Parks Operations Section Manager

**Please Note: This recruitment will go through several interview steps, one of which will be in an in-person forum on the week of October 30, 2023, in the Seattle area. If you reside in Washington state, please ensure that you have availability to attend an in-person event.**
 
Summary:
King County Parks is seeking a Parks Operations Section Manager! This is a unique opportunity to direct the daily operations and oversight of the Parks Operations Section, which is a growing team of 200 full-time and 200 temporary staff. The Operations Section is responsible for maintaining recreation sites and natural areas throughout King County, including parks, trail systems, regional programs and facilities, grounds, trades and vegetation management, and key business units, including the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center, Marymoor Park and the White Center Teen Program. This position will lead the design and implementation of strategies and projects that maintain present and future services and amenities to meet our customers’ needs. This role involves daily interaction with the operations team at all levels of the organization as well as elected officials and agency stakeholders.The work we do at Parks is incredibly rewarding — we connect community members to parks, trails, open space and recreation opportunities, helping to create a healthier, more joyful and more equitable King County. Parks employees are some of the most dedicated, values-driven colleagues you’ll ever meet, who do their utmost every day to support the mission of Parks. Our mission is to steward, enhance and acquire parks to inspire healthy communities. We seek to cultivate strong relationships with community partners to enhance park amenities for all King County residents to enjoy today and for generations to come.

Who are we?
Be a part of King County Parks! King County Parks has evolved from 150 acres in 1938 to more than 32,000 acres. Today, our system consists of more than 205 parks, 175 miles of regional trails, and 250 miles of backcountry trails. Our mission is to steward, enhance and acquire parks to inspire healthy communities. We seek to cultivate strong relationships with community partners to enhance park amenities for all King County residents to enjoy today and for generations to come. Learn more at www.kingcounty.gov/parks.

And check us out on the socials at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Flickr.

• Provide daily oversite and management of the Parks Operations Section. Implement and promote goals, vision, workforce management, performance measures and standards, and strategies for the section.
• Provide management support, problem solving and conflict resolution to the operations team, including collective bargaining and labor and employee relations processes.
• Develop, approve and monitor annual work plan and budget for the section, including long and short-term planning and scheduling. Determine priorities for annual investments for park maintenance, recreation and aquatics.
• Ensure that work in the section is accomplished effectively and efficiently; advise Division leadership of operational issues.
• Develop and effectively maintain relationships with department and division directors, senior managers and other agency partner staff throughout the County.

Required Qualifications:

• Demonstrated, extensive leadership experience in operational roles and experience leading/working with a variety of staff.
• Management of open space systems ensuring public safety, public access, and ecological protection.
• Background in operations/maintenance of public lands and asset management as well as regional and backcountry trails.
• Background in land management and processes related to varied requests to use or alter custodial properties (Special Use Permits, agreements).
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to interact in an effective and positive manner with employees, peers, supervisors, customers, County officials and union representatives.
• Experience with creating initiatives to develop, coach and mentor a culturally and generationally diverse staff in a collaborative manner that focuses on employee engagement, good communication, and team building. Experience working in an organized labor environment.
• Experience with capital projects and operations coordination/cooperation.
• Knowledge and experience with applying equity and social justice principles in hiring, employee engagement, and development of programs and policies.
• Experience in habitat restoration practices or vegetation management.
• Experience in the effective adherence and enforcement of organizational policies and procedures.
• Familiarity with progressive discipline practices and skilled at providing employee performance feedback.
• Experience in working effectively with Human Resources to support recruitment, hiring, and organizational development.
• Experience working with volunteers and recreation and aquatics programs.
• Demonstrated knowledge or experience with facilities management and maintenance.
• Experience in backcountry trail construction and maintenance standards.

The Successful Candidate Will Have the Following Competencies:

• Builds Effective Teams – Building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• Plans and Aligns – Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals
• Manages Complexity – Making sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
• Business Insight – Applying knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization’s goals.
• Being Resilient – Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.
• Instills Trust – Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Communicates Effectively – Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Awareness and understanding of national best practice in operating and maintaining large, complex parks system.

Necessary Special Requirements:
A current Washington Driver License (or ability to obtain one upon hire), or alternative ability to travel in a timely manner to various locations including to sites which may not be served by public transportation.

Working Conditions:

• Work Location: This position will report to Clise Mansion, Marymoor Park, 6046 West Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE, Redmond, WA 98052 but will have frequent site visits to various Parks district locations within King County. This position may also telecommute on occasion, depending on the business needs of the division. This position will eventually report to the Central Maintenance Facility in Renton, WA once construction is completed. Employees must reside in Washington State and be within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to meet workplace reporting requirements.
• Work Hours: This full-time position works a 40-hour work week.
• FLSA Status: This position is exempt from the overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) and is not overtime eligible.
• Union Representation: This position is not represented by a union.
• Working Conditions: This job requires the ability to work, travel to, and walk in internal and external work areas within the Parks system. Those work areas expose the selected individual to uneven slopes, surfaces, grades, and terrain in varying weather conditions, with or without accommodations.

Who is Eligible:
This position is open to all qualified applicants. King County and the Parks and Recreation Division values diverse perspectives and life experience and encourages people of all backgrounds to apply.

Relocation: Reasonable and necessary moving expenses up to a maximum of $15,000 may be available if the successful candidate is relocating from outside of Washington.

Application and Selection Process:
Application materials will be screened for clarity, completeness including online application, cover letter and resume, and responsiveness to the list of qualifications, skills, and abilities. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more panel interviews. Applications without the following required materials may not be considered for this position.

• King County application
• Resume
• Cover Letter detailing your background and what you can bring to this position
• Responses to supplemental questions

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact: 
Jessica Fuqua at [email protected] or 206-848-0342.

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State’s best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we’re changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation’s best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our “True North”, we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles – we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.