, pulling, or moving objects. 
• Use of hands for repetitive motions such as typing, writing, or operating equipment. 
• Operation of standard office equipment (computers, phones, copiers, etc.). 
• Visual acuity to read and produce accurate documents and materials. 
• Hearing ability sufficient to respond to spoken communication. 
• Standard office environment with controlled temperature and lighting. 
• Interaction with the public, sometimes in high-pressure or emotionally charged situations. 
• Occasional travel to offsite locations.

Applicant Notice 
Lake County Government posts all official employment opportunities on its careers page linked here. Positions may also appear on external job boards such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and ZipRecruiter through our applicant tracking system. 

Please be aware that unauthorized third parties may repost or imitate job listings. The most accurate and up-to-date information will always be available on our official website. Applicants are recommended to apply directly through our career page and should not provide personal information outside of the official application process. 

EOE Statement

Lake County is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status. Assistance or accommodation during the application process due to a disability is available upon request.

Notice of Work Authorization Requirement

Applicants must be authorized to lawfully work for any employer in the United States. Lake County is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa.

Notice of Emergency/Disaster Responsibilities

All Lake County Employees may be required to work as a Disaster Service Worker when a local declaration of emergency or disaster is declared by the Board of County Commissioners. To be prepared for this role, all employees and emergency service function (ESF) leads will attend emergency management trainings and exercises as requested by the Director of Emergency Management. With advanced notification from OEM, employees will make reasonable efforts to attend training events in coordination with other employees and supervisors.

Other Duties

Please note that this job description does not intend to cover or contain a full comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Expected Duration of the Application Process

Due to the nature of the application and selection process for Lake County full-time positions, applicants can reasonably expect the application process to take a significant amount of time to complete before a decision is made to hire or not to hire. Typically, it takes approximately two (2) to four (4) weeks from the date of application to complete the entire selection process. The length of time it takes to complete the process can vary depending on a variety of factors. Please note that this is an estimated duration of the selection process.